The College Football Playoff semifinals are officially underway as Ole Miss and Miami are currently battling for a place in the National Championship Game. Coming into the game, Miami's defensive line was one of the biggest storylines as their stars in the trenches were going to be tasked with slowing the dynamic duo of Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.
While Miami has superstars in Rueben Bain Jr and Akheem Mesidor, the players on the interior never get nearly enough credit. Junior Defensive Tackle Ahmad Moten Sr has been a star for the Hurricanes racking up 4.5 sacks with 25 tackles on the season.
Rushing Ahmad Moten Sr back from injury may haunt Miami
During the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, Miami suffered a devastating blow as Ahmad Moten Sr suffered an ankle injury. Coming into the week, it was uncertain if Moten would be able to play, but he decided to give it a chance, and the coaching staff agreed to let him play.
Just two plays into the Fiesta Bowl, Miami's risky gamble may have turned out to be a massive mistake. Ahmad Moten Sr clearly wasn't 100% and two plays into the game, Moten went down shaking his head indicating that he knew he wasn't going to be able to play through the pain.
The Hurricanes made a massive risk trying to get Ahmad Moten Sr to play and it may end up haunting Mario Cristobal. The Canes need to worry about beating Ole Miss first, but if they do move on the injury will be a big concern.
The wise move would've been allowing Ahmad Moten Sr more time to recover as ankle and foot injuries are always tougher on linemen with how much pressure they put on their feet. The injury now becomes a massive topic if Miami moves on as they will need their star in the middle.