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Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal has a reputation as one of the nation’s better head coaches.
But evidence is continuing to mount that point to the fact that that may not actually be the case.
Sure, Cristobal is an elite recruit. He’s a top program builder. But he struggled on game day at Oregon and has shown the same since returning home to coach the Canes.
Everyone remembers Cristobal opting against taking a knee that would have handed Miami a win over Georgia Tech. Instead, the Canes fumbled and Tech went 44 yards down the field for a touchdown with seconds left to win the game.
“There’s no way to rationalize it, Joe. It’s the wrong decision,” Cristobal said afterward. We should’ve kneeled it and we didn’t do it. We got the first down. After that, again, there’s no way to rationalize it. It was just the wrong decision. We should have taken a knee and taken it out of the players’ hands… This entire program is based and founded on accountability. We gave ourselves a chance to win. Just gotta make that decision to take a knee, that’s it.”
But Cristobal one-upped himself on Thursday in Miami’s 31-24 Pinstripe Bowl loss to Rutgers.
After trailing 140-0 early in the contest, the Canes fought back to take a 17-14 lead in the third quarter. Late in the quarter, however, Rutgers blocked a Miami punt and recovered it for a touchdown.
As it turns out, the Hurricanes had just nine players on the field at the time of the blocked punt. Somehow, Cristobal failed to realize this and call a timeout.
https://twitter.com/theegreatdabsby/status/1740747833446461519?s=46&t=C6npKMgUh2yEqPvUeSTS1A
Turns out it’s much easier to block a punt when the punting team doesn’t how the proper amount of blockers.
It’s just the latest in a long line of coach errors by Cristobal.
On a bright note, the punt was recovered for a touchdown by Rutgers defensive back Timmy Ward. Ward, a former walk-on, was an all-state player in high school before he was diagnosed with lymphoma. He was able to beat the diagnosis but later tore his ACL as a senior.
He’s now an integral member of the Scarlet Knights’ special team unit and has a moment he’ll remember forever.
So it’s not all bad!
Unless, of course, you’re a Miami fan.