Miami beat Ole Miss 31–27 in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl to advance to the national championship. Carson Beck put the Hurricanes up for good with a three-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
While it was the game-winner, there was still time on the clock, which meant it was too early to celebrate. And that's why a very happy Miami assistant got one of the dirtiest looks you'll ever see on a college football sideline when he ran up behind coach Mario Cristobal and gave him a big hug.
Cristobal still had some coaching to do and was having nothing to do with a premature celebration. Considering how little he allowed himself to celebrate once the game was actually over, that probably shouldn't have been a surprise.
Live Blog: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27: Live Updates, Analysis and Scores From Fiesta Bowl
Mario Cristobal is not a fan of hugs… pic.twitter.com/NsHBddKjQj
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) January 9, 2026
Cristobal was right to not get too excited before the game was over. Trinidad Chambliss drove Ole Miss down to the Miami 35 and threw the ball into the end zone as time expired. A Rebels receiver got a hand on the ball and replay showed there was a lot of contact and if the referees had felt like it, they could have justified throwing a flag for pass interference
Fortunately for that assistant coach, none of that happened.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mario Cristobal Was Furious When an Assistant Coach Gave Him a Premature Hug.
