Everything Mario Cristobal said in the Final Press Conference Ahead of the Cotton Bowl

ARLINGTON, Tx. — The Miami Hurricanes are building up to be one of the most well-respected underdogs in the history of the College Footall Playoff.

It started with the final press conference ahead of the Cotton Bowl Classic between head coach Mario Cristobal and Ryan Day.

There was a clear difference between the two sides of the aisle, with Day answering most questions while Cristobal looked around, waiting for his turn. However, some questions did fly to Cristobal as he prepares for the Buckeyes on New Year's Eve.

Opening Statement...

Certainly appreciate being here and appreciate you guys being here and want to thank everyone involved with the Cotton Bowl, the entire organization. Everything is first class for providing our program, our families with a great experience, while at the same time providing us with the amenities and the facilities to be able to continue to prepare for a great opportunity. So, I'm very thankful. I'm very appreciative.

On the Growth of the Team now in the College Football Playoff...

Sure. I think there's been steady growth throughout the entire season. Certainly, we were off to a really good start early and had a couple bumps in the middle. And after that, it seems like the upper classmen -- and really, credit to the staff as well, everyone around this organization did a really good ob just raising and elevating the standards as it relates to practice, preparation, and energy around the program. So, certainly a lot of growth, but a lot more growth to be had.

On Team Being Focused with the Distractions...

Well, I think the schedule handles that. I mean, these guys are up early. They're always in either a meeting, lifting, conditioning, practicing, or watching film, or getting some extra work in as it relates to preparation. And I think, of course, during their little free time, that's when your senior or your upper-class leadership certainly has to take over and make sure things are done the right way.

On People Misunderstanding Carson Beck

I really didn't know him until he got to Miami. I certainly -- I think all of us saw some of the stuff, some of the noise surrounding the end of his tenure over at Georgia and then him starting his new tenure at Miami. And because he's so quiet and reserved and didn't get much time in front of the microphone, in front of the media, I think some narratives kind of -- they ran on their own. And being around him from day one, one thing that really stands out, he's all about team. He's all about his teammates, and his work ethic is off the charts, which are the qualities you always want in your quarterback. So, I have the utmost respect for him and the utmost trust and confidence in him as a player, as a teammate, and certainly, I think his best days are ahead of him.

On the Bowl Prep...

I think it's a continuation of the process. I mean, we felt like towards the end of the season we were playing some of our best football. And that, again, brought with it a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of energy that has kind of snowballed into the postseason as well. And we were able to capitalize on that, and have a successful outing the last time out, and certainly, throughout the last several days of preparation, our guys are -- I think we have a very clear understanding of how we've got to continually improve and raise our standards as the year goes on.

On Jeremiah Smith's Comments...

Well, I think obviously he's a great player, an elite player, an elite family, and that comes with recruiting. And certainly, whenever you don't have a recruiting win, if you really are in it for the right reasons, you wish a player and his family the best. And he's certainly done a great job.

On Julian Sayin...

Well, to us, we thought he was a sure-fire Heisman finalist. He has complete control of the offense. Extremely accurate. He gets in the right place. He knows where pressure is coming, where it's not coming, where he's protected and where he's not, and he delivers the ball on the run, in the pocket, on the move. Certainly, a guy that can beat you a lot of ways, and he can extend plays, he can improvise. So, he does not look like a young guy playing in the position. He looks like a guy that's been there for a long time that has complete control of the offense

On the 2002 National Championship Game...

Well, I think just like you mentioned, it means the people that were around at that time, certainly, of course. I mean, when you have programs of this caliber that have played in those caliber of games, that's the best part about college football, right? The pageantry, the competitiveness, the fan bases. But as it relates to the current team, it's the 2025 Miami Hurricanes and the 2025 Ohio State Buckeyes. That's what they know. That's what they've prepared for. And really, outside of that, nothing else matters.

On Those Players That Stayed and Believed in Miami...

Those guys are the foundation of everything. Certainly, upon arrival in 2022, having played at Miami, having been there during some really good years, you're flying over across the country, and you're looking -- what you're walking into on the iPad. It's tough moments, a kick in the gut. Those guys had the faith. They certainly had the mental strength and the belief watching the team go five-seven, yet still making a decision to come and be the guys that were going to be agents of change, so to speak. So, they're tough. They're resilient. They're elite human beings. And they attract elite human beings. And ever since they were knee-high, those guys have been community legends.

They mean a lot to the program, aside from their touchdowns, sacks, and tackles for losses. Those guys are certainly -- they're the big reason why the University of Miami is continuing to progress. We're not where we want to be yet, but certainly, we've progressed a ton and have a long way to go. But they're the reason why we are -- our trajectory is going the right way.

On some Unsung Heroes for the Team...

That's a tough question and you hate to leave guys out. A guy that pops into mind right away is Keionte Scott who was injured in the middle of the season and was up for several postseason awards. You'd never know it because he never, ever once asked to have a campaign for a postseason award. Total team guy. I think guys like Anez Cooper really stand out. Mark Fletcher stands out. Again, I'll probably stop there because I feel like I almost offend so many guys that have laid it on the line and you don't get a chance to mention them. But very grateful to have a group of guys that approach their work in that kind of manner.

On When the Team Bonded Most...

Yeah. Tough to single out a moment. I would say the humidity and heat of South Florida and training in it was probably the biggest thing. I would say, if you had to point out a moment during the course of the season, it was -- you know, after the loss at SMU, it was difficult to see past the front of your nose, and you had to have resiliency about yourself, and you had to have the ability to uplift your teammates and the people around you. And everyone in the entire organization just did a really, really good job of coming together and being our own best fans, if that makes sense. Making sure that we all understood that within the building, we're our biggest supporters. We are our best family members and that we're going to find a way to put ourselves in a situation where we could have a chance to go into the postseason.

On trying to harness something from the Texas A&M game...

Well, I think any time you're able to win a game, a tough game, a physical game, there's a lot to learn from it, and there's a lot of things that you know you could have done better. But momentum is probably the hardest thing to get and keep in college football, and every time you get a chunk of it, you want to build off of that. So, I think there's plenty to build off of last game. Hate to sound like a broken record, but there's plenty to fix and plenty of things to do better. I think our team, probably the best part about it, they're so process-oriented, they're so much into routine that they kind of get it. I think anything outside of the routine, any type of hocus pocus and magic just wouldn't do it. I think just the bare bones, just working on Greentree Practice Field every single day is what really does it for our guys.

On the Last time each faced off against each other in 2003...

Well, it was really cold, I could certainly say. But, again, appreciate Coach (Ryan Day) and all the things he said. He certainly set a really high standard for college football and his program. What comes to mind is having learned a lot under Greg Schiano, who was a great mentor. I was a GA at the University of Miami. I actually picked him up at the airport when he was in for an interview, and he said, if you help me work out all this stuff and move into the house and run 110s with me, I'll buy you a stone crab.And so that led to a great relationship where I ended up at Rutgers, and certainly, a lot was learned and a lot to be grateful for during that time.

On Student Athletes coming back and Thanking Him...

Well, I mean, that's the way it's supposed to be. I mean, in the coaching industry, my mentor used to always say, We need more and more people that are really good for young people. And every single student-athlete in your building has to be approached, challenged, watched over, taken care of as if they are your very own son, because even though you may not be perfect, your intentions are going to be. You want what's best. You're going to put them in situations that help them grow and develop, and sometimes they may not like it, but that's okay. Your job is not to be their best friend. It's to be their best developer, right? So, it's awesome. I think it's a big reason why we do it, but that has to be part of it. And as a coach, I don't think anyone should ever pat themselves on the back for fulfilling their obligation to the parents of -- which we used to be able to sit in their households during recruiting. You can't even do that anymore. But to give them their word that you're going to take care of them like your very own.