Mario Cristobal was taken aback by what happened. As the coach was finishing up his postgame interview Saturday after the No.
Mario Cristobal was taken aback by what happened.
As the coach was finishing up his postgame interview Saturday after the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes’ biggest win in more than two decades — a 10-3 victory over No. 7 Texas A&M in the first round of the College Football Playoff — Cristobal felt someone approaching him from behind.
It was Michael Irvin, the legendary Hurricanes wide receiver and UM’s biggest cheerleader, there to plant a big, wet kiss on Cristobal’s cheek.
“I love you, baby!” Irvin said. “Way to go, Coach!”
“That was disgusting,” Cristobal said through a laugh. “He’s got a lot of energy, but man, I couldn’t find enough wipes. ... The smooch? I don’t know about the smooch, man. God bless him. I’m glad he’s here. Glad he’s supporting us.”
Irvin has been a regular on the Hurricanes’ sideline the past two seasons. But he wasn’t alone on Saturday in Texas. Andre Johnson was there. Edgerrin James, too.
They know what it’s like to see the Hurricanes at their best. Irvin won a national championship in 1987, Johnson in 2001.
Cristobal, who won titles as a player with Miami in 1989 and 1991, is trying to bring those glory days to the present.
“Those were great days,” Cristobal said, “but now it’s our turn.”
Saturday was the latest sign they’re well on their way.
Miami had to win ugly, on the road in front of an announced crowd of 104,122 and doubted. A defensive masterclass backed by just enough offense when it mattered helped the Hurricanes gut out the biggest win to date of Cristobal’s four years as head coach.
The important part of this: They won. They’re one of eight teams still competing for a national championship, which this season will be crowned on UM’s home field at Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19.
It’s a moment of validation for Miami, which had to bounce back from two losses in a three-week span midseason with four dominant wins to qualify for the 12-team playoff field as the final at-large team.
They celebrated as such.
But the party will quickly turn back to work. They know what’s next on the journey: The No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31. Kickoff from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is set for 8 p.m.
“What does it mean for us? Forty-plus days ago, we were lower than low,” Cristobal said. “We found a way to bring a different level of energy every single day and lift each other and the program up. Here we are with a chance to keep playing. That’s all that matters now.”
How they got here matters, too. It took four years of a slow climb to reach this point. A 5-7 season in 2022, Cristobal’s first back at his alma mater, showed how far UM still had to go. He stacked recruiting classes and transfer portal additions year over year to finally get a team that fully looks like his team — one that works from the trenches outward, that embraces physicality and hard work, that knows how to prioritize the team over the individual.
That 5-7 season in 2022 turned to 7-6 in 2023 and then 10-3 and narrowly missing out on the playoff field in 2024 before finally breaking into the field this season.
“The way that we train collectively as a group, the belief in each other is extremely strong,” Cristobal said. “We train and wire our team to be confident and aggressive in everything that we do. And when you come into an environment like this, you have to find a way to take the momentum one play at a time. We have guys that are about that life, that are about that type of training, that truly enjoy the situation that it calls for them to be at their best against great players. It’s a testament to them. ... Just flat out toughness and resilience.”
Among those players who stepped up Saturday ...
There’s Mark Fletcher Jr. The running back ran for a career-high 172 yards on 17 carries — the first UM player to average 10-plus yards per carry while running at least 15 times since Duke Johnson on Nov. 24, 2012 — to provide a late spark for an otherwise rough outing for the offense.
With the score tied 3-3 and about four minutes left to play, Fletcher produced the biggest offensive play of the game, rumbling a career-long 56 yards down the field. He broke one tackle near the line of scrimmage and then battled and carried safety Dalton Brooks for almost 30 yards before being taken down at the Texas A&M 30-yard line.
He ran four more times after that, picking up another 19 yards before Carson Beck’s shovel pass to Malachi Toney went for an 11-yard, go-ahead touchdown.
“Just a blessing,” Fletcher said.
Speaking of Toney, his touchdown was a moment of redemption. The freshman phenom fumbled near midfield one possession earlier, giving the Aggies a chance to take the lead. The defense forced a punt, putting control back in Miami’s hands. Toney didn’t let this one go to waste.
“It meant the world. That’s the best thing you can ask for,” Toney said. “You fumble, then you come back, and the coach trusts you enough to put the ball back in your hands with the game on the line.”
There’s Rueben Bain Jr. A couple Aggies players tried to downplay the challenge they were going to get from the Hurricanes’ star edge rusher. He responded with three sacks and four tackles for loss — both career highs — and a blocked field goal. Miami overall had seven sacks and nine tackles for loss while forcing three turnovers on its way to holding Texas A&M, which averaged 36.3 points per game entering Saturday, to just three points — its lowest output since Oct. 24, 2015.
“I don’t take kindly to disrespect,” Bain said. “I have the reminders on my phone. ... God bless them for writing checks they can’t cash.”
There’s Keionte Scott. Miami’s do-it-all nickel cornerback returned after missing the Hurricanes’ final three regular-season games and once again was all over the stat sheet. He had 10 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
And there’s safety Bryce Fitzgerald. The freshman safety had two interceptions, including the game-sealing pick in the end zone with 21 seconds left as Texas A&M put together a final rally attempt.
“He’s that guy that when the lights come on, he knows what to do,” Cristobal said.
The list goes on and on.
And it extends beyond those on the field.
Cristobal knows it also takes a collective effort off the field to get the Hurricanes to where they are now and where they want to be — and he makes sure everyone knows their impact is seen and heard.
He credits the administration, headlined by university president Joe Echevarria and athletic director Dan Radakovich.
He credits the alumni who regularly show up to practices and games and show belief in the future of the program.
And he credits the fans. Miami set a program record for home attendance in a single season — 510,673 for eight games, an average of 63,834 per game — and fans were on hand in full force on Saturday for the program’s latest milestone.
“To see the pride returning to so many of our former players, our administration that’s worked so hard to put this together, our fans who traveled — they were felt,” Cristobal said.
They will continue to be felt, and Miami will continue its journey.
“Nobody ever believed that we could do this,” Fletcher said. “We never really worried about those voices anyway, but we’re just very grateful, very blessed that we’re in this position.”
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Category: General Sports
