Miami's National Championship Hopes Die on a Game-Clinching Interception
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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Down six with a minute and 42 seconds remaining in the game, the Miami Hurricanes found themselves in familiar territory.
Recall the previous game against the Ole Miss Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl. The Canes were down three, and they drove down the field with Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck running in for a touchdown to get to the national championship.
The Hurricanes looked to lean on that experience, and the belief on the sideline against No. 1 Indiana in the National Championship game was that they were about to win the program's sixth national championship.
However, the drive was a culmination of the Canes' ups and downs this season: bad penalties, a few questionable offensive calls, lack of execution, getting bailed out, and then a signature Beck interception to seal the deal.
A complicated legacy:
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) January 20, 2026
Carson Back lost just six games in his college career.
In four of them, the final offensive play was a Beck INT with a chance to win the game.
Moreover, this Beck's interception cost the Hurricanes the National Championship.
The Hurricanes failed to be the villains of the undefeated Hooisers' storybook season as they lost the National Championship Game at home in Hard Rock Stadium 27-21.
"It's not the result we wanted," Miami head coach Mario Crisotbal said after the numbing loss. "Credit to Indiana; they're a great football team. But to these guys right here, I couldn't be more proud to be associated with them. I love them. They're absolutely incredible human beings, competitors, resilient, and I want to thank them and the rest of their teammates. It's a tough one. Tough one to have to eat, but we will. That's it."
Even with the Canes still having a chance to win the game, the team struggled and got in its own way multiple times throughout the game.
The Canes finished with seven penalties that cost them 60 yards, along with two special teams miscues that cost them the season.
The Hurricanes' offense also struggled in thefirst half. Indiana's defense limited them to zero points and only 69 total yards. It was the first time all postseason the Canes had been held under 100 yards in the first half, and yet there was still life in this team coming out of halftime.
Down 10-0, the Hurricanes stuffed the Hoosiers in the opening drive of the second half. Enter star Mark Fletcher Jr., who was due for an explosive run. Fletcher flipped to the outside for the all-rare outside zone for the Hurricanes, banging his head on the goal post for a 53-yard run, cutting the lead to three.
Mark Fletcher Jr becomes the first running back this season to run for over 100 yards against Indiana this season. He's got 106 yards on 15 carries. https://t.co/3AtflklC4j
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 20, 2026
The Hurricanes had already missed a 50-yard field goal attempt so every point the better.
However, the Canes' first-half issues reared their head again. After another defensive stop, star freshman receiver Malachi Toney fielded a punt that he instantly regretted. The Hurricanes, inside their own 20, couldn't move the ball for the team's sixth three-and-out of the game, leaving punter Andrew Joyce to get off another kick.
This time, it didn't get past the line of scrimmage. The punt was blocked, scooped, and scored, giving the Hoosiers a 10-point lead. Heisman Trophy Winner Fernando Mendoza and Fletcher would then trade touchdowns. That was soon the dagger that the Canes couldn't fight back from.
The Hurricanes would score thanks to a Toney pitch and run in to cut the lead to three. The Hurricanes' defense began to get home on the projected No. 1 overall pick, but time after time, he found his go-to receiver, Charlie Becker.
Cornerback Ethan O'Connor was clearly the target the Hoosiers were going to go after, and Becker took advantage, making spectacular catch after catch, giving the Hoosiers a chance to go up 6, giving them the 27-21.
Indiana WR Charlie Becker’s hands are really like that. Zero drops this season. Put that in your 2027 Draft notes. Write that down
— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) January 20, 2026
pic.twitter.com/LNIzowliel
The aforementioned drive happened, and now the Hurricanes are home, looking to rebuild after a great season but a disappointing end.
“I love them … they turned around a program … I’m at a loss for words.”@CanesFootball's Mario Cristobal on the message he shared with his team ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LrfJFrpzM7
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 20, 2026
"I'm always going to be really, really motivated because this is not for me, this is for the University of Miami," Cristobal said. "Our drive and determination has always been off the charts, and it's fueled by them. I want to do well by them, and the fact that they leave here without the national title in hand, that's really hard to deal with that.
"You don't just automatically return to a game like this just because you're mad. I think that's the biggest misconception in sports; well, they almost got there, they'll be back next year. That's a bunch of full. You've got to improve from a roster standpoint, a regimen standpoint, discipline, everything, and move forward, and these guys have set the standard to help us get there."
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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.