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andrea adelson
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Teams have been told to never look ahead. but no one could blame miami Football team to look toward the future even before the season begins.
Hurricane talked about it, maybe not openly, but certainly privately. Open the season at home against Notre Dame. End the season at home with the national championship game.
What was once a dream has now become a reality after a thrill win 31-27 Above ole miss Thursday night in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl behind an inspired effort by quarterback carson beck And a coach who has made it his tireless mission to restore Miami’s proud legacy.
While Mario Cristobal maintained his trademark intensity after the game, there is no denying the improbability of the run Miami has made to get to this point. After starting at No. 18 in the CFP rankings following an overtime loss to SMU on November 3, Miami became the last team left in the 12-team CFP field and has now earned three playoff wins to become the first team to play for a national championship in its home stadium since the BCS/CFP era began in 1998.
“When I saw everybody running on the field, it felt like a dream, like I was waiting for someone to wake me up or something,” the linebacker said. Wesley BisantheA Miami native who began his career when Cristobal took over the program in 2022. “I’m a Miami guy, so playing in front of my teammates, where I’m from? It would mean everything.”
Winning national titles on their home field is nothing new for the Hurricanes – three of their five national titles came in the Orange Bowl, their prestigious former home field. This includes Cristobal starting at offensive tackle in 1991. For more than two decades, Miami has been wandering in the proverbial college football wilderness. It ultimately took a coach with Miami DNA to lead the Hurricanes to the brink of a sixth national title.
However, it was not easy, as nothing has been easy this season. Miami led for most of Thursday’s game, dominating in nearly every category, from time of possession to plays and rushing yards. But a few drives were halted in the third quarter due to penalties or other mistakes, giving Ole Miss a chance to get back into the game.
What unfolded in the fourth quarter was a strange affair that saw four lead changes in the final seven minutes. With Miami veterans Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Gino Torretta, Edgerrin James and others watching from the sidelines, the Hurricanes scored on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Beck to the dynamic freshman. Malachi Tony Led again at 24-19 with 5:04 remaining.
But trinidad chamblis With Ole Miss back on the field with the help of a pass interference penalty, officials called Miami on a third-down incompletion – a flashback to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, when a controversial pass interference cost Miami the national title. Chambliss threw a 24-yard touchdown pass. dequan wright The Rebels trail with 3:13 left.
Miami had not trailed this long in the fourth quarter since a loss to Louisville at home in October, a game in which Beck threw four interceptions. Beck used that game as a turning point for his season, and in that moment against the Rebels, with the game on the line, he refused to lose.
He calmly led a 15-play, 75-yard drive – ending with a 3-yard touchdown run.
“It seems like the harder it gets, the better we play,” Cristobal said. “And that’s a testament to them, to their resilience and their will.”
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson called what Beck has done “an epic story.” It was a year before Beck agreed to transfer to Miami, after an elbow injury kept him out of practice until the start of fall camp.
“He deserved that moment,” Dawson said. “It was up to him to rise up and take it, and he did. It probably silenced a lot of critics.”
With Miami leading, Lewis looked out into the crowd and raised his arms, causing Miami’s cheering fans to cheer. When it was all over and the final seconds ticked away, former players celebrated with players – present and past, all with a shared purpose. The brotherhood continues even in difficult moments, as it did Thursday night in Miami.
“It’s been a long time coming. Once Coach Cristobal came here, we got Miami back to its old ways,” James said. “Getting to the playoffs and then getting to the championship in Miami – it doesn’t get any better than that. It’s set up for us.”
Since the loss to SMU, Miami has won seven in a row. But Miami has been on the road for five straight years. After their final home regular season game against NC State on November 15, safety keyonte scott Reiterating what was discussed in the preseason: “We’re not finished with the Hard Rock.”
“We always knew we were special, and we knew if they let us in [the playoff]That a lot of teams were going to be in trouble,” Bisonthe said.
Anez CooperAnother player, who began his career in Miami at the time of Cristóbal’s appointment, said he cried as the final seconds approached: “I’m happy we’re back home.”
