The college football season is officially over and the Miami game gave us some great performances. Below are those that for us were the best of the two finalists.
Indiana Hoosiers
Fernando Mendoza: In a Heisman Race that wasn’t as exciting as previous seasons, the Hoosiers quarterback showed why he deserved this award. Solid and daring even in this final, his touchdown, which officially put the game on ice for Indiana, has already earned a place in the history of college football and in the photo albums of the season.
His homecoming couldn’t have been sweeter, with the perfect end to his season: offensive MVP of the championship, Heisman, national title, and an undefeated season. To this we also add the tear-jerking moment at the end of the match, when he went to hug his mother who had been suffering from multiple sclerosis for some time, an image that made even the hardest hearts melt.
Now, however, the most difficult choice of all awaits: Fernando is a junior, so if he wants he still has one year of eligibility to be able to attempt a sensational back to back, or he can choose to go pro, where a rich contract awaits him with the Las Vegas Raiders (recipients of pick number 1, which will most likely be Mendoza’s position). The dilemma is almost Hamlet-like, but we are sure that a boy with a head on his shoulders like him will be able to make the best decision.
Charlie Becker e Omar Cooper Jr: on an evening in which Elijah Sarrat had many difficulties (between narrow markings and dropped passes) the Becker – Cooper duo decided to take the stage and take all the limelight. Becker came within half a millimeter of winning the touchdown award of the game with that escape of almost 15 yards, breaking all the tackles of the Miami defense, too bad for that millimeter of shoe that ended up off the field. However, he made up for it in the second half with the extraordinary catch on Mendoza’s pass to convert the fourth down which allowed the Hoosiers to end the drive with Mendoza’s touchdown. Cooper, on the other hand, was the player of solidity. When Mendoza looked for him, he was always ready and delivered, contributing to the great success of Indiana’s passing game.
Honorable mention – Curt Cignetti: obviously a small mention must be made to the author of this Hoosiers sporting miracle, namely Coach Cig. In two years he took a program that had never attracted top players to the top of college football and in 127 years of history it ended its season with a positive record just over thirty times, all with a team made up of only 3-star recruits. This means that the transfer portal, if used carefully, can be a truly useful tool for schools and players.
Miami Hurricanes
Defense: the Hurricanes defense performed more than decently in this final. In the first half without Xavier Lucas (out for the targeting remedied in the Fiesta Bowl) coach Cristobal’s boys held firm (risking another targeting) and managed to limit Indiana’s touchdown machine, holding them to just 10 points in the entire first half, making the Hoosiers close under 30 points scored for the fifth time this season.
There are certainly adjustments to be made in terms of the roster (with an unconvincing secondary) and concentration because many times the players have exaggerated their physicality or have made avoidable mistakes, but for the Hurricanes there is still an excellent starting point.
Malachi Toney: the author of Miami’s only unrun touchdown once again demonstrated all his talent, becoming one of the worst nightmares of Indiana’s defense who found themselves in difficulty many times in marking him, due to his extreme speed and his ability to generate yards even from runs. The great regret remains of seeing him play with a quarterback who this season has not relied much on his arm and with a gameplan where the running game has always represented the first option.
It should not be forgotten that Toney is a freshman, so he still has 4 years of eligibility and will certainly have to be a linchpin of Miami’s attack in the future.
Mark Fletcher Jr.: the other protagonist of Miami’s attack was undoubtedly the junior from Fort Lauderdale, who once again created problems for the opposing defense with his speed and strength, both with inside runs and by going more towards the outside. This was undoubtedly his best season and it will be interesting to understand what his decisions will be in these first glimpses of the offseason, because the end of his eligibility period for college is approaching and a running back of his caliber can be useful to many teams in the NFL.
Dishonorable Mention – Carson Beck: unfortunately the former Georgia QB ends up on the wrong side of history. His season wasn’t full of great numbers, but it certainly was characterized by enormous solidity and may have increased his chances of being called with the first picks in the draft. The only “ghost” that will haunt poor Carson, however, is that of interceptions in crucial moments. In fact, in the 3 defeats suffered by the Hurricanes this season, Beck always had the chance to bring home the success with the last drive, but on all 3 occasions he threw for an interception which condemned his team to a painful defeat.
✍️Loris Perego for L’intercetto.it
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