MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Hurricanes nearly came back from three separate 10-point deficits in the College Football Playoff title game Monday, but their hopes of completing the comeback fell short when quarterback Carson Beck’s downfield pass was intercepted by Indiana cornerback Jamari Sharpe.
Sharpe blanketed Miami wide receiver Keelan Marion, Beck underthrew it, Marion never turned around and Sharpe came down with the interception to seal the 27-21 win for the Hoosiers over UM Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
“The guy made a really good play. They were in Cover 2, and he sunk with no flat threat and made a really good play on the ball,” Beck said. “You can sit back and think of every if, and, or but situation after, but that’s what happened. And it sucks, but it’s going to sting for a while.”
Marion took ownership on his end.
“It probably was just a miscommunication. I didn’t even know he threw the ball,” said Marion, with tears in his eyes. “I got to look for the ball and make that play for him. It was all on me.”
Hurricanes coaches felt Beck made a fine decision on the first-and-10 pass from the Indiana 41-yard line with under a minute to play, but the execution on the throw was lacking.
“It’s the right place to go with the ball,” Cristobal said. “Just got to be a little bit further and a little bit farther outside. We didn’t connect on it, and turnover.”
“I really don’t mind where the ball went, really. I mean, probably needs to be out there a little more,” UM offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “Keelan needs to look for the ball, and it was a little bit underthrown. It was just one of those deals.”
The interception was Beck’s lone costly mistake. He finished 19 of 32 for 232 yards and an earlier touchdown pass, which went to wide receiver Malachi Toney coming around to him in the backfield on a jet sweep.
Marion finished with one catch for 6 yards, while he was targeted six times. Toney led Miami with 10 receptions for 122 yards and the touchdown, while fellow UM wideout CJ Daniels made four catches for 62 yards.
The Hurricanes took over with 1:42 remaining from their own 25-yard line, trailing by 6 points, to start the final drive.
“We were confident that we were going to go down and score a touchdown like how we did against Ole Miss the game before,” Miami center James Brockermeyer said, “but obviously didn’t go our way this time. But we fought our tails off the entire game, and our guys never folded, never quit. So I’m just. I’m really proud of everyone, how we fought and how we competed, and I just love my guys out there.”
Beck had his clutch moments during Miami’s magical run to the national championship, like his scramble to the end zone in the semifinal against Mississippi, but in UM’s two previous losses — against Louisville and SMU — he had a combined six interceptions, including costly ones late in each defeat. He threw four interceptions against Louisville.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was not the only one making big plays for the opponent back in his hometown Monday night, as Sharpe hails from Miami Northwestern High. Sharpe, incidentally, is the nephew of Glenn Sharpe, the former Miami cornerback was flagged for the controversial pass interference penalty the previous the Hurricanes were in a championship game, against Ohio State after the 2002 season.
Fellow Hoosiers cornerback D’Angelo Ponds is also a Miami native and played high school football at Chaminade-Madonna. He had five tackles and three pass breakups Monday night.
Aside from the game-sealing interception, the key miscues that will stick in the craw of the Hurricanes came on special teams.
UM punter Dylan Joyce had a punt blocked in the third quarter where tight end Alex Bauman missed a block, and it was recovered in the end zone by the Hoosiers’ Isaiah Jones.
Miami kicker Carter Davis had a 50-yard field goal attempt miss off the upright late in the first half. UM’s second-half touchdowns all would’ve tied the game instead of getting the team within 3 each time, and the Hurricanes could’ve played for a tying field goal on the final drive had they had those points.