Mario Cristobal shares message to locker room after upset loss

Mario Cristobal shared his message to the Miami locker room following their demoralizing loss to Middle Tennessee State.

The Hurricanes lost their second consecutive game in shocking fashion, and questions will arise regarding their play. During his post-game press conference, Cristobal elaborated on what he’s told his team.

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“They coached better than us, they played better than us. They were better,” stated Cristobal. “We didn’t do a good enough job. There’s no excuse. Real men look in the mirror and do something about it, and don’t allow any cracks to happen from the inside.

“We all came here for a purpose and a reason, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

At separate points in the game, Miami was down 24-3 and 31-10 before eventually falling by 14 points to MTSU. It was an impressive showing from Blue Raiders quarterback Chase Cunningham, who passed for 408 yards and three touchdowns on the Hurricanes. 

Meanwhile, Miami had a nightmare day under center, as Tyler Van Dyke didn’t finish the game after passing for 138 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He completed just 16 of his 32 pass attempts on the day.

It was a terrible outcome for Miami, but Mario Cristobal was brought to the Hurricanes to right the ship. There was always going to be moments like Saturday, but it doesn’t make it sting any less.

Paul Finebaum calls Miami ‘college football’s greatest fraud’ after MTSU loss

Paul Finebaum didn’t mince words when it came to Miami after the Hurricanes suffered a mind-blowing defeat to Middle Tennessee State on Saturday.

According to Finebaum, the well-known ACC program has become the most fraudulent team in all of the sport. Following his explanation on Sportscenter after the Hurricanes fell 45-31 to the Blue Raiders, it’s tough to argue with the SEC Network host.

“How about everything?” Finebaum responded, when asked what’s gone wrong for the Hurricanes. “New coach, but Miami is still college football’s greatest fraud. How many times have we been to this precipice? Turnover chain, Miami is back. They’ve been back almost as many times as Texas has been back, but they still don’t look like — well, I think you know what the word I’m looking for that rhymes with back. I mean, it’s a disaster down there. We read too much into A&M struggling against Miami and pulling out a win last week. This is the real Miami. 

“I’ll say this about Mario Cristobal — he’s a very good coach. Tyler Van Dyke was clearly not the right quarterback for this moment. I think he’ll get it turned around, but let’s stop talking about Miami being back until they actually show up for a game.”

It doesn’t get any easier for Miami, who begins conference play with a showdown against North Carolina after a bye week this coming weekend. Luckily, the Hurricanes will avoid heavy hitters like Clemson and Pittsburgh until the final weeks of the season, but nothing is guaranteed for Miami after losing to Middle Tennessee State.

When Mario Cristobal was hired, it was lauded by fans and experts alike, but it’s tough to argue with Paul Finebaum’s assessment of the Hurricanes in 2022.