ESPN
The Miami Hurricanes had big goals for the 2024 college football season. Led by Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Cam Ward, the ‘Canes believed they had everything they needed to make a College Football Playoff run.
And for two months, it appeared they were correct. Miami the season 9-0 thanks in part to some extremely beneficial officiating. But everything came undone for the Hurricanes down the stretch. They lost two of their final three games of the season, including a final-game loss to Syracuse that knocked them out of a playoff spot.
So instead of playing for a championship, the ‘Canes are instead playing just down the road in Orlando, Florida for the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and they don’t seem too psyched about it.
Miami players fighting on the sideline is not ideal pic.twitter.com/yGEB34NsnF
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) December 28, 2024
Miami’s defense was non-existent, as it has been for much of the 2024 season, and defensive lineman Simeon Barrow Jr. has seen enough. Barrow, a senior who was a first-team All-ACC selection, confronted freshman Marquise Lightfoot after Iowa State scored its third touchdown in as many drives to go up 21-14.
Then Barrow seemed to give Lightfoot a shove and, well, Lightfoot didn’t seem to take that all too well. He immediately began throwing punches at Barrow, who, to his credit, did back up when teammates tried to separate the two.
If you’re wondering if the scuffle helped light a fire in the Miami defense, the answer is a resounding “no.”
Ward and offense marched right down and tied the game at 21-21. But when the defense retook the field, it allowed Iowa State to go 75 yards in just 2 minutes and 50 seconds to retake the lead, 28-21.
At the time of writing, the score is 28-28 with still 9:25 left to play in the first half. So it appears defense is optional in this year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl. Unless, of course, you’re defending yourself from a teammate throwing punches.