Mario Cristobal jabs Paul Finebaum over not attending Miami's win over Notre Dame

Pundits like Paul Finebaum spend plenty of time taking jabs at college football coaches. But, every once in a while, a coach jabs back. Such was the case on Thursday, when Miami head coach Mario Cristobal called out Finebaum for not attending the Hurricanes’ season-opening win over Notre Dame.

“Well, I thought for sure you’d be there. Everybody else was there. You were a no show,” Cristobal said. “But no, for us, obviously, a tremendous opportunity. We knew that going in, and we also knew they were a very talented team. Extremely physical, high-caliber athletes all over the place, and we had an opportunity on the big stage to get it done.

“Everybody had a hand in it, and we made the most of our opportunity. And certainly, from a notoriety standpoint, from a recruiting standpoint, from a confidence standpoint, it validates a lot. So, we just took it as, ‘Hey, that one’s put to bed, and now we’re moving on to the next one. Let’s go find a way to get better.'”

Finebaum missed out. In the 27-24 win over the Fighting Irish, Miami put on a show. Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck was particularly spectacular, completing 20-of-his-31 pass attempts for 205 yards and two touchdowns, without throwing an interception.

Of course, one player can’t singlehandedly defeat the reigning national runner-ups. Miami running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown were solid as well, combining for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Miami’s defense was also a standout. This offseason, the team brought in defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman from Minnesota. The decision paid off in Week 1, with Miami holding Notre Dame to 314 yards of total offense while squeezing two turnovers out of the Fighting Irish.

“He is hard to prepare for with how he mixes things up,” Mario Cristobal said of Hetherman. “I will tell you what, if we do not bust, our defense is elite. And that is OK. We knew that playing at home, there was going to be a ton of noise and for the most part, we were able to communicate.

“We got caught on one bust and his level of teaching, communication, scheme, and intensity—he was a game changer for us today. He makes everybody better.”

Perhaps Finebaum can make it to Miami’s next game. On Saturday, the Hurricanes will square off against Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN+.