Mario Cristobal held out against Ole Miss
Miami (FL) Football head coach Mario Cristobal showed fire in his eyes. He was restrained before facing the judge. Xavier Lucas was ejected against Ole Miss.
Lucas it became the eighth penalty of the evening for the Hurricanes. The guard closed and lowered his shoulder to lay the arrow.
But the Wisconsin transfer was kicked out for targeting. Officials listed Kaden Lee as the helpless wide receiver.
Cristobal, however, became noticeably enraged – showing anger on the sidelines in sharp disagreement with the invitation.
Miami HC Mario Cristobal was absolutely livid about the targeting call #CollegeFootballPlayoffs the game
— Jeannie (@jeanniebrichett) January 9, 2026
Lucas was already playing for a depleted secondary inside State Farm Stadium. But Miami suffered another big loss.
Another notable loss for Miami, Mario Cristobal vs. Ole Miss
Lucas had already left high school without OJ Frederick. However, he was not a significant outlet in the game.
Key rusher Akheem Mesidor left with an apparent arm ailment. Then he lay down on the ground his right arm appears to be twisted. He was the second best rusher in Miami and one of the heart of a loaded Hurricanes defense.
Messidor managed to get back into the game with less than five minutes to go. But the ‘Canes produced fireworks before his return — and after the targeting call.
Carson Beck threw short to Malachi Toney. However, the true freshman wide receiver stayed on his feet and exploded through Ole Miss for a 36-yard touchdown. Miami retook the lead in the process.
MALACHI TONEI RUNS 36 YARDS FOR MIAMI TD 🌀
Now leading Ole Miss 24-19 with 5 minutes left!
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 9, 2026
However, Ole Miss traded spikes. Trinidad Chambliss drove the Rebels down the field on the next drive. Ole Miss marched six times down the field before finding Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown. The Rebels extended their lead to 27-24 after a two-point conversion with less than three minutes left.
2026-01-09 04:07:00
