The targeting penalty is the talk of the Fiesta Bowl’s fourth quarter. While that controversial targeting call ejected Miami defensive back Xavier Lucas, Mario Cristobal took it hard. That’s precisely why FOX’s Joel Klatt criticized the targeting rule.

“The targeting penalty is the worst in sports…horrible,” said Klatt via X. “Trying to make a tackle and he HAPPENS to contact the head…ejection…stupid. They should’ve overturned that one.”

He believes that while a targeting penalty can be costly for a team in a pivotal situation, such as a CFP semifinal, the officials shouldn’t have ejected the player, as it could ruin Miami’s game plan.

With 8:54 left in regulation, Lucas left the game after delivering a hit on Ole Miss wideout Cayden Lee. They threw the flag right away, and the replay upheld the initial decision.

Here, ESPN rules analyst Bill LeMonnier broke it down.

“You do have a launch, and I’d still consider him a defenseless player, because he’s going to the ground and he hasn’t completed the process of the catch. This is launching right into him,” stated LeMonnier.

While the decision left Miami reeling, with its top defensive back sidelined at a critical moment, Ole Miss capitalized immediately.

Kicker Lucas Carneiro drilled a 21-yard field goal to put the Rebels up 19-17, their first lead since early in the second quarter. So, the officials’ decision turns out to be a big one in favor of the Rebels, as Ole Miss was awarded a 15-yard penalty. But Miami wasn’t done.

There was still plenty of football left, and Carson Beck’s offense was heading back onto the field. And boy, did they deliver.

On a huge third-and-10, Beck fired a strike to Keelan Marion to move into field-goal range. Then came the moment. The QB scanned the field and took off, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 18 seconds left.

Ole Miss had one last gasp, a 40-yard drive downfield and a desperate Hail Mary. The ball bounced off a receiver’s hand and fell incomplete, and Miami managed to survive.

Now, with the win over the Rebels, Miami advances to the national championship game. But the ejection of Lucas could add another layer to the story.

The targeting occurred in the second half of Thursday’s game. So Lucas will be suspended for the first half of the title game. It could be a significant blow to the Hurricanes. Lucas has been a major piece of Miami’s rise this season after his controversial transfer from Wisconsin, and he has made 15 appearances.

Before the Fiesta Bowl, the Miami DB had piled up 41 tackles and added two tackles for loss. With seven pass breakups on the stat sheet, his absence looms large for Mario Cristobal’s squad. But if Miami is able to bring the same dominance it showed in the Fiesta Bowl, the loss may not prove as costly.

Miami is just one game away from winning the national title

Miami punched its ticket to the national championship in dramatic fashion. The Hurricanes erased two fourth-quarter deficits to stun the number six-ranked Ole Miss 31–27 in the CFP semifinal.

Carson Beck sealed it himself, sprinting three yards for the go-ahead TD. With that, Miami enjoyed its first-ever Fiesta Bowl win and now prepares for a national title shot at home in Hard Rock Stadium.

Against the Rebels, Beck and his teammates delivered when it mattered most.

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While the QB earned game MVP honors after throwing for 268 yards and 2 TDs, Mark Fletcher Jr. was relentless, grinding out 133 yards. Then Keelan Marion had a night to remember with seven catches for 114 yards. The game simmered early, then exploded late.

Miami led 17–13 at halftime and clung to a one-point edge entering the fourth. From there, chaos ruled and led to changes. Beck’s 15-play march in the final minutes flipped the script for good.