Mario Cristobal voices frustration with targeting call that sidelines Miami DB for first half of National Championship
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The targeting penalty in college football has long been a point of contention amongst coaches, players and fans alike, and that foul will have a sizable impact on Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
With Miami set to face Indiana at 7:30 ET, the Hurricanes will hope to limit the Hoosiers’ efficient offense without the services of starting defensive back Xavier Lucas for a half.
The former Wisconsin transfer was ejected for committing a targeting foul during the second half of Miami’s win over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl, and thus that means that he will be required to miss the first half of the title bout per NCAA rules.
During a media appearance leading up to the game, Cristobal expressed his displeasure with the current state of the rule and how it will affect his team’s performance.
“We feel it was unjustily administrated and now it impacts the last game of the season,” Cristobal said.
After playing sparingly for the Badgers in 2024, Lucas emerged as a productive defensive back for the Hurricanes this season. The Pompona Beach, Florida native tallied 45 total tackles, 8 pass breakups, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and a sack to boot.
Lucas will return to the field in the second half, but he will hope that Indiana’s offense hasn’t already built a sizable lead by the time he returns, much like the Hoosiers did in their first two playoff appearances.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
