Wesley Bissainthe ignited a defensive surge, fueling the Miami Hurricanes' improbable playoff run. Discover how this "brotherhood" conquers adversity en route to a championship.
The Miami Hurricanes are a couple of days away from stepping on the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl semifinals field, facing another SEC opponent in the Ole Miss Rebels. They've overcome tremendous adversity, not just in these College Football Playoffs, but towards the end of the regular season. Following the loss against the SMU Mustangs, all aspirations and goals were on the line. Afterwards, the team responded with a dominant four-game winning streak, which was enough to crack the bracket, defying all odds.
Looking at it now, playing with that high level of urgency has played a key role in the Hurricanes' success thus far, beating the Texas A&M Aggies and Ohio State Buckeyes. It was all smooth sailing for most of the other programs; meanwhile, they had to scratch and claw for this opportunity, even battling the Selection Committee itself because of the controversy of not evaluating head-to-head with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the results of common opponents. The Hurricanes overcame all of that just for the opportunity to play in the College Football Playoffs and are making the most of it.
The defense has played a massive role in the latest success, leading up to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl semifinals. Of course, edge rushers Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. get most of the attention, coming through with crucial sacks and chasing chaos, but there have been others getting crucial stops.
In the quarterfinals against the Buckeyes, it was linebacker Wesley Bissainthe who had a critical sack on quarterback Julian Sayin in the fourth quarter. He finished with six total tackles, three solos and three assists, and one tackle for loss.
The Hurricanes' revamped defense has been crucial in completing the turnaround of the program, compared to where it was a couple of years ago, not even qualifying for a bowl game. Now, they have a chance to compete for a National Championship. Bissainthe was one of the first building blocks and alluded to the "brotherhood" that's been built, translating to great change.
"I feel like we're all in there," the senior said. "Every person in that locker room is playing for each other. That's what it looks like when we're out there. There's no one playing for just themselves. The brotherhood is one of the most important things in the team's culture. You have to play for the person beside you."
There doesn't appear to be any egos or personal agendas disrupting the Hurricanes, not just in these College Football Playoffs, but throughout the year. Not even the star players boast about themselves, always giving credit to teammates.
Bissainthe and the team are just one game away from playing for a National Championship, but the main focus remains the Rebels. The stage is set for Thursday, Jan. 8th, in Glendale, Arizona, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our RoundTable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
More Miami Hurricanes News: