Le Journal

In the middle of a high-stakes National Championship, it was Mark Fletcher Jr. who reminded everyone why the Miami Hurricanes belong on this stage. After a disastrous third-quarter blunder where Indiana’s Mikail Kamara blocked a punt, allowing Isaiah Jones to scoop it up for a touchdown, Miami found themselves staring at a 17-7 deficit and a stadium full of stunned silence. But Fletcher didn’t let the Hurricanes wallow. Responding to the special teams nightmare, Fletcher capped off a 10-play, 81-yard drive by walking into the end zone on a three-yard “fake toss” hand-off to pull Miami back within a field goal. Mark Fletcher Jr. WALKS into the end zone for his 2nd TD of the game pic.twitter.com/d8HmlnGkp3 — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 20, 2026 The sophomore running back has been the undisputed heart of the Miami offense tonight. Earlier in the third quarter, Fletcher ignited the comeback with a career-long 57-yard touchdown sprint that finally broke the Hurricanes’ scoreless drought. As the game enters the final stretch, Fletcher has already racked up 109 yards and two scores on just 16 carries, effectively carrying the load for a Miami squad that struggled to find its footing in a record-low 10-point first half. On the other side, the Indiana Hoosiers are feeling the pressure of their first-ever title appearance. While Fernando Mendoza has been surgical at times, completing 12-of-17 passes in the first half, the Indiana offense went cold in the third quarter, managing a measly 11 total yards. The Hoosiers’ defense remains stingy, allowing only 11.1 points per game this season, but they are finally bending under Fletcher’s physical running style. With the score sitting at 17-14 early in the fourth quarter, the momentum has swung back toward the home-field Hurricanes. Whether the Hoosiers can recapture their “Cignetti Effect” or Fletcher continues his march toward MVP honors is anyone’s guess as we head into a photo finish at Hard Rock Stadium. The post Miami football’s Mark Fletcher scores 2nd TD in response to brutal Hurricanes blunder appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Miami (FL) football busted the lip of Fernando Mendoza early out the gate. Even getting Indiana fans and Curt Cignetti furious over a missed targeting call. And the Hurricanes kept pouring it out with their pass rush from there — hitting a rare stat against Mendoza. Miami tussled down the Heisman Trophy winner not once, or twice, but a season-typing best five times. Wisconsin represents the last team to bring down Mendoza for that many sacks. The ‘Canes turned up the defensive intensity too to get back into the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami unleashes reignited pass rush on Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Akheem Mesidor entered the game as the less heralded pass rusher compared to Rueben Bain. But plays an equal integral role in igniting the sacks for Miami. “The U” turned to Mesidor during the third quarter to spark the ‘Canes rally. Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman began to widen Mesidor out — giving him more space to attack. Akheem Mesidore easily defeats Indiana's RT for his second sack of the night, creating an 8-yard loss for Fernando Mendoza in the 3rd Q of a game that's tightened up quickly.#Indiana #miami #CFBPlayoff #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/zYmly5XCDc — All 22 Films (@All_22_NFL_Cuts) January 20, 2026 Mesidor even sliced inside to wreck havoc against the pass — turning to his hand arsenal and motor to complete this sack. Akheem Mesidor with the Aaron Donald hands and excellent balance, getting home for the sack on Mendoza. What a combo with Bain Jr. and Mesidor. This sack started a momentum swing for the Miami Hurricanes. pic.twitter.com/sZCROXT0sx — Football Scout 365 (@DraftAnalyst365) January 20, 2026 Bain was anything but quiet on the night, though. He tangled with high-caliber left tackle Carter Smith and still got around. Rueben Bain Jr vs Carter Smith Smith hadn't allowed a sack all season entering tonight's National Championship Gamepic.twitter.com/kGTrmCqvbz — PFF College (@PFF_College) January 20, 2026 The potential top 10 NFL Draft pick ahead of the April session stayed on the field with a hot motor — even against the run. Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. has such heavy hands and he knows how to weaponize them. Scary pass rusher but just as scary against the run. That’s a top 10 pick. Don’t get caught up in the arm length pic.twitter.com/05ZmFeU2pY — Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 20, 2026 Both ends combined for three sacks before the fourth quarter. Miami piled five tackles for a loss too before the 10 minute mark of the fourth quarter. They later watched Mendoza rumble his way into the end zone on a fourth-and-five that put IU up 24-14. The post Stats show Miami is bringing the pain to Fernando Mendoza appeared first on ClutchPoints.

DeSean Jackson and Delaware State are making their presence felt in the recruiting scene once again, landing a major commitment flip to bolster their offense. Louisville running back Shaun Boykins Jr. originally committed to Montana but announced on January 18th that he was instead committing to Delaware State. LETS DO IT ! #LEGENDARY pic.twitter.com/SVn8eaz3Z2 — Shaun Boykins Jr (@sb3jr) January 18, 2026 The former wide receiver turned running back didn’t see a lot of time at Louisville, as he was largely relegated to being a backup running back. But he had some meaningful reps for the Cardinals, playing in nine games in the 2025 season. He showed flashes of his offensive talent in a 41-0 victory over Kentucky. Boykins finished the game with 101 yards and 1 touchdown on 22 carries. In a quote secured by 247 Sports’ Louisville affiliate, coach Jeff Brohm spoke highly of him and his late-season performance. “Shaun was a unique guy, we brought in here as a receiver. It just wasn’t happening as fast as we would like, but he had a unique skill set, so let’s try him as a running back. And to his credit, he’s unselfish. These people are unselfish, you can say ‘no, I want to play receiver.’ He moved. He’s worked hard.” Boykins could be a perfect replacement for James Jones, who was one of the stars in Delaware State’s prolific running back room alongside Marquis Gills. Jones departed for the transfer portal after rushing for 958 yards and nine touchdowns. He had six games in which he ran for over 100 yards, but his finest game was against Southern Connecticut during Delaware State’s homecoming in October. In Delaware State’s 70-23 victory, Jones finished with 158 yards and two touchdowns. He also showed and proved against Michael Vick and Norfolk State in Philadelphia, rushing for 109 yards and a game-sealing 76-yard touchdown run. The post DeSean Jackson, Delaware State land Louisville standout in huge recruiting flip appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Hockey fans were treated to one of the NHL’s rarest and most entertaining moments on Monday night when Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and San Jose Sharks netminder Alex Nedeljkovic squared off in an unexpected goalie fight. The altercation erupted with just over 14 minutes remaining in a game that had steadily escalated in intensity. Post-whistle scrums, shoving, and physical exchanges had already set a volatile tone, making the eventual confrontation feel inevitable as emotions continued to spill over. The turning point came when Alex Nedeljkovic became entangled in a corner scrum involving skaters from both teams. Seeing the situation escalate, Sergei Bobrovsky made a decisive move, skating the length of the ice from his crease to confront Nedeljkovic directly. WE GOT A GOALIE FIGHT BOBROVSKY AND NEDELJKOVIC pic.twitter.com/8rKnPxCl3N — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 20, 2026 Before engaging, Bobrovsky removed his blocker and catcher, a customary step for goaltenders preparing to fight, as officials rushed in to manage the situation. Both Bobrovsky and Nedeljkovic were assessed five-minute major penalties for fighting, along with additional two-minute penalties for leaving their respective creases to join the altercation. Despite the severity of the penalties, both netminders remained in the game, which San Jose ultimately clinched 4-1. The fight marked the NHL’s first goalie-on-goalie fight since Feb. 1, 2020, when Mike Smith and Cam Talbot famously clashed during the Battle of Alberta, highlighting just how uncommon these moments have become in the modern league. Tensions had been brewing well before the goalie fight, including an earlier physical exchange between Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk and Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais in the opening period. That confrontation further fueled the chippy atmosphere that eventually boiled over. For Bobrovsky, the veteran goaltender who has helped guide Florida to consecutive Stanley Cup championships the incident added another unforgettable chapter to an already decorated career. Both teams will aim to channel Monday’s raw emotion more productively as the season continues, while fans will be talking about this ultra-rare goalie fight long after the final horn. The post Sergei Bobrovsky, Alex Nedeljkovic drop gloves in rare NHL goalie fight during Panthers-Sharks clash appeared first on ClutchPoints.