Every now and again, coach speak plays out.
Curt Cignetti’s formula wins as Indiana outlasts Miami on the biggest stage originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2025 college football season came to a close on Monday night as the Indiana Hoosiers beat the Miami Hurricanes 27-21. This gave Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers the first football national championship in program history.
In his final words to ESPN’s Holly Rowe before this game started, he said, “They’re going to make their fair share of plays, we just need to make one more”.
These two teams came into this game with two varied approaches and the contrast in that approach would show up in this game. Indiana was the No. 1 team in the country and Miami was expected to make the 12-team field, but not a lock to do so.
One team had been an afterthought for most of its’ existence, while the other was experiencing a legitimate return in both success and identity. Even the scouting reports would suggest that both teams would need different approaches to be successful.
Obviously, both quarterbacks needed to play well. For Fernando Mendoza, managing the game and move the offense, or be special in needed moments of the game. Carson Beck finding ways to push the offense and utilize specific weapons.
For Indiana, they just needed to keep doing what they’ve been doing. The issue with that is Indiana has shown the ability to win in many ways. Steady on offense, stingy on defense with the customary one big play that can swing momentum as they so often do, could win this game.
For Miami, two things stood out. First, dominate the line of scrimmage and potentially wear down Indiana. Second, their tandem stars need to impact the game. If they can get chuck plays from Fletcher and Toney as well as pressure from Bain and Mesidor, it could be a recipe for success.
Both teams executed the plan in the second half
In the second half the scouting report began to play out. Miami started with tandem sacks from Bain and Mesidor on the first Indiana drive. By the end of the game the Miami defense had three sacks, six tackles for loss and more hits on Mendoza than Cignetti was comfortable with.
Fletcher and Toney were what their team needed them to be. Fletcher was steady, never losing ground and eventually broke a timely long run. Toney’s contributions were steady until they became more. Almost breaking multiple runs until the 4th quarter taking a short pass from Beck 22 yards for a touchdown.
Just a shade over five minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Cignetti got his customary game changing moment when Mikail Kamara blocked a punt and was recovered in the endzone extending the Hoosier lead to 17-7.
Later in the 4th quarter Mendoza led a 12-play drive that burned six minutes off the game clock. That drive included two significant 4th down conversions. One, a declarative throw to a sure handed Charlie Becker for 19 yards on 4th and 5.
The second 4th down play was a designed run Cignetti said was put in specifically for this game. Mendoza tucked the ball and cut through multiple defenders ultimately going airborne and extending the ball across the goal line. Reminiscent of the Denver Broncos John Elway helicopter dive in Super Bowl XXXII, but without the spinning part.
The Hurricanes mounted a final drive that would get them within striking distance. While the drive had more penalties than completions, Beck had Miami on the Indiana 41-yard line with just under a minute to play. Beck threw a 26-yard pass to Keelen Marion that was intercepted by Jamari Sharpe. Effectively winning the game the way Cignetti predicted they would.
Indiana would need to make one more play than Miami to win. Not a blowout. Not a long game winning drive. Stylistically both teams executed very different versions of what they do best. Indiana made one more play than Miami at the exact moment they needed to make that play.
When Cignetti took the job with the Hoosiers he told everyone “google me, I win.” From IUP in 2011 to the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers, Cignetti has proven he does in fact, win. By playing Cignetti's way all season, the Indiana Hoosiers are college football’s national champion.
More CFP National Championship news:
- SNL pokes fun at Michael Irvin's amped up Miami Hurricanes fandom
- Miami hasn’t beaten a No. 1 team in 26 years— Indiana stands in the way
- Indiana's Curt Cignetti means business ahead of title game
- Here's how much Miami is paying its 2025 roster for College Football Playoff run
- Carson Beck shares honest reaction to 'Vanilla Vick' nickname
- National Championship parking prices are so high, getting towed costs less
Category: General Sports
