MIAMI — One of the wildest turnarounds in sports is complete, and the final round of this incredible journey was as dramatic as the Hoosiers metamorphosis was unpredictable.
Throw out any example you want, Indiana now goes to the top of the list in worst-to-first finishes.
Prior to this storybook season, the Hoosiers had suffered the most Division I losses of anyone. Prior to Curt Cignetti’s arrival two years ago, they last finished in the Top 10 back in 1967. They went a combined 9-27 the previous three seasons.
Now, Indiana is the envy of the entire sport, after finishing off a perfect campaign for its first national championship in school history, and the first 16-0 season in over a century. Miami was in its home stadium, but felt like the visitors, Hoosiers fans making Hard Rock Stadium sound like Bloomington, Ind., throughout this memorable 27-21 victory in front of 67,227 in South Florida.
Indiana never trailed, but it sure had to sweat. The lead ping-ponged from 10 to three on three separate occasions after halftime, the teams trading long scoring drives like a pair of prize fighters exchanging big right hands in the middle of the ring. It wasn’t until Jamari Sharpe, a defensive back from Miami playing in his hometown, picked off Carson Beck at the Indiana 12-yard line that the title belonged to the Hoosiers.
Fernando Mendoza saved his best for last, leading Indiana’s previously sputtering offense on a pair of long scoring drives when one Miami stop could’ve given the Hurricanes the opening they needed. The Heisman Trophy winner scored on a gutty 12-yard run on fourth down early in the fourth quarter in which he broke one tackle and was crushed as he dove across the goal line. He connected on two key third down conversions on the next offensive possession, as Indiana ate up 4:55 of clock and extended the lead to six with 1:47 to go.
Miami moved the ball into Indiana territory when Beck was picked off, and the celebration was on.
It was typical Indiana under Cignetti: Mistake-free. The Hoosiers offense wasn’t at its best until they were needed, the defense came up aces in crunch time and special teams made a massive play, flipping momentum late in the third quarter. Mikail Kamara, one of several Indiana players who followed Cignetti from James Madison, blocked a Dylan Joyce punt and Isaiah Jones landed on it in the end zone, extending the lead to 10.
Indiana led 10-0 at halftime, but it didn’t feel that close. The Hoosiers were more than doubling up the Hurricanes in total yards (169-69), first downs (11-3) and rushing yards (50-23). Miami had one play of over 10 yards, a 25-yard completion from Carson Beck to CJ Daniels.
Miami blew a chance at the end of the half to cut into its deficit, after converting a 4th-and-1 from its own 34-yard line. But the Hurricanes got conservative at the end of the drive, and Carter Davis missed a 50-yard field goal attempt wide right.
Before that possession, Miami had one first down and 26 total yards on its first four drives. Indiana moved the ball somewhat well, racking up 169 yards of offense in the first half. On the lone scoring drive of the half, the Hurricanes helped Indiana with a pair of killer penalties. On the 14th and final play, Riley Nowakowski ran it in from a yard out. At that point, with 6:13 left in the first half, the Hurricanes had run just 14 plays.
Early in the third quarter, a different tenor was set. Miami twice sacked Mendoza on Indiana’s opening drive and Mark Fletcher Jr. went 57 yards over the right side, the biggest play of the game up to that juncture. On the next Hoosiers possession, usually sure-handed receiver Elijah Sarratt dropped a wide open pass on third down — the rare Indiana mistake. Momentum was turning.
Twice, Miami had the ball deep in its own end, and couldn’t move the ball. Beck missed open receivers on two different occasions, and Indiana made the Hurricanes pay, blocking the punt that gave the Hoosiers control again. Miami, though, responded, again. Beck converted a key third down to Daniels and Fletcher scored from 3 yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter, making it a three-point game again.
