GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Miami coach Mario Cristobal gathered his offensive linemen together during a pressure-packed, fourth-quarter drive in the Fiesta Bowl and delivered a message to the big, beefy guys he knows so well.
You five are about to lead the way for the winning touchdown.
“He believed in us,” Hurricanes right tackle Francis Mauigoa said. “We were in the middle of the field and he’s saying, ‘We’re going to score this. Defense get ready.’”
Sure enough, a few minutes later quarterback Carson Beck ran untouched into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown to cap a bruising 15-play, 75-yard drive, and the No. 10 seed Hurricanes had earned a 31-27 victory over No. 6 Mississippi along with a chance to play for their first national title since 2001.
“All the work that we put in, all the preparation that goes into this, is for moments like these,” said Beck, who finished with 268 yards passing and two touchdowns. “You play this game for moments like these, you live for moments like these.”
It was the kind of physically dominant performance that Cristobal — a former offensive lineman at Miami — thoroughly enjoyed.
“It almost seems like the tougher it gets, the better we play,” Cristobal said. “And it’s a testament to them, to their resilience, and their will.”
Miami dominated the line of scrimmage for the majority of their win, racking up an impressive 191 yards rushing as the line spent much of the night steamrolling the Rebels’ defense. Mark Fletcher ran for 133 yards on 22 carries, the Hurricanes had 459 total yards and the offense controlled the ball for more than 41 minutes compared to roughly 18 1/2 minutes for the Rebels.
That’s not to say the Ole Miss defense didn’t present some challenges. The Rebels sacked Beck four times, which helped them rally for a 27-24 lead with 3:13 left.
“They brought out some smart stuff — they brought out some good blitzes,” Mauigoa said. “The head coach over there (Pete Golding) is a smart guy.”
But the offensive line — from left to right, Markel Bell (6-foot-8, 345 pounds), Matthew McCoy (6-6, 325), James Brockermeyer (6-3, 295), Anez Cooper (6-5, 345) and Mauigoa (6-6, 335) — was at its best on the final drive.
Cristobal gave the group the game ball during the on-field postgame celebration.
“It was just what the situation required,” Brockermeyer said. “If we didn’t do that, we lose the game. I think it’s a little different when you’ve got to have it. Never throw in the towel, keep fighting, keep throwing haymakers and at the end of the day, look up at the scoreboard and the Miami Hurricanes are 1-0.”
Beck had plenty of time to survey the field on the game-deciding play, pulling the ball down before running into the end zone. It had to be a beautiful sight for Cristobal, who was an offensive tackle for the Hurricanes during some of their glory years in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Brockermeyer said the team — and particularly the offensive line — feeds off their coach’s energy.
“Unless you’ve played offensive line like he has, there’s no way to truly understand what it’s like,” Brockermeyer said. “It’s just such a blessing to have a guy like that in our corner, a guy who gets it, respects it, puts a huge emphasis on it.
“He’s built this program around the offensive and defensive lines and it’s awesome to be a part of.”
Now the Hurricanes are one game away from their first title in 25 years. They’ll play for the national title on Jan. 19 against either Indiana or Oregon in their backyard in Miami Gardens, Florida.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
