Miami's Mario Cristobal Calls Out Targeting Call on Xavier Lucas, Eyes CFB Rule Change

Count Miami head coach Mario Cristobal among those who believe the targeting penalties in college football are too punitive.

With defensive back Xavier Lucas set to miss the first half of Monday's national championship game against Indiana because of a targeting penalty he committed in the second half of the semifinal win over Ole Miss, Cristobal told reporters Sunday, "We feel it was unjustily administrated, and now it impacts the last game of the season."

He also said he thinks the rule where players who are ejected for targeting in the second half of a game are suspended for the first half of the next one should change.

While all penalties could potentially swing a game, the targeting rules in college football are particularly difficult for the team that commits such an infraction.

After all, said player is suspended for the rest of the game after the penalty, which could be a monumental development if he is one of the team's stars. If it happens in the second half, it also impacts the next game with the suspension carrying over.

Cristobal is not the first college football coach to criticize the suspension aspect of the targeting rules even if they were implemented to improve overall safety and minimize hits against defenseless players on the field.

That it happened to Miami at such an important time of the season shines more of a spotlight on the issue, though, especially since it already has its hands full going up against the top-seeded Hoosiers with the national title on the line.

Full Miami (FL) Hurricanes - Ole Miss Rebels Highlights

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Lucas had four tackles and a pass defended in the first-round win over Texas A&M, two tackles in the quarterfinal win over Ohio State, and four tackles and a pass defended in the semifinal win over Ole Miss prior to his ejection.

He is a key part of the team's secondary that will be tested against Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and a talented group of Indiana receivers.

Missing the first half against the Hoosiers could be more costly than most games as well since the Big Ten representative has made a habit of all but ending the competitive portions of its CFP games prior to intermission.

Indiana was up 17-0 against Alabama at halftime in the quarterfinals and 35-7 against Oregon at halftime in the semifinals. If the Hurricanes aren't careful, the Hoosiers could be all but celebrating their inevitable national title by halftime on Monday before Lucas even has a chance to impact the game.