Miami Ends It in the First Round, and a Freshman Wins the Heisman
Cleveland State31
Miami (FL)38
- Game
- 2033 CFP First Round
- Site
- Neutral site
- Result
- Loss
- Record
- 11-2
Miami 38, Vikings 31. In the first round of the playoff.
Not the RedHawks this time, folks. The Hurricanes, Miami of Florida. Seven points. A close, hard, fair game, and the other team made one more play than we did. Our first loss in a first-round playoff game.
I sat down for the fourth quarter. I want you to know that. I’m keeping my promises.
Eleven and two. Third in the Big 12, 8-1. The nation’s second-highest-scoring offense. And now let me tell you about two freshmen.
Titus Reece, a true freshman from Iowa, caught for 3,631 yards and 51 touchdowns, both school records, and won the Heisman Trophy. A freshman receiver. The Heisman. He also won the Biletnikoff and made All-American. Kaleb DuBose, a redshirt freshman, threw for 5,718 yards and 71 touchdowns. Sam Fatafehi ran for 1,590. Gene Daniels had 14 sacks. And Seth Molinaro won his second straight Outland Trophy and made All-American again.
Big Stan is painting a board for Reece. He says it’ll be “something with corn.” I’m allowed one bite.
Zero pierogi.
A seven-point first-round loss to Miami (FL) ends an eleven-and-two season that began with ninety points in Kent and ended a game earlier than anyone hoped.
Here’s what I’ll remember. Two freshmen, Reece and DuBose, who’ll be here for years. A freshman Heisman winner. A defense that grew up. And a city that spent the fall watching one of its loudest men learn to sit down.
And here’s what I’ll remember most. I’m writing this from Sarasota. Teresa and I came down for Christmas. My father had a good morning today. A really good one. He knew me, and he knew Teresa, and he asked, “Did we win?” I told him the truth. He said, “Next year.” Then he said, “The freshman won the Heisman?” My mother had told him. He’d held onto it. He said, “In my day, freshmen carried the water.” I said, “Not this one, Dad.” He laughed.
Then we sat on the porch, and he named the birds, and Teresa wrote them down for me, because I was busy just listening.
Back and forth
A freshman Heisman, Kenny.
My father knew. He held onto it all week. “In my day, freshmen carried the water.”
How was Christmas?
He knew me. He knew Teresa. He named the birds. Best Christmas I’ve had in years.
A first-round loss to the Hurricanes ends it early, a true freshman wins the Heisman, a believer keeps his promise to sit down, and a son spends Christmas on a porch in Sarasota listening.
Split Decision is fiction. Mickey Bridges, Ken Hogmanes and The Lakefront Ledger are invented; the games and scores are not.