Miami's violent trench play must rattle Fernando Mendoza to give the Hurricanes a chance at upsetting Indiana in Monday's college football finale.
MIAMI, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Miami's violent trench play must rattle Fernando Mendoza to give the Hurricanes a chance at upsetting Indiana in Monday's college football finale.
Mendoza and the top-ranked Hoosiers are 8 1/2-point favorites to win their first national title and cap their undefeated year. They will meet the Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. EST in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The College Football Playoff national title game will air on ESPN.
"A huge challenge against a great Miami team," Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti told reporters. "Very impressive, really in all three phases.
"A lot of twitched-up athletes playing fast, playing with a nasty edge."
The least expensive tickets were listed for about $3,500 as of Friday afternoon on the secondary market, making the game one of the most expensive college football finales in history.
A hypothetical marquee would tease this as a battle between the Heisman-winning hometown hero and his childhood team, which is also led by stars worth the price of admission -- or at worthy of drawing eyes to TV screens.
Mendoza's Hoosiers hustled foes all season en route to Hard Rock Stadium. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes (13-2) were 6-2 through eight games. They finished the regular season with four consecutive wins, which was just good enough for the No. 10 seed in the 12-team playoff field.
Since then, they've used their physicality on the offensive and defensive lines to wreck foes and advance to the title game.
"I think it's a process and a recipe that has stood the test of time," Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said. "Hard work, great people, getting after it relentlessly. I think that's an undefeated combination."
Pass rushers Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor combined for 19 sacks along the way, including 7 1/2 in the playoff. That angry play will be key in knocking Mendoza off balance and attempting to trigger rare giveaways from the Miami native.
Mendoza, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, totaled a college football-best 41 passing scores against just six interceptions this season, with just one turnover in the playoff.
He'll be protected by star tackle Carter Smith, among others, while targeting top pass catchers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr.
Hurricanes cornerbacks Keionte Scott and Ethan O'Connor will be among those tasked with slowing down the Hoosiers' aerial attack. That secondary could be a bit weaker early on, as fellow defensive back Xavier Lucas is suspended for the first half due to his ejection in the Hurricanes' semifinal win over Ole Miss.
Hoosiers cornerback D'Angelo Ponds and pass rusher Mikail Kamara will be among those attempting to slow down quarterback Carson Beck, running back Mark Fletcher Jr., wide receivers C.J. Daniels and Malachi Toney and the Hurricanes' offensive weaponry.
Fletcher's play could be another game-changing factor. The running back averaged 140 yards from scrimmage per game so far this postseason. He'll be tested against a Hoosiers defense that allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game (75) in 2025.
The Hurricanes' stout offensive line, led by behemoth Francis Mauigoa -- a 6-foot-6, 335-pound tackle -- will be in the middle of that war. Mauigoa will link up with James Brockermeyer (6-3, 295), Anez Cooper (6-6, 345), Markel Bell (6-9, 345) and Matthew McCoy (6-6, 325).
That colossal cast is noticeably larger than Mendoza's bodyguards, with four of Beck's lineman weighing more than the Hoosiers' largest protector. Smith (6-5, 313), Pat Coogan (6-5, 311), Drew Evans (6-4, 309), Bray Lynch (6-5, 312) and Adedamola Ajani (6-4, 308) will stand between Mendoza and the Hurricanes' harassment.
If the Hurricanes can't bother Mendoza and fall behind early, they could be in trouble. Coach Cristobal's crew nearly unraveled late against Ole Miss due to several dropped would-be interceptions and penalties.
The Hoosiers were among the least penalized teams in the country this season and giving extra possessions and opportunities to Mendoza could prove fatal.
The Hoosiers totaled the second-most points per game and allowed the second-fewest this season. The Hurricanes defense allowed the fifth-fewest yards, but their offense ranked 30th.
Beck threw nearly twice as many interceptions (11) as Mendoza this season. Mendoza totaled 16 touchdowns against just one turnover over his last five starts. Beck registered 16 scores and two interceptions over his last seven.
The Hoosiers offense led the nation in third-down conversion percentage (58.2%) this season. Both teams were experts in controlling time of possession, tying for third in the country at 33 minutes per game.
As far as crunch time, the Hoosiers have other advantages. They ranked No. 8 in third down defense led the nation in turnover margin, with 29 takeaways and just eight giveaways. The Hurricanes ranked 12th with 25 takeaways and 14 giveaways.
More than 65,000 fans, including President Donald Trump, are expected to be in attendance Monday at Hard Rock Stadium.
Soul artist Jamal Roberts will perform "The "Star-Spangled Banner." The U.S. Coast Guard plans to conduct a flyover. Marching bands from both schools will perform during pregame festivities and at halftime.
Category: General Sports
