The Hoosiers Make History With First-Ever National Championship
- Mark Tanner
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
By Mark Tanner
In a back-and-forth finale to the College Football Playoffs, the Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Miami Hurricanes 27-21, securing their first-ever national championship. Playing at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the Hoosiers capped the second-ever 16-0 season, joining Yale in this exclusive group.
Indiana’s Dominant First Half
Indiana dominated the first half of this game. The Hoosiers defense kept Miami’s offense at a standstill with multiple three-and-outs, keeping the Hurricanes off the board early on. Meanwhile, Indiana’s offense was on fire with a rushing touchdown and a 34-yard field goal to build a 10-0 lead.
Miami’s offense struggled to find its groove against Indiana’s defense, and a critical missed field goal in the second quarter just worsened their momentum, preventing the Hurricanes from closing the gap early on.
Miami’s Not Done Yet
After halftime, Miami came out with a new, exhilarating, fast-paced energy, finally finding its offensive rhythm in the third quarter. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. took a 57-yard run for a touchdown, making it known that this game was going to be a close battle.
Indiana was not close to being done making plays. A game-changing special teams moment came when Indiana blocked a Miami punt and returned it for a touchdown, giving Indiana some more breathing room with the score at 17-7.
Miami continued its push, not backing down in the fourth quarter. Fletcher Jr. added another rushing touchdown, but with this being anyone's game, Indiana made the plays it had to with Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza ended Indiana's drive with a spectacular 12-yard touchdown run, breaking multiple tackles on the way to the endzone, on fourth-and-4, weakening Miami's chances by the minute.
Clutch Plays Define The Game
Despite the immense pressure on Miami, Malachi Toney showed off why he is one of the best wide receivers in college football with a 22-yard touchdown, cutting the lead down to just a field goal.
At this point, the pressure was mounting on both sides, and you can almost feel the nervousness these players were feeling. With a clutch stop, Miami’s defense held Indiana to just a field goal, giving the Miami offense a chance to win it with a touchdown with the score sitting at 27-21.
With just a minute and forty-two seconds on the clock, Miami has to move fast. Miami started gaining ground and with 50-seconds to go, they were already more than halfway down the field.
The defining moment came in these final seconds: Indiana defensive back Jamari Sharpe intercepted Carson Beck’s pass, sealing the victory for the Hoosiers.
Historical Victory for Indiana
Red and White confetti filled the stadium as the crowd erupted so loud that you could hear it through your TV. For Indiana, this was more than a National Championship. This was a breakthrough for a program that was considered one of the worst teams in college football. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment some Indiana fans never believed would happen.
The Hoosiers completed the Cinderella story, finishing undefeated and capturing the school's first trophy.
As for Miami, this has been the best Miami football team we have seen in twenty-five years. The heart and grit this team has shown is remarkable, truly a team to remember.
And the Columbus connection on the field, with seven alumni representing both teams. Read our latest story on the brotherhood on the field here.
Wow. What a great article, I am so proud of all of our Columbus boys who played in this amazing national championship. I was on the edge of my seat the entire game and this article does a great job of encapsulating that. I'm very happy to see our very own Fernando Mendoza bring what will be a historic championship to Indiana University. I hope to one day see a statue of Fernando outside of the university stadium. Anyways, this was a great article as usual Mark I hope to see more in the future. You are a great writer in the making!
I cannot believe you would write this article. You were one of my favorite writers, but celebrating the loss of UM is unforgivable Mark.