If you tuned in for an offensive fireworks show in Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship, you probably spent most of the first half checking your Wi-Fi connection.
In what quickly became a defensive masterclass (or an offensive nightmare, depending on who you ask), the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers and No. 10 Miami Hurricanes managed to make history for all the wrong reasons.
The teams combined for just 10 points in the first 30 minutes, with Indiana holding a 10-0 lead at the break. According to ESPN Insights, this performance officially ranks as the third-lowest scoring first half in the history of BCS and CFP championship games.
The only “lowlights” that beat this one out? The 2001 clash, where Oklahoma led Florida State 3-0 at the half, and the infamous 2012 all-SEC rematch, where Alabama held a 9-0 lead over LSU.
The struggle was particularly real for the Miami Hurricanes. Despite playing in their own backyard at Hard Rock Stadium, Carson Beck and the Miami offense were held to a staggering 69 total yards and zero third-down conversions (0-for-6) in the first half. Beck, who entered with over 3,500 passing yards on the season, managed only 49 yards through the air before the intermission.
Indiana didn’t exactly set the world on fire either, but Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza was efficient enough to keep the chains moving. Mendoza completed 12-of-20 passes for 116 yards, while a 20-yard burst from Kaelon Black set up a one-yard touchdown plunge by tight end Riley Nowakowski to provide the only trip to the end zone.
With 10 points on the board and the “Doink” of a missed 50-yard field goal from Miami’s Carter Davis echoing through the stadium, fans are left wondering if the second half will bring the points or just more historic defensive grit.
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