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10 Miami is headed for the national championship, but Mario Cristobal wanted to make sure his guys didn’t celebrate early.
The Hurricanes took the lead with 18 seconds left after Carson Beck got himself a score when the left side of the field was left open.
After taking a 27-24 lead, an assistant walked up to the head coach and hugged him from behind as he smiled from ear to ear.
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Head coach Mario Cristobal of the Miami Hurricanes looks on in the fourth quarter against the Ole Miss Rebels during the College Football Playoff semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Cristobal wasn’t having it though.
Almost immediately, Cristobal wriggled out of the hug and grabbed the trainer, perhaps knowing that anything could happen given the amount of scoring that had already occurred in the fourth quarter.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal gestures to the fans after defeating Virginia Tech in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Blacksburg, Virginia. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)
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Twenty-five of the game’s 51 points were scored in the final seven minutes, which featured four lead changes. Ole Miss took the lead with a field goal, but Miami answered with a 36-yard touchdown run by Malachi Toney for a 24-19 lead. Minutes later, the Rebels scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to go up 27-24.
It was up to Beck and the Miami offense to keep the game alive. Beck marched down the court and, fittingly enough, Beck, scanning the field, found a seam to his left and sprinted for the colored paint to score the game-winner with 18 seconds left. This led to the hug that Cristobal did not want to participate in.
Things got fascinating at the end, with Ole Miss going 40 yards in just a few seconds to set up a Hail Mary for the win. Chambliss had room to loft a pass into the end zone, and though it hit the hand of a teammate, it landed incomplete for the Miami win.
In all likelihood, Cristobal and the assistant coach shared a long embrace as the Hurricanes celebrated.
Carson Beck of the Miami Hurricanes throws the ball against the Ole Miss Rebels in the first quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Miami will face Friday’s winner of No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon in the Jan. 19 national title game, which will be played at its very own Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida.
