Canes falls short of national title as Indiana completes perfect season, winning 27–21

Miami would not go away, as Mark Fletcher Jr. scored on a three-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 17–14. Fletcher finished the day with 17 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Indiana answered right back with the most clutch drive of the season. The Hoosiers drove 75 yards down the field, converting on two fourth downs, the first coming at Miami’s 37-yard line on a 19-yard completion to receiver Charlie Becker, who made the catch while falling to the ground. Just four plays later, after initially sending out the kicking unit for a 12-yard chip shot on fourth down, head coach Curt Cignetti called a timeout to draw up the play that would ultimately win Indiana the national title: a quarterback draw that put the Hoosiers ahead 24–14.“We rolled the dice and said, ‘They’re going to be in it again,’ and they were,” Cignetti said. “We blocked it well, he broke a tackle or two, and got in the end zone.”

The Canes answered right back with a 22-yard touchdown pass to freshman standout Malachi Toney, cutting the lead to 24–21. After the Hoosiers settled for a field goal, the Canes had a chance to win the national championship at home. Unfortunately, that was not to be, as quarterback Carson Beck threw a pass that was intercepted by Miami native Jamari Sharpe, ultimately ending the game and giving Indiana its first national title.“I know nobody thought it was possible,” Cignetti said. “It probably is one of the greatest sports stories of all time.”

Beck finished the day 19-of-32 for 232 yards. After the game, head coach Mario Cristobal said, “Really tremendous work ethic. He earned the respect of his teammates by working hard with them. We win together, we lose together. I’m proud of him.” Cristobal added, “I’d like to have that last one back, but a lot of the plays made throughout the course of the year got us here to this moment and gave us an opportunity all the way to the end.”

After the game, Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal had nothing but praise for his team, saying, “They’re the best thing that’s happened to Miami and the University of Miami in over two decades.” He added, “It’s not the result we wanted—credit to Indiana; they’re a great football team—but these guys right here, I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with them. They’re absolutely incredible human beings, competitors, and resilient, and I want to thank them."

Fernando Mendoza, the Miami native who dreamed of playing for the University of Miami, went 16-of-27 for 186 yards and put his body on the line for one of the biggest plays in Indiana school history. “I had to go airborne; I would die for my team,” said Mendoza, who suffered a split lip and a bloodied arm after being sacked three times by the relentless Miami defense. “Everyone on the team, including my coach, makes fun of my running style, but it’s fourth down, so you’ve got to put it all on the line. Every player, if they had that opportunity, would put their body on the line, too.”

The Canes will look to bounce back next season, with many players returning and eager to get the job done like Malachi Toney, Bryce Fitzgerald, Mark Fletcher JR. and others, while Indiana will wear the crown and aim to maintain their status as the kings of college football.