Mario Cristobal makes questionable 50-yard FG decision near end of first half
By David Wasson
Published:
The Miami Hurricanes opted to attempt a 50-yard field goal near the end of the first half of Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game – a decision that backfired on Miami coach Mario Cristobal when Carter Davis’ attempt doinked off the right upright.
Miami faced 4th-and-2 at the Indiana 32 with 1:09 seconds remaining on a drive that started at the Hurricanes 25 – a situation that ESPN’s analytics indicated was a “go for it” situation. Cristobal had already gone for it on fourth down once on the drive, converting a 4th-and-1 at the Miami 34, but the Canes coach let the clock wind down to 38 seconds before sending Davis out to attempt the 50-yarder.
The snap from Michael Donovan was clean, as was the hold from punter Dylan Joyce. But Davis’ kick faded right and smacked cleanly off the upright cleanly to keep the Hurricanes off the scoreboard.
Davis was 7-of-12 on kicks longer than 40 yards this season.
The missed kick finished off a woeful first half for the Miami, as the Hurricanes amassed just 69 yards – the fewest in a first half of a CFP title game. Miami was also held scoreless for the second time in the 2025-26 CFP run, as Texas A&M also held the Hurricanes scoreless in the first quarter on Dec. 20 in College Station.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
