The two plays that most people will remember as being most pivotal to Indiana's 27–21 victory over Miami in the national championship game are Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza scampering in for a touchdown on a fourth down draw and Jamari Sharpe picking off Carson Beck in the final minute of regulation to seal a 16–0 season. The Hoosiers blocking a Hurricanes punt and snagging a special teams touchdown may be an honorable mention. But perhaps the most impactful—and under-appreciated—play of the night may not have been noticed in real time.
Thankfully, former NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz and betting expert Chris Fallica have brought an intriguing bit of all-22 video into the public square on their latest Bear Bets podcast. It appears to show Miami setting up a trick play on a third quarter punt return. In the film, Malachi Toney, a dynamic threat, stands positioned at his own 15-yard line and drifts back to receive a mighty boot from Indiana punter Mitch McCarthy. Toney’s momentum drives him back inside his own 5-yard line as a Miami player sneaks around to the other sideline, potentially awaiting a throwback lateral from Toney.
