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No. 10 Miami is headed to the national championship, but Mario Cristobal wanted to make sure his guys were not celebrating early.
The Hurricanes took the lead with 18 seconds left after Carson Beck scrambled for a score as the left side of the field was left wide open.
After taking the 27-24 lead, an assistant went up to the head coach and hugged him from behind while smiling 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 Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Cristobal, though, was not having it.
Almost immediately, Cristobal wrestled himself out of the hug and snapped at the coach, 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 towards 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 a lead with a field goal, but Miami responded with a 36-yard touchdown by Malachi Toney to lead 24-19. 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 field, and fittingly, 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 wanted no part of.
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 space to loft a pass to the end zone, and though it hit off the hand of a teammate, it landed incomplete for the Miami victory.
In all likelihood, Cristobal and the assistant coach shared a long embrace as the Hurricanes celebrated.
Carson Beck of the Miami Hurricanes passes 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 Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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Miami will face Friday’s winner of No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon in the national title game on Jan. 19, which will be played at its very own Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida.
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