01/16/26 08:22:00
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01/16 08:21 CST The road back to title contention was long for Miami. The
Hurricanes have finally broken through
The road back to title contention was long for Miami. The Hurricanes have
finally broken through
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) --- Miami safety Jakobe Thomas enjoyed seeing the
Hurricanes at their worst.
He was with Middle Tennessee State in 2022 when the Blue Raiders ---
four-touchdown underdogs that day --- came into Hard Rock Stadium and used big
play after big play to beat Miami 45-31, part of the Hurricanes' spiral to a
5-7 season in Mario Cristobal's first year back at his alma mater.
And it wasn't like that MTSU team was some juggernaut, either. It went 0-3 in
its next three games, losing by a combined 60 points. But it had no trouble
with Miami.
That was then.
Miami's resurrection from that bad day and a lot of others over the last 20
years --- a period during which the Hurricanes have had six coaches, three
other interim coaches, 17 seasons that didn't include a bowl win, countless
headaches and zero Atlantic Coast Conference championships --- is just about
complete. The Hurricanes (13-2, No. 10 College Football Playoff) play for the
national championship on Monday night against Indiana (15-0, No. 1 CFP) at that
same Hard Rock Stadium that was practically empty at the end of MTSU's win four
years ago.
"It's completely different," said Thomas, who transferred to Tennessee for 2024
before coming to Miami for his final college season. "The Miami team we played
back in '22 was not this team now. I think coach Cristobal changed the culture
around this place."
Make no mistake: Swagger is still a thing at Miami. These Hurricanes are brash
and aggressive and tackle hard and play harder. Cristobal's intensity is
constant. Same goes for his staff. But there's a balance now as well, a demand
for accountability and carrying yourself the right way at all times.
Some examples --- wide receiver Malachi Toney, the best freshman in America
this season, gave away turkeys at Thanksgiving; star defensive lineman Rueben
Bain Jr. organized a toy drive at Christmas and made a $5,000 donation to the
elementary school he attended years ago; and receiver CJ Daniels did an event
to raise awareness of epilepsy, something that has touched his family.
And ever since Cristobal came back to Miami, the team has broken two records
each year: one for fall-semester GPA, then one for spring-semester GPA.
"We have good people," Cristobal said. "No, we have great people. It starts
there. Surround yourself with great people, like-minded people and see what
happens."
Cristobal didn't use some unheard-of, wacky formula to bring Miami back to the
national title picture. It was really quite simple: outwork everyone, make
honesty and transparency fundamental principles of the program, hire the best
people and fight like hell to win recruiting battles --- nationally, of course,
but also the ones waged in the Hurricanes' talent-rich backyard, which sends
tons of kids to the highest levels of college football every year.
Landing Bain --- a Miami guy who stayed home for college and who should be a
sure-fire first-round NFL draft pick --- in 2022 was a huge get. Cristobal was
on a plane when Bain called him to commit. He threw his phone across the plane
when he heard the words. Luckily, it was a private plane. The phone didn't hit
anyone.
"We're used to winning and that's what we're going to bring back to Miami,"
Bain said in 2022 when he announced his college choice. "They need help bad,
they need help right now, and I'm willing to come in right now and make a
change."
Changes were made.
After that 5-7 first season, Miami went 7-6 in 2023. Better, but nowhere near
good enough. In 2024, the Hurricanes started 9-0 then lost three of their last
four games. Better again, but still not good enough.
So, Cristobal hired defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman away from Minnesota
to shore up that side of the ball. Carson Beck signed and took over for No. 1
draft pick Cam Ward at quarterback. Miami kept landing key pieces in the
transfer portal --- Thomas, Keionte Scott and Mohamed Toure are some who'll
play big roles on defense Monday night, while Keelan Marion, James
Brockermeyer, Marty Brown, Daniels and Beck are just a few of the names who'll
be on the offensive side.
"It was just getting the brotherhood right," said linebacker Wesley Bissainthe,
who played for Miami in that loss to MTSU. "I feel like we're all in there.
Every person in that locker room is playing for each other. That's what it
looks like when we're out there. No one is just playing for themselves. The
brotherhood, I feel like it's one of the most important things in a team's
culture. You've got to play for the person beside of you."
Miami has put together back-to-back seasons of double-digit win totals --- it
had four consecutive 10-or-more-win seasons from 2000 through 2003, then
exactly one such season from 2004 through 2023. It will have back-to-back
season-ending appearances in the AP Top 25 for just the second time since 2005.
Win or lose on Monday, Cristobal will inevitably say more work needs to be done.
But the dark days at Miami, finally, seem to be over.
"A care factor that's through the roof and a die-hard belief in the University
of Miami, bleeding orange and green through all of us, I think that's what has
really forged our progress forward as we continue to try to get better,"
Cristobal said. "And we certainly have a long ways to go."
___
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