SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (WSVN) — The Miami Hurricanes continue their chase for a championship, as they prepare for the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ole Miss.
On the eve before both teams go to battle, the Canes athletic department held a raucous celebration to support the team.
Former Hurricanes basketball coach Jim Larrañaga, who holds the record for most wins for the program, offered some sage advice for Canes coach Mario Cristobal.
“As a Final Four coach, the only thing you can hope for is your team plays up to its capability and I guarantee you Mario and his staff has his team ready to lead the Hurricanes to a win and back home to Miami,” said Larrañaga.
Canes players spoke to media on Tuesday, excited and confident ahead of Thursday’s Fiesta Bowl matchup with the Rebels.
“We’ve been working really hard, and we’ve earned the opportunity to be in this position, so I think just recognizing it for what it is,” said Canes quarterback Carson Beck. “We’re really excited for that opportunity, and at that point, once you know what it is, you can just go out there and cut it loose.”
“Truly a blessing to be here. All the hard work that I’ve put in, you know, it pays off, and it’s just – it’s surreal,” said Canes defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor.
For the Canes, the mindset remains the same, no matter the stage or location.
“We’ve been through that adversity of times and knowing, like, OK, you can’t never get comfortable in this thing, you know,” said Canes defensive back Keionte Scott. “We’re the most hated team on the field in the country at points, but I feel like that fuels us, but then it’s also definitely something that keeps us grounded.”
The coaches for both teams also met face-to-face for the first time before the pivotal showdown.
“You’re here for a purpose and your intent and what you’ve done throughout the entire season leads you to this. You approach it with gratitude and full throttle,” said Cristobal.
“We know we got a big challenge. We appreciate the Fiesta Bowl Committee, they’ve been very welcoming since we’ve been here and we’re excited for a really good opportunity against a really good football team,” said Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding.
Both coaches kept their gameplans close to the chest.
“There are certain thing that you like to keep private and really confidential within your team and we like to do that, with all due respect,” said Cristobal. “You have to be at your very best, your communication, your ability to line up, to diagnose, react and play fast are a premium so you have to prepare at your very best. Coach Golding and his staff have arguably put together the most dangerous team in the country and they haven’t been stopped, they haven’t been slowed down.”
Golding followed up Cristobal’s response with compliments and no hints as to how he’s prepared his team to face off against the Canes.
“Our team had a message, they had a message by how they prepared and how they play and, to be honest with you, I don’t think the players give a damn who runs out of the tunnel, does that make sense? They care about they’re playing, they care about getting held accountable and how they’re gonna prepare. They care about people that care about them. That’s been the message our players have created. I don’t have [expletive] to say about anything else,” said Golding.
Cristobal’s intensity during the press conference was visible, only acknowledging the city’s mayor, who introduced everyone and offered a gift with a light-hearted joke, with a stone-faced stare.
At the same time, it’s a massive moment for the Canes players. Their mission? Stay simple, stay locked in and together.
“Everybody is bought in, and there’s no little sore thumb out the group in anything that we do, and everybody’s just helping each other around,” said Canes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. “It’s like real family-oriented, like from the top to the bottom, it’s crazy, for real.”
“We all got connected and realized, OK, if we’re the team we think we are, and we want to get to where we need to go, then we all need each other, and I feel like that was a big thing that clicked, too,” said Scott. “We realized that everybody’s helping each other, you know, no matter what, everybody’s helping each other, we all need each other, so that was when I feel like the moment everybody bought into what we were really trying to do.”
A win at the Fiesta Bowl would put the Canes into the National Championship, for a chance to win it all at home.
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