It was one of the most indefensible coaching decisions in football history.
The Miami Hurricanes had the game won. They endured a three-interception game from quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to hold a 20-17 lead with less than a minute left to go. They had a 98.7% Win Probability, and all they had to do was to take a knee and walk off the field.
Instead, head coach Mario Cristobal called for a handoff to running back Don Chaney, who fumbled the ball, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets recovered. Then, Georgia Tech Haynes King hit Malik Rutherford for 30 yards, and with two seconds left in the game, King hit Christian Leary for a 44-yard touchdown that won it for Miami’s opponent, 23-20.
“That’s one of the biggest coaching mistakes at this level that I have ever seen in my lifetime.”
Miami could've taken a knee and closed out Georgia Tech. Instead … disaster struck 😳 pic.twitter.com/I5vAvtn78p
— ESPN (@espn) October 8, 2023
The 17th-ranked Hurricanes suffered their first loss of the season as a result.
“We should have taken a knee,” Cristobal said.
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key agreed
“We kind of thought they were taking a knee.”
I asked Mario Cristobal why they did not take the knee at the end of the game. This was his answer, transcribed as best as I could. @InsideTheU asked for clarification. That's the second question. pic.twitter.com/RsRH6CcuLO
— Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) October 8, 2023
Coach Mario Cristobal's opening statement following UM's stunning loss to Georgia Tech.#GoCanes || #ItsAllAboutTheU || @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/TCQWFOwmq4
— Gabriel Garcia (@Gabewritesports) October 8, 2023
Even more amazingly, Cristobal has done this before. When he was the Oregon Ducks’ head coach in 2018, Cristobal’s team was playing Stanford, and the Ducks had a 31-28 lead with 51 seconds left in the game. On second-and-3 from the Stanford 43-yard line, the call was a handoff to CJ Verdell, who fumbled the ball. Stanford recovered, and went on to win, 38-31, in overtime.
“We felt pretty good about the run game,” Cristobal said after THAT event. “We just needed one more to get a first down and close out the game.”
As you might expect, social media was all over this one.
I completely forgot Mario Cristobal had almost the EXACT same thing happen to him in the 2018 Oregon-Stanford game, ran the ball instead of kneeling and fumbled. pic.twitter.com/uOX0KzRn5Z
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 8, 2023
Mario Cristobal watching USC pic.twitter.com/Hiatiwiulb
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) October 8, 2023
mario cristobal managing a game with a 99.9% win expectancy pic.twitter.com/vgscqNYEUz
— Trey Rowland (@trey_rowland59) October 8, 2023
Mario Cristobal has a 10 year $80 million contract. Miami was leading, Georgia Tech had no timeouts. Miami could have kneeled and the game would have been over. They did not. https://t.co/xlnSMtYaFg
— Jane Coaston (@janecoaston) October 8, 2023
A few people have told me not giving the ball to Marshawn Lynch in Super Bowl XLIX is worse than what Mario Cristobal just did, and I need to say for the record that y’all are out of your gourds. You’re completely insane
Seattle still needed to make a play to win. Miami HAD WON!
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) October 8, 2023
Hope Cristobal is renting. https://t.co/4wCQ2CVTtz
— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) October 8, 2023
Mario Cristobal just needs to do this from now on pic.twitter.com/kYAIqjhBX1
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) October 8, 2023
Oregon fans watching Mario Cristobal have 1 of the biggest brain farts in college football history: pic.twitter.com/QiLJXI1Qw6
— Jim Weber (@JimMWeber) October 8, 2023
The most amazing part to me about Miami losing to Georgia Tech because they didn’t take a knee, is that it is the second time coach Mario Cristobal has lost a game by not taking a knee. Feels like you only need to do that once (at most) to learn.
pic.twitter.com/FfgDjthYRR— Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) October 8, 2023
Cristobal didn't have Herbert take a knee with under a minute to play on a second down and 2. Oregon instead handed the ball to freshman running back who coughed up the ball. Stanford had only one time out left.
Stanford 38, Oregon 31 in overtime. Dumb ass coaching!! pic.twitter.com/b2gUhudp1F— UrbanYap (@UrbanYap) October 8, 2023
Mario Cristobal: Look at my late-game management
USC: Hold my beer— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 8, 2023
“Don’t you think maybe we should take a knee here to end the game?”
Mario Cristobal: pic.twitter.com/I96vsliI15
— Andrew Green (@andruwgreen) October 8, 2023
Cristobal talking about what was said in the locker room after the game.#GoCanes || #ItsAllAboutTheU || @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/YdiY5xnIlD
— Gabriel Garcia (@Gabewritesports) October 8, 2023
So the Miami thing actually gets stupider, if you can believe it. Cristobal just doesn’t take a knee at the end of games. He hasn’t all year. I don’t understand it. I’m not sure anyone would understand it. But it’s his thing. pic.twitter.com/A7Hulb92gv
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) October 8, 2023
