Cotton Bowl Craziness: Canes Advance to CFP Semi-Finals
After a thrilling victory in College Station last week, the Miami Hurricanes were right back at it in the Lone Star State, taking on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
The game started slow, with both teams trading three-and-outs before Miami had their first sustained drive. This momentum was short lived, however, as Mark Fletcher fumbled in the red zone, and gave the Buckeyes possession.
Through the first quarter, the game remained scoreless. After another defensive stop, the Canes found a way to cash in.
On a designed swing pass, Carson Beck found Mark Fletcher for a 7-yard score, capping off what was a ten-play, 83-yard drive that ate up over eight minutes of gametime.
The ensuing Ohio State possession would only last two plays. The first, a 59-yard deep shot from Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith, sent the Ohio State crowd into a frenzy. That joy would be short-lived as Keointe Scott would have another trademark Keointe moment– a 72-yard pick six that made the Canes fans erupt.
During his post game press conference, Keointe Scott admitted that he had seen that exact play on film.
“It was on film for sure, but I think in the moment, with all the skill players on one side of the ball, so [I] obviously knew the ball was coming in that area,” said Scott. “And then as soon as the tight end motioned, I kind of confirmed in my head– made up in my mind that I was going at that moment. Shot my shot, and the ball went in my hands.”
Approaching the end of the first half, Ohio State threatened the Canes getting down to the Miami 32 yard line. With time expiring in the half, the Buckeyes looked to senior placekicker Jayden Fielding for a field goal. Unfortunately, what would have been a career-long 49 yard field goal pulled wide left, leaving the score at 14-0.
Coming out of the half, Ohio State had their best drive of the game; an eleven play, 82-yard, sixminute and forty-four second march down the field, all capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run for Bo Jackson.
On the ensuing possession, Miami needed to find points, and points they would find;a combination of a pair of 5-yard runs for Fletcher, and a 12-yard corner strike to Keelan Marion on 3rd and long, gave Carter Davis the chance to extend the Canes lead to 10, nailing a 49-yard field goal.
By the end of 3, the score remained 17-7. One more stop could be the decider, but Jeremiah Smith and the Ohio State offense had other ideas. On 4th and 1 from the Miami 12 yard line, Jeremiah Smith had the most important catch of his 157 yard performance– a 12 yard touchdown off a quick slant pattern, bringing the game back within three points with 13:28 remaining.
Beck and the Canes couldn’t find insurance on their next possession, despite the signal caller’s best efforts on the scramble drill, picking up a crucial 3rd and 11 conversion with his feet. Beck’s footwork was on display the whole game, netting seven carries for 28 yards.
With 5:56 left on the clock, Ohio State gained possession of the ball, but despite having seven plays, the Buckeyes only gained a total of 7 yards. They were forced to hand the ball back over to the Canes, who now had the chance to end the game and cement their slot in the Fiesta Bowl.
Enter: Marty Brown. A guy who really hasn’t seen his name called over the past month, now with a chance to send the Canes to the Fiesta Bowl. Brown’s efforts on the ground (five carries for 26 yards), combined with a clutch 13-yard tunnel screen completion to CJ Daniels coming out of the two minute timeout, the Canes had all but sealed it.
Then, the hammer. Marty Brown burst through the gap for a 5 yard run, putting the Canes up 10 with a touchdown in the game’s dying moments.
Coach Dawson had nothing but praise for his running back’s clutch performance after the game. “I think a lot of kids need to look at what Marty has done in the past month,” said Dawson. “It's easy to lay down, it's easy to play the victim, but he didn’t, he stayed the course, he stayed positive every day and when his number was called, he won the game for us.”
Ohio State got the ball down 10 with 55 seconds left, and the game would officially end as Sayin threw his 6th and final interception of the season to safety Jakobe Thomas.
Cornerback Ethan O’Connor celebrating the game-sealing interception by Jakobe Thomas.
As the clock struck the final hour of the calendar year 2025, confetti rained down as the Hurricanes hoisted the Cotton Bowl trophy for the first time since 1991.
After the on-field celebrations, Coach Cristobal was asked about what the victory meant personally to him, and in true Mario Cristobal fashion, he turned the subject back to his players.
“These guys make us better coaches, and I'll tell you why. It's because, again, they are elite human beings and have an incredibly high care factor and do whatever it takes all the time,” expressed Cristobal. “When you have that, you stay up at night as a coach and you try to think of ways, ‘What else can I do to help these guys be successful?’ That's what they deserve, and that's what they're going to get.”
Team celebration as the Cotton Bowl Trophy is revealed.
With their victory in the Cotton Bowl, Mario Cristobal and his ‘Canes advanced to CFP Semi-finals at the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona where they will take on the Ole Miss Rebels.
Ole Miss provides a tricky test for Miami. A mobile quarterback in Trinidad Chambliss could provide a headache for an already depleted Miami backfield, whilst Ole Miss’ defense could force Carson Beck into more pressure throws than he has seen throughout these playoffs.
In their victory against Georgia, Ole Miss sacked Gunnar Stockton four times, batted down four passes, and had a pair of major hits that really rattled the Georgia offense. Chambliss had a game of his own, finishing 30-46 for 362 yards and two touchdowns, so he will surely be able to provide a high-velocity offense in next week’s game.