Mario Cristobal's message after Miami's blowout of FSU is bigger than rivalry game bragging rights

In the postgame news conference following Miami’s 45-3 loss to Florida State two years ago, a devastated Mario Cristobal was asked about the Seminoles trying to run up the score.

“I don’t care about that stuff,” Cristobal responded, passing on the opportunity to stir drama. “It’s their job to score and it’s our job to stop them. One day, we’ll switch shoes.”

Cristobal spent the entirety of that news conference taking ownership for how far Miami still had to go. Even though he was still in his first year as Miami’s head coach, he was understandably bummed by how much work still needed to be done. Nothing is more humbling than getting your doors blown off by an in-state rival, especially one that wasn’t elite at the time, either. Cristobal went as far to apologize to the Miami fans who came to the game.

A former offensive lineman, Cristobal doesn’t say much. He speaks calmly. His statements are short. But if you listen closely, they’re powerful. When he said “one day, we’ll switch shoes,” it must have felt like that “one day” was a decade down the line. The timetable wasn’t specified, but Cristobal promised the Hurricanes faithful that day that things wouldn’t always be like this.

“One day” turned out to be only two years later.

“One day” was Saturday.

The Miami program Cristobal has spent the last two years repairing was on full display in a 36-14 win over Florida State. The Seminoles are bad this year. There is no question about it. But the Hurricanes, who improved to 8-0 on the season with the win, currently rank No. 5 in the Associated Press Poll and seem like a lock to make the ACC Championship Game.

Miami was beating Florida State 23-7 late in the fourth quarter, but it was still throwing. It scored two more times after the game was put away. The final score looks more respectable because the Seminoles scored a meaningless touchdown with 18 seconds left to get to 14. Make no mistake about it, though. it was a blowout.

The box score wasn’t the only thing talking. Cristobal had his say after the game, too. This is how he wrapped up Saturday’s postgame news conference:

“It’s critically important to go out there and beat this program and be undefeated in the state of Florida,” Cristobal said. “I think it sends a strong message. All recruits — in-state and out of state — can now clearly see the trajectory of this program versus the trajectory of the other programs.”

He bumped his fist on the table for emphasis. Then he said “thank you” as he walked off.

Miami is 4-0 against teams from the Sunshine State this year. It opened its season with a rout of Florida and its most recent win was this easy win over Florida State. Miami has also dropped 50 in wins over Florida A&M and South Florida.

Beating other in-state teams isn’t critically important for bragging rights or Instagram Reels. Fans love that stuff, but that isn’t what moves the needle. Everything in this sport is about roster assembly, which, of course, is the key indicator of which teams will keep winning on the field in the future.

Miami is in this position because it has accumulated talent better than Florida and Florida State. Cristobal knows that has to continue. So he took a moment to communicate directly to the recruits — and transfers – who can come to Miami in the offseason and make this program sustainably good. The build isn’t about one year. Cristobal is at Miami to build a winning program, not a winning season.

Florida State went 13-0 last year and this season it has fallen apart. You can’t change a program in a year. It’s done over time. It’s accomplished when reaching No. 5 in the AP Poll is expected, not celebrated.

It seems like Miami is a national title contender this year. Maybe the defense will cost the Hurricanes a game, but in a year where there is no clearly dominant team, what if Miami gets hot? We can ask that question because it did work in recruiting and the transfer portal, too. Having transfer quarterback Cam Ward has given the Hurricanes a reliable playmaker at the most important position, which is something this program has lacked for a long time.

But if Miami gets to where it’s headed? It won’t need to rely on a player like Ward the way this team needs to this year.

Keep stacking talent. That’s the name of the game.

Even if Miami ends up finishing this season having not reached its goals, Cristobal’s progress on the renovation of the program cannot be argued. Getting to 8-0 — winning games past Miami teams would have lost along the way — and beating Florida and Florida State with more than 50 recruits watching? Take a moment to appreciate the two-year growth of a program that was so easily mocked coming into the season.

Cristobal used the word “trajectory.” Let’s look into that.

In the two recruiting cycles since Miami’s 42-point loss to Florida State two years ago, the Hurricanes signed classes that ranked No. 8 in 2023 and No. 5 in 2024 in the On3 Industry Rankings. In the 2025 cycle, Miami’s recruiting class currently ranks No. 10 nationally. Three of its 22 commitments rank in the top 100 overall and it had key visitors at the Florida State win.

Players like four-star cornerback Ben Hanks of Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington (Florida commit), four-star linebacker Tarvos “TJ” Alford of Port Saint Lucie (Fla.) Vero Beach (Ohio State commit), four-star defensive lineman Jarquez Carter of Newberry (Fla.) High (Ohio State commit) and three-star cornerback commit Shamar Arnoux of Carrollton (Ga.) High (USC commit) were at the game. Miami’s class should get better.

It did on Monday when four-star receiver Malachi Toney of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage committed to the Hurricanes after breaking his Miami pledge 25 days earlier. 

Being the best program in Florida matters. Especially with Nick Saban no longer at Alabama to come raid the Sunshine State of its best players every year. This is a real opportunity to own the state, which will lead to the rise of the Big 3 in Florida. Florida State’s class ranks No. 23 overall. And Florida? No. 33. Miami is winning on the field. Miami is also winning off of it.

Everyone knew Cristobal could recruit when he took the Miami job. His chief concern — much like all of his predecessors — is keeping the best Florida players at home, especially the ones in South Florida. That has always been easier said than done. It’s much more manageable when you’re winning, when players see Miami isn’t a national punchline.

The concern, of course, has always been Cristobal’s coaching on game day. Everyone questions his ability to lead on game day, especially after the disaster loss against Georgia Tech a year ago when all he had to do to win was take a knee. But even that piece has been much improved this year. Teams don’t get to 8-0 by accident.

So talk your talk, Mario.

You’re on track to doing what you promised two years ago.

Maybe now the new “one day” is bringing “The U” all the way back.