Having commenced since late December, the College Football Playoffs has caught the eye of many Miami residents as the University of Miami continues to make a historic playoff run. After receiving one of the last spots to compete in the playoffs, Miami went on to beat Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University, defending champions Ohio State and Ole Miss University.
Finally, the Hurricanes faced their final game, determining this season’s national champion. They were going to face off against a well-rounded group with an undefeated record, the University of Indiana. This Indiana team was meant to be a strong contender as it was built around a disciplined coaching system revolving around star quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
The Miami Hurricanes entered the game with confidence in their own abilities after three consecutive victories against difficult rivals. However, Indiana was the only team in the country that had not lost a single game. Not only that, but they were ranked as the best team in the country, favored by seven points against Miami.
“I have watched most of the Indiana football games this year and they have looked like the best team in the country. Their quarterback plays smart football and makes good decisions. He is also protected by a great offensive line and has a lot of time in the pocket to make a throw,” freshman Ethan Berkovits said.
However, the Hurricanes had one advantage, the National Championship was a home game located in the Hard Rock Stadium. A game like thisa gave UM the home advantage, but the Indiana fans refused to rest. Despite being far from home, a massive Indiana fans turnout took over the stadium filling over half the seats.
“I was rooting for Miami to win another National Championship because I wanted to see one live for the first time. This season was an amazing success, and I wanted to see these Miami players rewarded for their accomplishments,” junior David Perez said.
The game finally commenced with Miami receiving the ball first which resulted in a short drive leading to a punt. Indiana received the ball and faced the same result with an elite pass rush from Miami disrupting their offense.
Both teams were physical to start the game and the defenses played hard, with the score being 3-0 at the end of the first quarter in favor of Indiana. The game picked up in the second quarter with a touchdown scored by Indiana’s tight-end Riley Nowakowski. The 10-point lead seemed more dominant than it was due to Miami’s inability to create any offensive rhythm. Right before half Miami drove down the field for the first time only to miss a field goal. Indiana seemed ready to dominate the rest of the game after halftime.
The Miami team returned to the game with such high confidence that it could be seen in their game play. Indiana received the ball to start the half but were instantly shut down by the Hurricane defense. Two plays later Miami scored a game changing touchdown with a 57-yard run by Mark Fletcher Jr. The Hurricanes had a new spark gaining control of the game’s momentum.
However, Indiana regained the momentum with a blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown. Indiana took control of the game and their fans erupted in cheers feeling confident towards winning the championship. Many thought the Hurricanes spirits would be crushed but they rallied back with a long drive resulting in another crucial touchdown.
“After that blocked punt, I thought the game might have been over because of the many mistakes the Hurricanes were making. We hardly had any offensive life and kept relying on our defense to win the game,” freshman Daniel Rodriguez said.
Indiana received the ball back and showed the nation why they are the number one team in the country. With numerous third down completions and many risky decisions, Indiana drove the ball into the redzone. This is where Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza showed why he is the best college quarterback in the country taking hits left and right as he ran the ball into the endzone.
At that point Indiana seemed to have complete control of the game with limited time for Miami to score twice being down 24-14. However, star wide receiver Malachi Toney led the Hurricanes down the field with two huge plays to score the touchdown within minutes.
Both teams continued making big plays until Indiana had the ball with two minutes left, leading by three points. The Hurricanes stopped them just before scoring a touchdown and had just under two minutes to score a touchdown and win the game.
Carson Beck, the Miami quarterback, had one more opportunity to win his final game as a college athlete. Miami seemed to have momentum, managing to advance past midfield. Then, with around 40 seconds left in the game a pass came up too short and was intercepted, which gave Indiana its first championship in history.
“I thought we had a good chance of winning the game with the ball in our hands for the final possession. It looked like we were in control when we passed the halfway mark of the field. The throw was just a really bad decision because there were other players like Malachi Toney wide open for another reception,” junior Hennley Michel said.
Indiana completed a perfect season without any losses and obtained the championship victory celebrating their historic win. On the other hand, Miami remains hopeful with most of their team being young while Indiana’s players are mostly graduating. Miami hopes to finish the job next year as a young team with lots of experience and determination to win it all.
