Punter Mitch McCarthy has become one of the few Australians to win a national championship in American football as his Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 for the US college title.
But McCarthy’s triumph came at the expense of fellow Victorian punter Dylan Joyce, who played a major role in a crucial Indiana touchdown.
This year’s championship game came at a steep price, with tickets soaring to a record $US4000 ($A5955) hours before kick off at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Tuesday (AEDT), which was packed with a 65,000-strong crowd.
With Joyce and McCarthy on opposing sides, the match was destined to throw up the latest Australian national champion.
McCarthy, who wears No.44, follows in the footsteps of Jesse Williams (Alabama, 2012, 2013), Cameron Johnston (Florida State, 2014), Brett Thorson (Georgia, 2022) and Joe McGuire (Ohio State, 2025) as an Australian national title holder.
But Joyce’s third-quarter punt contributed to the Hoosiers’ win.
Defensive end Mikail Kamara blocked Joyce’s kick before the ball travelled into the end zone, where Isaiah Jones pounced to score the six-pointer.
It was the only blemish on a busy night for Joyce, who had five punts averaging 46.8 yards, while McCarthy – a former VFL player with Collingwood – posted five punts averaging 48.2 yards.
The Melburnian’s efforts helped Indiana claim its first national title, a significant feat as before the season, the side had the most losses in college football history.
Under coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana has produced a remarkable turnaround, capped off by registering a perfect 16-0 record.
“It took a lot of guts to get here. Let me tell you, we won the national championship at Indiana University,” Cignetti said to ESPN.
Miami-raised star quarterback Fernando Mendoza all but guaranteed he will be the NFL’s No.1 draft pick as he threw for 186 yards and scored one touchdown.
Top ranked Indiana’s dominant defence was also game-defining as they held Miami to just three third-down conversions.
In a tense first half, tight end Riley Nowakowski scored the sole touchdown when he rushed from one yard midway through the second quarter.
Running back Mark Fletcher Jr crossed for Miami’s two six-pointers, including a 57-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter.
On a 4-and-5 at the start of the fourth term, Cignetti rolled the dice by keeping his offence on the field and it paid off as Mendoza muscled his way through a barrage of Miami defenders to score.
Miami’s wide receiver Malachi Toney crossed into the end zone, but an interception by Jamari Sharpe on the Hurricanes next and final drive sealed the game.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/nfl/victorian-makes-college-football-history-in-thriller-c-21366171
