So I was able to get a couple of hours of sleep after last nights Fiesta Bowl thriller. Quite simply, it's on my Mt Rushmore of most exciting/best #Canes games I have ever attended (certainly based on the stakes, the setting and how it played out). The Hurricanes held off the gutty Ole Miss Rebels 31-27 to advance to the national title game.
It still feels surreal to even type that out here at Sir Veza's near my Southwest terminal as I sip on late victory, early morning Bloody Mary. (Hey, I'll start working out again tomorrow). This was a game full of frustration before elation. Some thoughts on the game..
- As Miami dominated the time of possession, and were rushing the ball effectively with Mark Fletcher and Marty Brown, it was frustrating that they would get away from the run game at the most inopportune time. I get why Shannon Dawson wants to mix things up (admittedly, many of us were begging for this), but when you are gashing for 6, 7, 8 yards, consistently, there's no need to dial stuff up like a Flea Flicker which killed the momentum of one drive. Fletcher had 22 carries for 133, but you wonder if he should've gotten something closer to 30 totes. I get the sense Miami left about 10-13 points out there last night.
Miami had the ball over 22 minutes in the first half, and over 40 minutes overall. But while they seemed to control the pace of the game, they could never shake the pesky Rebels throughout. They bent a lot, but Miami could never get them to break
- The Hurricanes secondary dropped three, if not four INT's last night. Get one or two of these and the complexion of the game changes.
- Malachi Toney and CJ Daniels both had plays where they had great second efforts on third down catches to move the chains on what became TD drives. There is a certain toughness to this unit that can not be overlooked
- Speaking of the wideout unit, can we put to rest that Keelan Marion is just a really good kick returner and a guy who is effective at running end-arounds and reverses? In the second half of the year he's become a reliable receiver who is tough and his dig route on that third down late in the game was huge.
- Ruben Bain and Akheem Mesidor didn't have great numbers last night, but they did enough to speed up the internal clock of Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss was as good as advertised. Quick release, shifty and some real arm talent. He threw some real dimes on the Ole Miss last drive before that Hail Mary. I'm a fan of this guy. If he gets another year of eligibility, Chambliss is a Heisman contender from the get go.
Credit to Ole Miss, not one time during this playoff did I ever really think they missed that guy who is leading LSU now.
- Did Carson Beck just put on the greatest last minute, game-winning drive in Miami history? Now, we've seen great comebacks (Steve Walsh vs FSU in 87 and Michigan in 88) and Ken Dorsey's late drive vs the Seminoles in 2000 (hottest day I can recall at the Orange Bowl), but again, considering what was at stake, this has to be in the conversation. He delivered in the clutch and capped it off with his legs.
A lot is always made of what his NIL deal was. After last night, it turns out Miami got an absolute bargain.
- As the Rebels last pass dropped to the ground, I found it interesting that our section of Miami fans, and really everyone else, was a bit muted, or really didn't have any reaction for several seconds. It was almost as if they were waiting for a late flag (ala the 2003 Fiesta Bowl), and it wasn't till the UM players started streaming on the field that everyone started to come to the realization that Miami had won and was advancing to the national title game.
It was a surreal feeling as total strangers were hugging one another. What a feeling. After two decades of mediocrity, Mario Cristobal, through his efforts, has brought this to our fan base a program that can be respected again. I can't lie, I'm in a bit of awe over what I've been able to witness live.
And yes, there is one more hurdle to climb. Cristobal didn't come back home to be a runner-up. He will be the first to tell you this (and don't ever ask or tell him that ''Miami is back''). But to put this into perspective, in this past month the Hurricanes have won three post-season games (including the Cotton and Fiesta Bowls), in the previous twenty seasons or so, they haven't won that many bowl games.
Three down, one to go.
