MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Carson Beck was part of two national championship runs at Georgia.
To him, those seasons weren't as good as this one was for him at Miami.
Beck's last pass as a college quarterback was an interception, one that essentially sealed Miami's fate in a 27-21 loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night. He had to watch the Hoosiers celebrate on what was his home field, watch the turf littered in crimson-and-white confetti.
And yet, when he reflected on the end of his journey, he declared this year at Miami the best of his life.
“Yeah, it was,” Beck said after a 19-for-32 passing, 232-yard, one-touchdown, one-interception performance in the final. “And not because we made the national championship, not because won a bunch of football games or we made great plays or things of that sort. Man, for me, my whole entire life changed.
"You know, 365 days ago, I was in just a really dark place, and I was trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was a really difficult thing. There was just a lot going on, mentally, physically, emotionally, to be able to battle and fight through the roller-coaster that life is."
At this time a year ago, Beck was no longer wanted at Georgia, his elbow had just been surgically rebuilt, every move of his personal life became social-media fodder and he knew the doubters were everywhere.
He almost got the last laugh. Beck started all 16 games for Miami, led the Hurricanes to a 13-3 mark and set a school record by completing 72.4% of his passes. The last pass was a bit underthrown, and there seemed to be some sort of miscommunication on the final play. (“Their defense played really well tonight," Beck said.) But Miami knew long before that play that without Beck, they wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the CFP title game.
“He earned the respect of his teammates, teammates working hard with him,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “We win together, we lose together. Proud of him.”
Beck was at Miami for one year. He made clear after his final college game that whatever the future brings, he'll have the Hurricanes to thank.
“I really couldn’t have done it without all these people around me,” Beck said. “This university truly saved me and helped me rebuild into the man that I am today.”
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Miami quarterback Carson Beck passes against Indiana during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Miami quarterback Carson Beck is sacked by Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. celebrates after scoring with quarterback Carson Beck during the second half of the College Football Playoff national championship game against Indiana, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Curt Cignetti came to Indiana to win championships.
The old-school, blunt-spoken coach who began his Hoosiers tenure with a promise to bring swift success to the losingest program in college football completed his masterpiece on Monday night, guiding Indiana to a 27-21 win over Miami in the College Football Playoff final and the first national championship in school history.
Cignetti accomplished what few imagined could be done — at least not this quickly. But after taking advantage of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness money to build a championship roster, Cignetti coached the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking, and they finished off an undefeated campaign in front of 67,227 fans at Hard Rock Stadium, concluding one of the most surprising turnarounds in college football history.
Cignetti — who began his head coaching career at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2011 — became the first head coach to win a national title in his first or second season with a team since Gene Chizik led Auburn to the championship in 2010.
“What’s this moment like for me?” Cignetti said. “Back when I was waxing the staff table at IUP Thanksgiving weekend and the school was shut down for the playoffs … Did I ever think something like this was possible? Probably not. If you keep your nose down in life and keep working, anything is possible.”
Cignetti kept working and kept winning through stints at Elon and James Madison before he made the leap to the Big Ten and dismissed skeptics by saying, “I win. Google me.”
On Monday night, Cignetti described his team's performance as gutsy. He certainly called the game that way with a pair of fourth-down gambles on a scoring drive in the fourth quarter that ended with a bruising touchdown run by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Cignetti went for it on fourth-and-5 at Miami's 37, and the result was a first-down catch by Charlie Becker, who whipped around to snag a back-shoulder pass for a 19-yard gain.
The next was a call from fourth-and-4 at the 12 that was by far the biggest of the game.
Cignetti initially sent his kicker out but then called a timeout. The team huddled on the field, and the coach drew up a quarterback draw. Mendoza scored, slipping a tackle and muscling his way into the end zone to put the Hoosiers up by 10 with nine minutes left.
“We put it in for this game,” Cignetti said. “It was a quarterback draw, but it was blocked differently. And we rolled the dice and said they’re going to be in (the same defense) again. We blocked it well. He broke a tackle or two and got into the end zone.”
The bold call was fitting, considering how improbable it was that Indiana was playing for the title.
Indiana had never won more than nine games in a season before Cignetti's arrival two years ago, and in 2022 became the first Bowl Subdivision program to reach 700 losses.
Now the Hoosiers have double-digit wins in two straight years.
Cignetti brought 13 players from JMU to Indiana and saw the potential in Mendoza, who transferred from California.
“Coach Cig changed my life,” said standout linebacker Aiden Fisher, who followed Cignetti from JMU. “From a kid that felt like I was under-recruited, that I deserved more attention than I got. ... The amount of confidence he built in me, the trust and belief he had in me — I mean, why would you leave that? When a coach cares that much about you and sees so much for your future. He's talked about development and growth for me all the time. It was a no-brainer. I owe a lot to him. He's an unbelievable coach, but he's an unbelievable person.”
A Pittsburgh native and the son of College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Cignetti Sr., Cignetti graduated from West Virginia in 1982 and began coaching as an assistant at Pitt. He spent the next 24 years working his way up the college football ranks before landing with Nick Saban in Alabama as a recruiting coordinator and receivers coach.
That was Cignetti’s last stop before making the jump to head coach at IUP in 2011.
“I never really thought this was possible,” he said. "But I just kept working, and things happened. And here we are."
As expected, Cignetti barely smiled during the game. He didn't show much emotion when Indiana defensive lineman Mikail Kamara blocked a punt by Dylan Joyce, leading to a touchdown.
The 64-year-old threw his hands up briefly in triumph after Mendoza scored. Even as Indiana players began celebrating victory after Miami native Jamari Sharpe intercepted the Hurricanes' Carson Beck in the final minute, Cignetti's eyes remained on the field, waiting for the final seconds to tick off the clock.
Once it was final, as confetti began to hit the ground, Cignetti sprinted onto the field and pointed toward the sky.
“We won the national championship at Indiana University,” he said. “It can be done.”
After that, he cracked a smile.
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Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti holds the trophy after their win against Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti holds the trophy after their win against Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti watches during warm ups before the College Football Playoff national championship game between Miami and Indiana, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti reacts during the second half of the College Football Playoff national championship game against Miami, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti smiles after their win against Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
