Le Journal

To say the typically ferocious rushing game of Miami was tamed in the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship by the Indiana Hoosiers would be an understatement. After punishing foe after foe in the regular season and playoffs alike with a strong ground and pound attack to set up play-action passes from veteran quarterback Carson Beck, the Canes were held to just 20 rushing yards before intermission, leading some to wonder if Miami wouldn’t get to raise a banner in Hard Rock Arena after all. And yet, mere minutes into the second quarter, The U punched back in a major way, showcasing why they were the kind of team many picked to leave the game with a Natty thanks in no small part to junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. Taking a handoff from Beck on 2nd-and-5 from Miami’s 43-yard line, Fletcher ripped off the first true game-changing play of the contest for the Canes, running the ball 57 yards for an undeniable touchdown. HERE COMES MIAMI! Mark Fletcher Jr. takes it 57-yards to the endzone for the TD pic.twitter.com/pLmrhUkK8X — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 20, 2026 Initially landing at Miami as a four-star recruit out of Fort Lauderdale, Fletcher has consistently found ways to impact games for the Hurricanes, recording at least 100 rushing attempts in each of his first three seasons, including a career-high 199 heading into the National Championship Game. With 84 yards on 11 carries midway through the third quarter, Fletcher has been Miami’s engine as Beck has struggled to get much going in the passing game. If the Hurricanes are going to pull the upset and take home the win at Hard Rock Stadium, they’ll need a few more big plays by Fletcher Jr. The post Mark Fletcher Jr. energizes Miami fans with monster TD run vs. Indiana appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Dawn Staley and her South Carolina Lady Gamecocks made a trip up to Maryland to play Coppin State. Although the game was uncompetitive, South Carolina cruised to an easy victory. But the game meant more than just a box score. “I remember when I was at Temple, we couldn’t get very many high-level Division I teams to play us, let alone play us on our home court,” Staley said in postgame availability. “So I always think about those times and give people an opportunity to play a game like this.” Staley has been vocal about her support for HBCUs, and welcomed Coppin State being added to the South Carolina schedule as she took to her X account to find another game. She then turned to her X account in late 2024 to confirm that she was able to confirm an HBCU opponent that she didn’t name at the time after “moving things around.” It was revealed that Coppin State, which agreed to a home-and-home with the Lady Gamecocks, delivered on Sunday. She said on her X account in 2024, “When going to the peeps here on this app allows you to converse with great people and get options to complete schedules WINNING … we gotta game y’all. Paperwork is not complete, but we are good for it! I love my HBCUs. Thank you all for reaching out! Love up,” she tweeted on X. Coppin State coach Daryl Mosely commented on scheduling South Carolina in postgame availability, saying, “Talking to Coach Staley, it’s tough for them to find games…You’re top in the nation in wins and winning national championships; nobody really wants to play you.” Coppin State wasn’t the only HBCU that the Lady Gamecocks faced. South Carolina hosted North Carolina Central, winning 106-42 on December 7th. The post Dawn Staley, South Carolina recap successful HBCU hoops battle appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is never shy to express his opinion, especially when someone else mentions him in a touchy issue. Only this time, that somene else is his agent. On “Game Over,” Rich Paul said Moses Moody, who’s also his client, should work harder and have a different mindset in the offseason to get more opportunities. “You should be looking to push Draymond out. Give them a reason to play you. We know you can shoot the three, big, strong, gonna defend, everything,” said Paul. While Green could have easily clapped back, as he normally does, he said he understood where Paul was coming from. “(It’s) no shocker to me that Rich said that, because Rich and I talked, and he told me that years ago he’s saying that to Moses,” said the 35-year-old forward on “The Draymond Green Show.” “It’s not that Moses was going to become Draymond Green and push me out. What Rich is saying is you become so valuable to a team that they can’t afford to keep Draymond, but you’re young, they push him out.” Moody has seen his role increase exponentially with the Warriors, but he has not really established himself in the NBA. This season, he’s averaging career-highs of 10.4 points, 39.2% shooting from deep, 3.0 rebounds, and 24.5 minutes. But as intimated by Paul, who also represents Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, the 23-year-old Moody can do a lot more and reach his potential if he can get Green’s spot. It, however, might be difficult for him to replicate the four-time champion’s impact on defense. Green is averaging 8.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 26.9 minutes. The post Warriors’ Draymond Green drops blunt reaction to Rich Paul’s ‘push out’ comment appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has never been one to bite his tongue, and he certainly didn’t start Monday night with a national championship on the line. During a heated College Football Playoff National Championship clash between the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers and the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes, Cignetti unloaded on the officiating. The fiery coach was specifically livid over what he described as multiple missed personal foul calls on his star quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. Curt Cignetti: "There's three personal fouls on the quarterback not called in one drive that need to be called because they're obvious personal fouls. I'm all for letting them play. But when you cross the line, you gotta call it. They were black and white calls." #CFP pic.twitter.com/bHaOMTtAiw — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 20, 2026 “There’s three personal fouls on the quarterback not called in one drive that need to be called because they’re obvious personal fouls,” Cignetti said during the game. “I’m all for letting them play. But when you cross the line, you gotta call it. They were black and white calls.” The frustration came as the Hurricanes’ defense, led by Rueben Bain Jr., ramped up the pressure on the Heisman Trophy winner. While Miami struggled to move the ball early, totaling just 69 yards in the first half, their defensive front played with a physical edge that clearly irked the Indiana staff. At halftime, Indiana held a 10-0 lead, but the story was as much about the hits Mendoza was taking as it was the score. Statistically, the Indiana Hoosiers dominated the early flow, holding a massive advantage in total yards (83-18) by the end of the first quarter. Mendoza was clinical, completing 12-of-19 passes for 116 yards in the first half, while the Hurricanes’ Carson Beck struggled to find any rhythm against a stingy Indiana defense, allowing just 11.1 points per game. Cignetti’s “Cignetti Effect” has brought Indiana to the brink of a historic 16-0 season, but if the officials don’t start reaching for their flags, the Hoosiers’ path to the title might get a lot more painful. The post Indiana football’s Curt Cignetti rips refs for ‘obvious’ missed calls vs. Miami appeared first on ClutchPoints.

A documentary on legendary college coach Nick Saban’s life is coming to ESPN. The six-part series titled Saban, from ESPN and Word + Pictures, chronicles the former University of Alabama coach’s life and his trailblazing career in the sport. According to the official logline per Variety, “the series will tell the story of Nick Saban’s extraordinary career, highlighted by his 17 seasons at Alabama, where he led the team to six national titles and reestablished the Crimson Tide as the preeminent program in college football.” During his time as a college coach, he won seven college football national championships – his first with LSU in 2003 and six others at the University of Alabama (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020). The release per Deadline shared that “the series will peel back the curtain on the long closely guarded world of Saban,” as the docuseries will show “with hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage from the locker room and practice fields, as well as many other behind-the-scenes moments in his career at Alabama, and prior to that LSU, the Miami Dolphins, and Michigan State among other stops. There’s also a wealth of present-day interviews with Saban and his wife, the legendary Ms. Terry Saban, whose own influence and impact played a massive role in Nick’s success as a coach and leader.” Saban’s legacy in college football is renowned and is the most decorated coach in the modern Poll Era. “There will never be another Nick Saban,” said Conner Schell, CEO of Words + Pictures. “He’s a football genius, a singular leader, and a true icon who has done more than anyone to shape the modern game of college football and the culture around it.” The seven-time championship-winning coach retired from Alabama two years ago. He is now an analyst for ESPN. He shared what it means for him to be honored with the docuseries. “With my coaching days behind me, Ms. Terry and I have been doing a lot of reflection and realized we were ready to tell our story,” Nick Saban said. “The team at Words + Pictures has encouraged me to really look back not just at my time at Alabama, but every stop along the way – and not just reflect on what happened but consider the process which made it happen. I interacted with a lot of players and coaches along the way and I’m happy to see that so many of them have contributed to this docuseries. There’s a lot to tell, and I’m excited to share it all.” The premiere date and episode rollout have not yet been announced and will be revealed at a later date. Take a look at the trailer: The post ESPN announces 6-part documentary series on college coach legend Nick Saban appeared first on ClutchPoints.