Recently, the Miami football program picked up a huge win to kick off the 2025 college football season by knocking off the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at home. The win was one of head coach Mario Cristobal's most impressive during his tenure as the Hurricanes' head coach and has some fans believing that this could finally be the year the team breaks through and enters the national championship discussion.
However, one person who wants everyone to pump the brakes on that sentiment is none other than Mario Cristobal himself, who recently stopped by ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show to denounce everyone who has been “kissing the crack of [their] butt.”
“We got a lot of work to do, but we're doing it and we're making a ton of progress,” said Cristobal.
It was a colorful analogy for a head coach who has constantly drawn the ire of his fanbase over the years, including an infamous moment during the 2023 season in which Cristobal opted to run a play against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets when he was actually able to just take a knee and run out the clock. The ensuing fumble and Georgia Tech touchdown had some fans wondering whether Cristobal would even keep his job until the morning, let alone the next two seasons.
However, last year, Miami showed some signs of life under Heisman Trophy finalist and number one overall NFL Draft pick Cam Ward before tapering off down the stretch, and this offseason, they added former University of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck to the mix.
Beck had an up and down game against Notre Dame on Sunday evening, but he still figures to provide some stability and playmaking at the position for the rest of this season.
In any case, the Hurricanes will now have a short week before they next take the field on Saturday at home against Bethune-Cookman at 7:00 PM ET.
