You just knew that the showdown between Miami football and Syracuse was not only going to be intriguing, but that both sides were going to play ticked off. It's not just the players who are a bit fired up for this big-time ACC matchup.
Miami and Mario Cristobal subtly get called out by Nick Saban on GameDay
In the first half, the ESPN cameras caught a sequence where Mario Crisotbal was RED HOT with Syracuse head coach Fran Brown. The two were exchanging some passionate words and it's safe to say that they weren't trying to finalize Thanksgiving dinner plans with one another here. Look at Cristobal pointing his finger at the Syracuse sideline too. Whoa:
MARIO AND FRAN BROWN GOING AT IT! pic.twitter.com/2XCBzKl1W9
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) November 8, 2025
Mario Cristobal and Fran Brown were ripping into one another mid-game
We're not quite sure what led to this sequence, but again, both coaches were pretty darn upset. Maybe, just maybe, this was Cristobal's way of trying to light a fire under his players. For most of the first half, Miami looked out of sorts, but things changed late in the second quarter.
Right before halftime, the Miami offense finally started to show some life, with Beck and his teammates clicking a bit. Just before the two-minute timeout, Beck was able to finally showcase a smile on his face, as Miami opened up the playbook for a Malachi Toney pass back to Beck for a score. Then, Keionte Scott had a pick-six that he'll never forget.
Cristobal was obviously pretty dang happy about those two plays, while Brown was not. Again, we're not quite sure what led to the two showcasing their beef in front of everyone at the Hard Rock Stadium, but let's hope Cristobal is asked about things after the final whistle.
That will be on everyone's mind, but at the end of the day, Miami fans are just hoping that the Canes can take care of business and post a needed win. Miami shockingly was placed at No. 18 in the first CFP rankings, which felt like a slap in the face. Between that and Brown chirping with Cristobal, the Miami players have all the motivation they need to send a statement vs. Syracuse.