Miami head coach Mario Cristobal had plenty to deal with on Thursday night in his team’s 31-27 win over Ole Miss for the College Football Playoff semifinals.
The No. 10 Hurricanes (13-2) gave up a season-high number for points and committed 10 penalties, and he told ESPN afterward that many of the players were sick. All that said, Cristobal really didn’t want to hear another “Is the U back?” question, so he quickly shot that down when talking with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter.
Miami was a dynasty in the 1980s and a constant power in the 1990s and start of the 2000s before the program slipped into mediocrity. The Hurricanes will play for a national championship on Jan. 19 for the first time since 2003.
“I love what you told me last time about cringing initially about the idea of being back,” Van Pelt said.
Cristobal jumped before Van Pelt could get done saying “and there’s still 60…” and told the host, “don’t say it” amid a round of don’ts.
“Do you not trust me enough to ask a question,” Van Pelt said. “Let me ask a question.”
Cristobal accepted and told him “you’re a professional” twice. Van Pelt went ahead and asked, “What are you proudest of tonight?” instead.
“We didn’t come this far just to come this far,” Cristobal said after acknowledging the team’s staff members. “We still have a lot of work to do.”
Mario Cristobal Sounds Off on Doubters
Miami barely made it into the College Football Playoff and didn’t even play in the ACC championship game.
The Hurricanes weathered through the storms of doubters to reach the final as a No. 10 seed that had to be picked by the committee. Miami has crashed the playoff since with a road win over Texas A&M and a dominant win against Ohio State.
Against Ole Miss, the Hurricanes looked ready to dominate in the first quarter as the Rebels offense couldn’t go anywhere. Instead, Ole Miss answered everything the Hurricanes did like a heavyweight bout.
“For us, I guess it’s the simplicity of how we just let our play on the field take care of itself, and answer any and all questions. I know a lot of times, I think narratives take over — I don’t know, popularity, social, the media in general,” Cristobal told reporters afterward.
“And this game has never been about that. I think these guys proved that, that after November 1st — 69 days ago, I think is what it was — they made a simple decision to bring energy every single day into the building and just get a little bit better and find a way to be 1-0,” Cristobal said.
Miami Goes Home the Desired Way
Ironically, the Hurricanes can go 1-0 one more time in their home stadium despite being the second-lowest seed in the playoff. Miami hasn’t played at home since Nov. 29 against Pittsburgh.
“We haven’t been home in a long time. We’ve been on the road for five straight games. And it’s because of their work, their commitment, their belief, and their trust, and the confidence they have in each other,” Cristobal said.
Miami’s Mario Cristobal Refuses 1 Question After Win vs. Ole Miss