01/08/26 10:48:00
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01/08 22:47 CST In Cristobal's image, Miami's beefy offensive line steamrolls a
path to title game
In Cristobal's image, Miami's beefy offensive line steamrolls a path to title
game
By DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) --- Mario Cristobal is taking his Miami Hurricanes to the
national championship after the kind of performance that the former offensive
lineman had to love.
The No. 10 seed Hurricanes dominated the line of scrimmage for the majority of
their 31-27 victory over No. 6 Ole Miss on Thursday night in the Fiesta Bowl,
racking up an impressive 191 yards rushing as a veteran offensive line spent
much of the night steamrolling the Rebels' defense.
Miami's veteran, massive line has been one of the team's strengths all season
and created some big holes for Mark Fletcher Jr., who ran for 133 yards on 22
carries. The Hurricanes finished with 459 total yards.
The Ole Miss defense did manage to get to quarterback Carson Beck for four
sacks, which was one of the few blemishes for the Hurricanes.
But the big, beefy guys --- from left to right, Markel Bell (6-foot-8, 345
pounds), Matthew McCoy (6-6, 325), James Brockermeyer (6-3, 295), Anez Cooper
(6-5, 345) and Francis Mauigoa (6-6, 335) --- were at their best on the final
drive, grinding 15 plays and 75 yards before Beck ran for a 3-yard touchdown
with 18 seconds left.
Beck had plenty of time to survey the field on the game-deciding play, pulling
the ball down before running untouched into the end zone.
It had to be a beautiful sight for Cristobal, who was an offensive tackle for
the Hurricanes during some of their glory years in the late 1980s and early
1990s.
Now he'll try to lead the program to its first title since 2001 when they play
for the national title on Jan. 19 in their backyard in Miami Gardens, Florida.
___
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