It wasn’t last year’s 41-17 surgical picking-apart of the Florida Gators—and to that point, so what?
Did everyone miss how 2024 ended for the Miami Hurricanes?
Losing three of four down the stretch, after a 9-0 start?
Unable to get a gimmicky Georgia Tech offense off the field?
Blowing a 21-0 lead at Syracuse and getting outscored 42-17 down the stretch?
Trying to answer every Iowa State score after Cam Ward took a seat at halftime in an eventual one-point loss?
Do the cynics not remember that old adage about offense selling tickets and defense winning championships—or how helpless it felt to white-knuckle it every time the Hurricanes needed a stop to hold on, or some otherworldly offensive fireworks to respond when the other side of the ball tanked?
Miami took out Florida, 26-7 on another rain-soaked Saturday evening at HardRock—and did so playing this Mario Cristobal brand of steamrolling-opponents with will-submitting football.
The Canes imposed their will against the Gators in the trenches—landing a barrage of body blows the entire evening; a battle of wills where only the strongest would survive—which is the identity of this program that Cristobal has been building since arriving on campus almost four years ago.
Miami jumped on Florida early, but as expected their SEC defense came to play—and even down a few players on that side of the ball, the world saw first-hand why the Gators had such high hopes entering this season.
Don’t let the two early losses fool anyone; re-read some of the preseason chatter surrounding Florida. This was supposed to be a year four breakout season under Billy Napier.
Much like the hype around Miami, all conversation was around the deepest Gators’ roster in years—and predicting a breakout season for quarterback DJ Lagway was a very common sentiment amongst the pundits; several of which pegged Florida as a College Football Playoffs team—even with a brutally-tough schedule this year.
Lost by two at home in a dogfight against South Florida, before serving one up on a platter at LSU last weekend when Lagway coughed-up five interceptions—including a pick-six that was a difference-maker in a 20-10 loss in Death Valley.
Three games into the season, Florida had only surrendered two offensive touchdowns on the year; one to the Bulls and another to the Tigers.
The Gators’ issues have all been on the offensive side of the ball; Lagway and the ground game struggling, despite Napier having one of the better offensive lines in the country; Sun Belt Billy doing nothing to bring his high-octane offense to the SEC, as promised.
All that to say, Florida remained a sleeping giant for a reason. Anyone who watches ball knows this could’ve just as easily been a 2-1 or 3-0 team if the football gods smiled down—or if the Gators simply didn’t self-implode.
Anyone with all that belt-to-ass commentary this week and expecting Miami just to chuck it all over the yard against Florida; they don’t know ball. The Gators’ secondary is as talented as what the Fighting Irish brought south weeks back—with some Sunshine State speed added in for good measure.
GROUND-&-POUND: THIS IS CRISTO-BALL
All these questions or knocks about Carson Beck not going downfield; quick to look for check-downs, while relying on the run—that was always the game plan for this game, as well as this season as a whole.
Those who watched the broadcast live; they saw ABC cut to a slow-mo shot of Cristobal late fourth quarter, after Miami extended the lead with another hard-fought, run-based touchdown drive—the head coach punching his open hand and repeating the phrase, “pound” each time he made contact.
Outside of choosing to play offensive line as his position in this sport decades back, Cristobal fittingly trains in martial arts, judo, wrestling and other forms of fighting as a discipline—and for years as applied these techniques to his efforts coaching-up offensive linemen.
Compare and contrast that mindset to head coaches with a former quarterback or offensive guru approach to the sport; flash and sizzle, airing it out, trick plays and trying to run up video game numbers—which usually comes with a lack of attention to defense and grit, as quickly as putting more points on the scoreboard is the answer to all problems.
We see these teams in college football every years and the end game is usually the same; all of the stats and highlights from the regular season—it hits a brick wall in the post season, when running up against a tougher team—like the one Cristobal is hell-bent on building in Miami.
A team conditioned to absorb blows, control the tempo and chipping away with punishing body shots—all setting up that tipping point moment and take down; that is the real “Mario Special”—not the cheap shots critics and haters take about games that were given away to lesser opponents in Eugene, or before Cristobal had a full deck here in Coral Gables.
The principles of martial arts or wrestling; discipline, leverage, patience and that ability to live in the grind—this Cristobal team isn’t chasing inflated box scores or style points; Miami has been rebuilt on the cumulative damage that comes from trusting a relentless run game, an offensive line built to smother and suffocate and the new-look, old-school defense not just willing to take over games—they thrive on the challenge.
That was the intended and expected formula for this game—and this is where unruly fans need to removed entitled heads from critical asses and to really look at what’s taken place the first four outings of this season; starting with the fact that the Miami has now whipped both Notre Dame and Florida in the trenches—running the ball down both their throats, while a swarming Hurricanes defense has taken over both games in vintage fashion.
Cristobal was asked the annual, basic-ass question about Miami being back—which he answered in a manner that goes hand-in-hand with this hard-nosed brand of football he has on display in Coral Gables this season.
“It’s nostalgia theater in this country,” the fourth-year head coach explained. “Everyone wants to go back, back, back. Well, we don’t want to go back—we want to go forward and take the principles of that brand of football and take it forward.”
No looking back, only forward. Mic-Drop Mario with the final say on this played-out question.
REMAINING UNFLAPPABLE; ‘THE U’ IS DIALED
Go back to week one and rewatch Miami whipping Notre Dame’s ass in the trenches and look at the way this team pushed both South Florida and Florida around—all three games in a torrential downpour; no less—the kind of inclement weather where finesse passing and no ground game will swallow you whole.
As excited as fans were about Ward’s super-human efforts as the under-center alpha-dog taking over games last fall; it’s time to be twice as excited about offensive and defensive lines who are the collective alpha this season; stepping up weekly to take over games.
Big blockers up front giving Beck time and opening up monster holes for Mark Fletcher and ChaMar Brown—while Reuben Bain and Ahkeem Mesidor are unstoppable as the baddest defensive duo in college football; especially on passing downs when one, or both, meet at the quarterback to crack skulls.
Linebackers have woken up; Mohammed Toure and Wesley Bissainthe each with double-digit tackles last night—while Miami’s secondary was so lock-down against Florida, Lagway didn’t even take any shots down field; 61 passing yards as the maligned quarterback was basically dumping off short passes to try and get his backs and receivers space to run.
Yes, 13-0 didn’t feel good enough at the half—twice settling for field goals in what could’ve been a 21-0 game—and an errant referee’s whistle with Brown’s forward progress still moving; it robbed Miami from going up 20-0 early third quarter, which felt like it would’ve been a backbreaker—a 50-plus yard run where the tough-nosed transfer back just kept those legs churning, impossible to bring down.
As tends to happen with a momentum-shifting drive that takes points off the board; Ja’Kobi Jackson tore off a 27-yard run on first down, Lagway dumped one off to Vernell Brown for ten yards and Baugh picked up 22 yards on three consecutive runs—punching it in from seven yards out a few plays later, narrowing the Canes lead to 13-7.
On the ensuing drive, Beck was picked off on first down—CJ Daniels getting outworked by former Canes commit Cormani McClain—and it’s Florida ball at the Miami 45-yard line in the waning moments of the third quarter.
As fans, the proverbial lump-in-the-throat moment as most have seen this movie before; those games where an opponent is getting thoroughly beat-up—everywhere but the scoreboard—and now the underdog has the ball, momentum and is one drive way from taking a lead in a game where they’d been owned up to that point.
A month into this season, the world is learning that this is a different viewing experience—this Miami defense and choke-opponents-out ground game is proving to be the story of college football this year; a season after the Hurricanes were flash and sizzle through the air and the defense was dazed and confused every possession.
As much as people loved Instagram highlights of Ward chucking it all over the yard in Gainesville last fall, we saw where that wound up later in the season at Georgia Tech and Syracuse. The Yellow Jackets played ball control and limited touches for Ward, while the Canes’ offense sputtered late as the Orange ran roughshod in the second half.
Toughness over finesse every f**king day of the week; a power running game and swarming, violent defense over everything Miami was last fall.
Fletcher and Brown combine for 196 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Florida. The most-impressive stats; 127 of their yards came after contact against the Gators’ defense—and six of their runs went for over ten-plus yards.
For the past two decades Miami couldn’t match up with SEC programs. Hell, look at those bowl games against Wisconsin in the Mark Richt era where the Badgers pushed the Hurricanes all over the field in back-to-back years.
The U wasn’t all about the trenches; not until Cristobal came home—armed with what he’d learned at his time running Oregon top to bottom, as well as those four years under Saban at Alabama; where hard-nosed was prioritized, as was focus, discipline, process and doing things the right way.
This is Cristobal Culture; winning those trench battles, imposing Miami’s will and grinding opponents down to a nub the final quarter of the game—squeezing every ounce of life out of them.
COMPLETELY DOMINATED ‘THE GATOR’
Don’t let this 26-7 score fool you; if that 70-yard scamper from Brown isn’t called back on that errant whistle, Miami goes up 20-0 early third quarter and Florida is forced to start throwing the ball with Lagway—on what was instead their lone touchdown drive of the game; a run-heavy set of plays that cut the Canes’ lead to 13-7.
A six-point game in the early fourth quarter last fall; fans would’ve fast been doing the math regarding possessions and hoping everyone scored fast to the Canes could get the extra possession—zero faith in the defense, or any commitment to the run to put the game away—in contrast to what Miami did the final quarter against Florida.
That aforementioned interception by McClain late in the third quarter; Lagway and the Gators hit the field with the illusion of momentum and the reality of a score putting them ahead—before Toure came up with the monster sack on second down, setting up a 3rd-and-15.
Florida got a dozen back setting up a 4th-and-3—which would’ve been a death sentence for Miami’s defense last fall.
Instead, pressure came out and fast, TJ Abrams was forced to run his route a yard short—and upon completion, had Marquise Lightfoot hauling hime down, while, Bissainthe and Toure fast became a brick wall in front of the first down line.
A bad call on a RPO and behind-the-receiver throw from Beck to Daniels on the ensuing first down; it put Miami in a 2nd-and-12—where a handoff to Fletcher would have gone for a big gain; the Canes winding up in a 3rd-and-9 where the Gators brought the heat and forced the punt.
True to form, the Miami defense went back to work; stuffing Baugh three times—a one-yard loss on 3rd-and-1 forcing Napier to punt on fourth down from the Gators own 26-yard line; Florida going 0-of-13 on third down conversions of the night—the ball back to the Canes to put things away for good.
Fletcher on the ground for four, Beck dumping off to Brown for a 16-yard gain—on an athletic haul-in—and then three more runs in a row with Brown, netting 15 yards and getting the Canes to midfield.
Beck found Elijah Lofton for nine yards on first down; the only critique of Dawson’s play calling in this game—only going to the versatile, Swiss Army Knife tight end four times for 43 yards.
In yet another big home game where the rain came down, the ball was water-logged, a transfer center thrice had issues with the snap and Florida had taken the deep ball away—Gators’ secondary staying deep, playing a shell coverage—there were more opportunities to work versatile tight end into the equation, as Florida was blanketing receivers and Beck was fast going to his check-down before the pocket collapsed.
All that to say, the running game did precisely what Cristobal and Dawson needed it to do after Lofton got it to 2nd-and-1—Fletcher for three to pick up the first down, 11 on his next carry and then six more to set up 2nd-and-4; Brown back in for 10 yards and another first down—and three more runs to punch it in on third down from one.
STUFFED IN A LOCKER IN THE FOURTH
13 plays that went 80 yards, shaving 7:12 off the clock—Miami was up 19-7, after the two-point conversion didn’t g0—and the defense tapped back in to do their work; Bain and Mesidor meeting at the quarterback and sacking Lagway on second down, setting up a 3rd-and-12, where more pressure in obvious passing downs forced two rushed incompletions.
2:52 remaining, Miami took over at the Florida 22-yard line and put the game to bed with four Fletcher runs in a row; the Gators well-aware what was coming—yet still unable to stop it; a big 16-yard run on 2nd-and-6 setting the back up on the two-yard line, with 2:00 remaining and on the second attempt, Fletcher was in, it was 26-7 and this game was in the bag.
For good measure, Miami’s defense forced one final fourth down stop; the Gators 3-of-3 on fourth down the first three quarters—and 0-of-3 in the fourth quarter when the Hurricanes’ defense needed to slam the door on any comeback talk or Florida momentum.
Those looking to take Miami down a peg or to try and cool off the hot narrative around these Hurricanes; they’ve pointed to a lesser game from Beck the fact that Florida got it to within six points in the second half, or implications that play calling got ‘vanilla’ or ‘conservative’—as if running the ball on a wet field and not taking stupid chances throwing the ball downfield against a fast, tough secondary wasn’t by design.
When the offensive line is getting the push and running backs continue falling for six yards on first down—which has been the case every game thus far en route to 4-0—what is there to question about this hard-nosed strategy and style of ball?
There will be games down the road where Beck will have the opportunity to air it out—better weather conditions, as well as improved timing with a new crop of receivers—but the win here is that Miami is proving it can win any style of game; and with weather potentially playing a factor at Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh later in the year; there is currency in a violent defense and punishing ground game.
Perception is reality and truth be told, Miami in 2025 is being judged as a whole—two decades of incompetency, boneheaded mistakes, or fast starts followed by mid- and late-season collapses; it’s understandable why some refuse to believe.
Conversely, a program like LSU has remained a perennial power over that same span—so there’s an understandable narrative when it comes to the Tigers, their success in the SEC and the big games they’ve won year-in and year-out.
LSU WINS GRITTY; MIAMI WINS SLOPPY?
Unpack that Florida loss at LSU weeks back; Lagway had his five interceptions, but he also threw for 287 yards—and taking away the pick-six, the Tigers win a 13-10 ballgame and one where their (supposedly) highly-vaunted offense only scored one touchdowns on a bevy of turnovers.
LSU gets credit for pitching a defense gem against Florida; both offenses were scoreless in the second half—while the Canes cranked up The Miami Ground Machine for a 13-0 fourth quarter, putting the Gators out to pasture.
All post-game commentary from the national talking heads and mouthpieces; they want to overhype Beck not having a great game—as well as just how bad Napier’s squad looks—failing to acknowledge the across-the-board balance with Cristobal’s team and just how much this former offensive lineman turned head coach is all about MMA principles; chin-checking opponents, putting them on the mat and then this ground-and-pound strategy that puts them to sleep.
The critique isn’t much different than what the pundits were saying weeks back after Miami owned Notre Dame in the trenches; fast talk about the Irish mounting a small comeback and momentarily tying the game—when the biggest story then is the same as now; the Hurricanes owning the trenches, a ground game that will steamroll defenses behind an alpha dog offensive line and a defensive front seven that is relentless, while the secondary has been lockdown.
Enough out there are giving Miami their props for arguably being the most-balanced team in the game; but too many are still missing the storyline regarding Cristobal preaching toughness and re-building this thing inside out the way he has.
To reel in the perfect-fit Corey Hetherman from Minnesota, with his overnight fix to this defense—while Shannon Dawson remains philosophically-aligned with Cristobal; understanding the opportunities that offensive line affords him and understanding the freedom that running game brings.
There will be games where Dawson can dial up some video game-like passing formations and go for the jugular—and then there will be games like this against Florida; a fast, desperate, hard-nosed SEC defense on a rainy night in South Florida—where flash and sizzle take a backseat to grit and grind. Games where y you take what’s given and have the patience to stay with what is working—even when it can feel boring and uneventful, yet completely effective.
The gauntlet wasn’t easy, but preseason No. 10 Miami passed every test with flying colors; 4-0 and headed into a bye week battle-tested, clearing every hurdle and defying the odds.
In a perfect world fans wanted to believe that going undefeated into Florida State weekend was doable—but it still meant taking out a Notre Dame team that went 14-2 last year, reaching the national title game—as well as what was to be a vastly-improved Florida squad; one that many had penciled into this season’s College Football Playoffs.
MAKING BELIEVERS OUT OF HATERS
While many Canes fans believed what Cristobal and Dawson were selling; Miami passing the eye test, deeper roster in years, Beck being back to 2023 form—don’t forget where many of the bigmouthed critics were in the preseason.
Danny Kanell is a commentator today, but was a former Florida State quarterback that’s never gotten over Miami pounding the top-ranked, defending champion Seminoles in 1994 when he took the reins from Charlie Ward—and the South Florida native looks for any reason to hate on the Canes.
Guesting on the CBS Cover 3 podcast in June, Kanell stated he wasn’t sold on Beck, he knocked the skills players on offense—completely ignored defensive upgrades—and stated that a 2-3 start could easily be a reality; rolling into Tallahassee a .500 with losses to Notre Dame and Florida.
Kanell then buttoned-up the segment with a soundbite that will really haunt him if Miami takes out his alma mater in two weeks—saying that the Hurricanes have a better shot missing a bowl game in 2025 than they did reaching the ACC Championship game.
Of course Kanell now has Miami conveniently ranked top his personal Top 25—a wise and self-serving move with the Canes off to Tallahassee in two weeks, where a Noles’ upset would give him all the ammo he needs to vault FSU to the new top spot—but his praise now remains as meaningless as his stupidity this summer.
It’s all rat poison; the good, bad and indifferent—and fact remains, Cristobal knows it and will continue preaching it.
It’s the ultimate positive from Miami being down for so long; there is no room or big-headedness or to believe any clippings.
9-0 start last year and the third consecutive season the Canes got out to a 4-0 start? So what. Look at how the last three years have ended; a combined 3-10 record in November and the post-season.
Never won an ACC title and run out of the building in one championship game appearance; this program hasn’t been relevant since before every kids on this roster was born.
You’re as good as your last game, your last score, your last drive or your last play. All that matters is what happens next and what’s on deck—and for now it’s a collective exhale that the first third of the season was passed with flying colors—but it doesn’t mean shit if you don’t take care of business at Florida State.
Or against Louisville and Stanford at home. Or a road game at SMU. Or Syracuse and North Carolina State to close out the regular season at HardRock—followed by tough-weather road games at Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh.
It’s about surviving weekly challenges; not getting too high or too low—and staying focused on the end game—conference championship, a CFP berth and then a run at a national title on Miami’s home turf in January; which is only a reality if clearing every hurdle between now and then.
REMINDER; WINNING BIG HAS NEVER BEEN EASY
For those who wanted more against Florida; a higher-scoring game, another 41-17 high-flying passing game and a highlight-reel performance tailored made for social media—look where that wound up last fall.
Get as excited about Bain and Mesidor as you did Ward last fall. Get as hyped on an offensive line full of dawgs who want to put every game on their shoulders; paving the way for a three-headed monster at running back, or a veteran quarterback to move the chains.
Get jacked about hard-nosed wins, as well—as every Miami championship season has been full of gritty wins.
Boston College took Miami to the wire in 2001; a miracle interception and return needed for the greatest team in history to survive, 18-7.
Miami followed-up by throttling No. 15 Syracuse and No. 11 Washington in back-to-back weeks by a combined score of 124-7—only to wind up with a two-point win at No. 14 Virginia Tech, where a battled-down two-point conversion was the difference.
Those 1991 Hurricanes en route to their title? Surviving No. 9 Penn State, 26-20 at the Orange Bowl—a week before ‘Wide Right I’ in Tallahassee and knocking off No. 1 Florida State, 17-16. A week later, another nail biter in Chestnut Hill, outlasting Boston College, 19-14.
1989? Escaping against unranked Michigan State, 26-20, before getting clobbered, 24-10 at Florida State with a back-up quarterback—freshman Gino Torretta in for the injured Craig Erickson—before taking out No. 1 Notre Dame late November put Miami in a Sugar Bowl against No. 7 Alabama, where the Canes were champs when No. 1 Colorado got throttled by the fourth-ranked Irish.
1987? Down 19-3 at No. 4 Florida State, before a late rally and 26-25 win—and then a slugfest regular season finale against No. 8 South Carolina—surviving the mid-game battle royale, en route to a 20-16 hang-on victory.
What about that first title in 1983 and a season that began with a 28-3 loss to Florida in Gainesville? No. 8 Miami eked out a 17-7 road win at Cincinnati, a 12-7 home win over East Carolina and held on for a 17-16 regular season-ending home win over unranked Florida State—climbing to No. 4 by bowl season and upsetting No. 1 Nebraska.
Every championship season is full of mini-miracles and imperfections—the only metric that matters; passing each weekly test, staying in the fight and putting yourself in position to still be in the hunt the next time you tee it up.
It’s always a great day to beat The Gator; especially with the SEC moving to a nine-game conference schedule and nothing on the books for these hated rivals anytime soon—as far as the regular season is concerned.
Two in a row, nine of the past 11 and now 14 of the past 19—Miami owns Florida as this longtime rivalry is now 31-27 in the Hurricanes’ favor.
Not a bad place to be late September, Hurricanes faithful. Enjoy the ride and soak up the bye—Florida State on-deck.
Christian Bello has been covering University of Miami athletics since the mid-nineties. Getting his start with CanesTime, he eventually launched allCanesBlog—which led to a featured columnist stint with BleacherReport. He’s since rolled out the unfiltered, ItsAUThing.com where he’ll use his spare time to put decades of U-related knowledge to use for those who care to read. When he’s not writing about ‘The U’, Bello is a brand storyteller for some exciting companies and individuals—as well as a guitarist and songwriter for his Miami-bred band Company Jones, who released their debut album “The Glow” in 2021. Hit him on Twitter for all things U-related @ItsAUThingBLOG.
