5 Key Stats That Explain How Indiana Beat Miami For The National Championship

On Monday night, Indiana put nan finishing touches connected 1 of nan top seasons assemblage shot has ever seen – and very apt nan champion turnaround nan athletics has witnessed. Beating Miami 27-21 to triumph nan CFP, Indiana completed nan miraculous 16-0 season. Here are 5 cardinal stats that explicate conscionable really nan Hoosiers did it.

The numbers explicate really Indiana knocked disconnected Miami to triumph nan nationalist championship

Miami’s tackles for loss: six

Indiana, until Monday night, had controlled nan trenches connected some sides of nan football. But contempt nan triumph successful nan nationalist title game, nan Hoosiers grounded to triumph nan statement of scrimmage. 

Miami’s protect statement and pass-rush made Fernando Mendoza’s life miserable, sacking him 3 times, consistently disrupting his hit and forcing nan Heisman victor into 11 incompletions – much than double his full successful nan full CFP heading into nan title (only had 5 mixed against Alabama and Oregon). 

The Hurricanes besides held nan Hoosiers to conscionable 2.9 yards per transportation and added different 3 TFLs speech from nan sacks, bringing their full digit to six, while Indiana managed conscionable 1 TFL connected nan different end. 

The turnover separator successful Indiana’s favor: 1 (effectively two)

The only logic nan aforementioned stat tin (mostly) beryllium tossed retired of nan window: turnovers. The Hoosiers snatched a free 7 points by parlaying a blocked punt into a touchdown and they besides picked disconnected Carson Beck to adjacent retired nan contest. 

It’s coach-talk, but it’s often true: triumph nan turnover conflict and triumph nan game. The Hoosiers did precisely that connected nan biggest shape connected Monday night. 

Mark Fletcher’s rushing yards 1 one play: 57

Miami had 69 full yards successful nan first half. To opportunity nan ‘Canes were bottled up successful nan first 30 minutes would beryllium a monolithic understatement. But connected their first possession of nan 2nd half, it took conscionable 2 plays to astir lucifer that total. 

On nan 2nd play from scrimmage for Miami’s discourtesy successful nan 3rd quarter, Beck handed nan stone disconnected to moving backmost Mark Fletcher Jr. who collapsed it disconnected for a momentum-shifting 57-yard touchdown that injected power and belief into a previously-lifeless Miami club. Although nan Hurricanes ne'er climbed back, nan only logic they had a changeable was owed to Fletcher’s large play. 

Indiana’s fourth-down conversion rate: 100 percent

Up 17-14 successful nan 4th quarter, Indiana was successful hopeless request of a score. Sure, nan Hoosiers were technically successful control, but nan ‘Canes were rolling and nan unit was on. 

So connected a 4th-and-5 successful no-man's onshore connected Miami’s 37-yard line, Curt Cignetti felt it was only correct to rotation nan dice. Of course, that intends put nan shot successful Mendoza’s hands and fto him make magic. And he did conscionable that. Tossing a back-shoulder slice to nan standout wide receiver Charlie Becker for 19 yards, Mendoza picked up nan first and pushed his Hoosiers into nan reddish zone.

A fewer plays later, Indiana had different 4th-and-5, and erstwhile again put nan stone successful Mendoza’s hands, this clip trusting his legs. And done sheer will and effort, Mendoza didn’t conscionable prime it up – he recovered salary dirt.

Miami’s second-half yards: 273

Kickstarted by that aforementioned Fletcher rush, nan ‘Canes discourtesy exploded successful nan 2nd half. Beck was wheeling and dealing (finished pinch 232 passing yards) and nan crushed crippled was putting successful activity (Miami rushed for 5.2 yards per carry). 

We hadn’t seen an discourtesy locomotion nan Hoosiers down nan section for illustration nan Hurricanes managed to do connected 2 of their drives, nor had we seen teams find occurrence connected large plays. 

Even nan last thrust was promising for Miami, which had worked itself into Indiana territory pinch 51 seconds remaining, until Beck’s fatal correction put nan icing connected nan barroom for Indiana.