Keionte Scott’s Pick-Six: The Defining Moment of Miami’s 2025 Season
There are great plays, and then there are plays that change everything. For the 2025 Miami Hurricanes, that moment came in the Cotton Bowl - a 72-yard pick-six by Keionte Scott that flipped the game, stunned Ohio State, and sent shockwaves through the College Football Playoff.
Let’s break it down.
From JUCO to the Big Stage
Before we dive into the play itself, it's worth appreciating the journey. Keionte Scott didn’t come up the traditional way.
He started at Snow College, a JUCO program in Utah, before transferring to Auburn, where he made a name for himself from 2022 to 2024. Initially committed to Houston for the 2025 season, Scott made a late jump to Miami - a move that turned out to be one of the most impactful additions of the year.
In Corey Hetherman’s multiple-look defense, Scott was a Swiss Army knife. Playing out of the nickel, he filled a hybrid role - part safety, part corner, part linebacker - and thrived in the chaos.
His stat line tells the story: 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pick-sixes, two forced fumbles, and five pass breakups. He was a playmaker in every sense.
And while he had the chops to return punts - he even housed one at Auburn - that job belonged to Malachi Toney in Coral Gables.
But none of that mattered more than one play on New Year’s Eve in Arlington.
The Moment: Cotton Bowl, Second Quarter
Miami led 7-0 midway through the second quarter. Ohio State, a double-digit favorite, was trying to find rhythm.
Julian Sayin sent his tight end in motion - a subtle shift that triggered something in Scott’s mind. This wasn’t just instinct.
This was preparation meeting opportunity. Scott had clearly seen this look on film.
He knew what was coming.
As Sayin turned and fired a quick screen, Scott exploded. He split two blockers, jumped the route, and took the interception 72 yards to the house. Just like that, it was 14-0 Miami heading into halftime - a two-touchdown lead over a team many had penciled in for the title game.
The Breakdown
Let’s go deeper into the anatomy of the play.
Pre-snap, Scott is locked in on the motion. This isn’t guesswork - it’s recognition.
He’s reading the formation, the alignment, the movement. He’s diagnosing the play before it unfolds.
Then comes the execution. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith misses his block on Scott, and the tight end - who should be identifying the most dangerous defender to the play - ends up blocking air.
It’s a classic case of executing the play as drawn up, not as it’s unfolding. That’s the danger of over-scripting in practice: you get perfection on paper, but not always the ability to adjust in real time.
Meanwhile, Rueben Bain deserves a nod here too. His pressure off the edge forces Sayin to rush the throw, and the ball comes out a little short. Bain gets into Sayin’s face and makes contact on the follow-through, which likely alters the trajectory just enough to make it an easier read for Scott.
Post-snap, it’s all instincts and acceleration. Scott slips Smith, jumps the route, and it’s daylight.
The tight end never even realizes what’s happened. By the time he turns around, Scott is already halfway to the end zone, tongue wagging, sideline erupting.
A Season-Changing Play
That touchdown wasn’t just another highlight - it was a momentum avalanche. Miami took a 14-0 lead into the half, and never looked back. The Hurricanes would go on to win 24-14, knocking off the heavily favored Buckeyes and punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
For Scott, it was the signature moment of a breakout season. For Miami, it was the defining play of their 2025 campaign. And for fans watching - whether on a projector screen by the fire pit or in the stands at AT&T Stadium - it was unforgettable.
In a season full of grit, growth, and big-time performances, Keionte Scott’s pick-six was the exclamation point.