Cristobal: Lack of opt outs a sign of Hurricanes’ ‘culture.’ And more Pop-Tarts Bowl notes
The No. 13 Miami Hurricanes appear as if they will be mostly at full strength when they face No. 18 Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC).
Outside of players who have entered the transfer portal, the notables of whom include wide receiver Isaiah Horton and running backs Ajay Allen and Chris Johnson, no Hurricanes players have publicly announced that they have opted out of the bowl game — a trend that has occurred in non-playoff bowl games over the past few years with players who are expected to leave for the NFL draft.
While that doesn’t guarantee that Miami will have full participation on Saturday and the team has not formally said who is or isn’t playing, coach Mario Cristobal said the lack of opt outs is a sign of the team’s “highly effective, productive and committed culture.”
“It’s making sure that our our task is not only to develop great football players and win games, it’s also to develop young men for what is right and how to do things the right way,” Cristobal said Friday. “Can you imagine telling your own son, ‘Hey, you can start this but not finish that?’ I don’t think anyone in this room would approve of that type of a directive. So I think what you’re seeing is we have the opportunity to play against a great football team that has great culture, and that’s why it’s become very important for our players to have not only great practices, but to exhibit great culture because this is going to be a great football game.”
A ‘disappointing’ season?
Both Cristobal and Iowa State coach Matt Campbell were asked if it was difficult or discouraging that fans might consider their seasons “disappointing” despite winning 10 games because they didn’t make the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Miami is going for its first 11-win season since 2003, while Iowa State won 10 games for the first time ever in school history.
Needless to say, both coaches scoffed at the remark.
“For us,” Cristobal said, “if you don’t win every single football game on every single rep, there is disappointment in the right kind of way, where you build positive anger and you want a better result through process. But in terms of players, effort and accomplishments and progress, there is no disappointment for us as hard as we’ve worked — and mind you, no one wants to win more than the players in our respective programs and the coaches in our respective programs. No one puts in the amount of time away from family and obligations outside of football. No one puts in more time than what we do. So I think when a question like that is [asked], it’s almost foreign, like almost undigestible, because those trains of thought are things that don’t creep into our processes, our way of thinking.”
Added Campbell: “Yeah, I would say I’d chuckle at that comment to be quite honest. 133 years at our school, and we’ve never won 10 games. We’ve been in two Big 12 championship games the last four years. Nobody even thought that was ever possible at Iowa State. So to say something like that is ridiculous, to be quite honest with you.”
Cristobal reflects on Larranaga retirement
Cristobal on Friday took the time to congratulate Hurricanes men’s basketball coach Jim Larranaga, who announced his retirement on Thursday early in his 14th season at Miami.
Larranage, who turned 75 in October, was the inningest coach in program history with a 274-174 record and led the Hurricanes to six NCAA Tournament appearances, including four trips to the Sweet 16 and the school’s lone Final Four appearance in 2023.
“He’s iconic. He is legendary. Just put that program on his back and went to work,” Cristobal said. “He will be missed tremendously. ... I think he’s just an exceptional human being. I look forward to getting with him and picking his brain on leadership and on team building and culture and getting him over and having him in front of the guys. I know he always wants to be involved with the University of Miami, but you can ask for a better human being and a better leader for program and for young men than Coach L. So Coach L, love to you, man. I look forward to seeing you here down the line, but really appreciate everything you’ve done for community, for program, for the University of Miami.”
Miami announces bowl game captains
The Hurricanes’ captains for Saturday is a senior-laden group: Quarterback Cam Ward, offensive linemen Jalen Rivers and Zach Carpenter, defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, tight end Elijah Arroyo, safety Mishael Powell and kicker Andres Borregales.
Notably missing from that group: wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, one of the few players on the team who has been non-committal about his status for the game.
This story was originally published December 27, 2024 at 10:56 AM.
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