Miami's special season a year late, but Canes closing in on national title

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Miami coach Mario Cristobal confided to me at last year’s ACC spring meetings how special he thought the Hurricanes would be in 2024. That afternoon in Amelia Island, Florida, Cristobal spoke with quiet confidence that his Hurricanes would make the same ascension his former Oregon team did by winning the Rose Bowl in his second season with the Ducks.

It turns out Cristobal was wrong. He was a year off.

The Hurricanes’ magical season came this year.

Behind quarterback Carson Beck‘s arm — and legs — Miami continued its march through the College Football Playoffs by outlasting Ole Miss 31-27 Thursday at the CFP semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl.

What does reaching Miami’s first national time game in 25 years mean to Cristobal? 

“I don’t think about it until the end of the season, dude,” Cristobal told On3. “I’m not wired that way. I’m a boring son a bitch.”

Boring or not, Cristobal has the Hurricanes on the cusp of the school’s sixth national title. Just a few weeks ago, there was a real chance Miami wouldn’t even get into the playoff. Who would be the last team in the 12-team field: Miami or Notre Dame? It was college football’s national debate. Now, the Hurricanes are 60 minutes from winning their first national title since 2001.

Beck’s 3-yard TD scamper — after he patiently checked off four covered receiving targets in the end zone — was the difference with 18 seconds remaining.

“I went through my progressions and next thing you know I started moving,” Beck said afterward in a boisterous UM locker room. “I just saw green grass. I can’t remember a more memorable run. I literally started celebrating before I got to the end zone. It was one of the best moments of my life. I just blacked out at that point. Looking up at the fans and everyone going crazy.”

The victory not only moved the ACC one win closer to its first national championship since Clemson in 2018, but it also eliminated the SEC from the national title game for a third consecutive season. An SEC first in 23 years. And it also cost Lane Kiffin $250,000. The former Ole Miss coach would have received another $250,000 if the Rebels had won.

Despite the Hurricanes dominating the entire game in every imaginable statistic — offensive plays (88 to 60), yards gained (459 to 398), time of possession (41:22 to 18:38) — Miami started melting down in the fourth quarter with turnovers and penalties.

“We shot ourselves in the foot a lot,” Cristobal said. “Here’s the good thing. We won the game. We have a lot to improve on. We turned the ball over. We committed penalties. We missed field goals. We put ourselves in not the best situation, but still fought our way out of it.”

The Hurricanes also dropped four interceptions on defense, including two pick-sixes. It appeared Ole Miss would rally to win its third straight since Kiffin bolted to LSU and Pete Golding took over.

 “We bend but we don’t break,” said Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney, who had five catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. “We fight ‘til the end.”

Even with Miami’s dominance, the Hurricanes trailed 27-24 after Trinidad Chambliss’ 24-yard touchdown pass to Dae’Quan Wright with 3:13 remaining.

Miami had one final chance.

“We’re sitting there on the sideline, I’m telling the guys to just stay in it, stay in it,” Beck said. “They scored (and) I kind of looked at the guys and said: ‘Man, this is what we worked for. This is what we live for. This is why you play the game of football. This is why you come to the University of Miami is for moments like this. To play in these big games, to have these big moments. Are we going to respond or are we not? What are we going to do?’ ”

Miami converted four consecutive third downs and a 2^nd-and-11 to move down to the Ole Miss 8-yard line. Only 31 seconds remained. 

“I told them whatever happens, I still love them,” Beck said. “I’m proud of them. And I think just looking at the look in everybody’s eyes, I kind of felt what was about to go happen.”

What happens next is Miami will play in its home stadium for a national title. The Hurricanes are the last team to win a national title on their home field back in 1991. Miami’s actually won three national titles on their home turf in the old Orange Bowl.

“We have a lot to fix and get better off of,” Cristobal said. “That’s a good thing. That brings you off that win high.”