Mario Cristobal Explains His "Competitive" In-Game Interaction with Fran Brown
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Nothing is better than trash talk. The heat of the moment, back and forth between two competitors. Some of it can be good and fun, and for Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, it was a competitive time against Syracuse's Fran Brown.
For some context, this was billed as a revenge game for the Miami Hurricanes. The Canes were a game away from reaching the ACC Championship and the College Football Playoff last season, thanks to the heroics of the No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward, before they traveled up north.
The score was 21-0, but a heartbreaking comeback for the Orange killed the Hurricanes' chances at making the playoffs and subjected them to the Pop-Tarts Bowl. It didn't leave the minds of Cristobal or Brown, and during Saturday's game, both were chipping back and forth, lighting a fire under UM's head coach.
"It is just competitive," Cristobal said on The Joe Rose Show on WQAM on Monday morning. "It is football. Just play ball and let the players play…The talk game is cheap. It didn't look like a quitting bunch at 38-3…I don't do the talking…I was raised to handle things the right way in person, and the talk game is cheap. That deal was overblown…Go Canes."
While the response was respectful as always from Cristobal, deep down, it felt good to get the win. Brown, following the loss, was respectful as well, knowing that it was just competition at the end of the day.
“(Mario) Cristobal and his staff did a really good job," Brown said. "They just played really good football. They played really good, clean football for 60 minutes, and it was a pleasure and honor to be able to play against those guys.”
Cristobal will now turn his focus to NC State.
How to Watch: NC State Wolfpack at No. 16 Miami
Who: Miami Hurricanes and NC State Wolfpack
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
TV: ESPN (3:30 p.m. Eastern)
Radio: FM 104.3 WQAM
Last Outing, Wolfpack: The Wolfpack are coming off their final bye week of the season after nearly putting 50 points on the then ACC favorite Georgia Tech. Bailey threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, while the rushing attack of Jayden Scott gave the Yellow Jackets nearly 200 yards on the ground.
Last Outing, Miami Hurricanes: The Hurricanes got revenge over Fran Brown and the Syracuse Orange, defeating them 38-10 and getting one step closer to the College Football Playoff.
Last Meeting: The last time these two teams faced off was in 2023. The Wolfpack defeated the Canes for the first time in their last five meetings, 20-6.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.