ARLINGTON, Texas — Keionte Scott read the play perfectly.

After Ohio State reached Miami’s red zone for the first time, Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin — the nation’s most accurate passer this season — tried to throw a pass in the left flat. Scott knew what was coming, sprinted between Sayin and the receiver and picked off the pass.

“I shot my shot, and the ball went in my hands,” Scott said.

There was no one in front of him. Scott was untouched for 72 yards down the turf at AT&T Stadium before reaching the end zone, putting Miami ahead by two touchdowns. It set the Hurricanes up for a 24-14 upset victory over the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday night.

“I’ve been here since the start,” running back Mark Fletcher Jr. said. “And I just trusted (coach Mario Cristobal’s) plan, trusted the vision. And he told me that we’ll get this program back to national championship status, and we just continue to keep on going one game at a time.”

The Hurricanes will face the winner of Thursday’s Georgia-Ole Miss quarterfinal in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan 8.

Miami and Ohio State traded three-and-outs on their first drives. Carson Beck threw two incompletions on UM’s first drive, and defensive end Akheem Mesidor ended the Buckeyes’ first possession with a 10-yard sack. Miami moved the ball on its second drive, but Mark Fletccher Jr. fumbled on a third-down run, and Ohio State recovered to end the Hurricanes’ drive in the red zone.

Fletcher got his redemption quickly. Miami marched 83 yards, and Fletcher scored the game’s first touchdown on a short pass from Beck.

The Buckeyes looked like they would respond immediately, as Sayin tossed a 59-yard pass to former South Florida star Jeremiah Smith, putting Ohio State in the red zone. But Rueben Bain Jr. sacked Sayin on the next play, and Scott then made his game-changing pick, returning it for a 72-yard score.

“It’s an easy situation where they give up big explosive. It’s an easy situation where you put your head down, they go in and score and changes the game,” defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said. “And our guys responded. And that’s film study, that’s understanding the situation, seeing what’s going on, understanding what’s going on with that motion and being able to jump a play in that situation. That’s just him coming in, competing, watching film, seeing it in practice and getting that look in the game and taking advantage of it.”

Miami’s defense dominated the Buckeyes for the first half. Ohio State’s best drive of the first half came at the end of the second quarter after OSU forced a punt when UM was in Buckeyes territory. Ohio State moved the ball down the field but had to settle for a field goal attempt at the end of the half. Kicker Jayden Fielding’s 49-yard kick went wide left, and the Hurricanes took a two-touchdown lead into halftime.

The Buckeyes were not about to go gently into the night, though. Ohio State drove 82 yards on its second-half-opening drive, with running back Bo Jackson just getting over the goal line for the Buckeyes’ first points of the night.

Miami responded by keeping Ohio State at arm’s length. UM went 43 yards, and Carter Davis — who missed three field goals in UM’s win over Texas A&M — hit a 49-yard field goal to put Miami back ahead by 10 points.

“Last week was very difficult,” Cristobal said. “You saw those conditions. Those were 30-mile-per-hour gusts, and everybody’s all over the guy. He walked into my office like, “I’m good.” I go, “I know you’re good,” you know? And he was just drilling them in practice like he always has.”

Jeremiah Smith, a former star at Chaminade-Madonna who became one of the best players in the nation after choosing Ohio State over Miami, cut the Hurricanes’ lead to three with a 14-yard touchdown catch over the middle early in the fourth quarter.

The Hurricanes made a crucial fourth-quarter stop and got the ball back with 5:56 left in the fourth quarter. Fletcher broke off key runs to keep the clock moving. Running back Marty Brown added key first downs, as well, as Miami moved the ball down the field.

Brown punctuated the final drive with a touchdown run, giving the Hurricanes an insurmountable 10-point lead. Jakobe Thomas clinched the win with an interception on Ohio State’s final play.

“What a helluva game,” Beck said. “What a helluva opportunity that we were able to pull out a win at the end. I’m just so proud of our team and our guys.”

Five takeaways
1. Hurricanes’ dominant pass rush

Miami spent much of the night in the Ohio State backfield. Mesidor and Bain combined for 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in the victory.

Coordinator Corey Hetherman’s defense gave the Buckeyes fits, and Sayin rarely had time to sit in the pocket and target talented wide receivers like Smith and Carnell Tate in the first half.

Ohio State figured out how to handle UM’s pressure in the second half, though. Sayin was sacked twice in the last two quarters.

Miami ended the game with five sacks.

“When you got guys like Rueben Bain and myself and then Ahmad Moten (Sr.) who can rush the passer, it’s really fun,” Mesidor said.

2. Scott is a difference maker

Miami’s defense did well when Scott was hurt, but the first-year Hurricane has been one of the best defensive backs in the nation whenever he has been healthy.

After forcing a turnover and getting two sacks against Texas A&M in the first round, Scott had the play of the game with his 72-yard pick-six. The touchdown gave Miami momentum and a cushion that they needed.

“I could just tell when I first got here, the program was very serious about what they were trying to get done,” Scott said. “You could tell everybody in the room had their eye on one goal. That was something I was super excited to buy into.”

3. The one who got away

Smith said earlier in the week that he was strongly considering becoming a Hurricane the day he signed with Ohio State. Ultimately, he stuck with his long-time commitment to the Buckeyes.

The star receiver had an excellent performance on Wednesday, finishing with seven catches for 157 yards, but it was not enough to carry the Buckeyes to a win.

4. Fletcher gets some early redemption

Fletcher had a heartwarming moment when he comforted freshman Malachi Toney when Toney had a potentially costly fumble against Texas A&M.

Fletcher was the one who fumbled on Wednesday, and his turnover in the red zone may have cost UM points. But Fletcher quickly made up for it, scoring the game’s first touchdown on a 9-yard catch.

“I wouldn’t say deja vu, but it’s football. It happens,” Fletcher said. I couldn’t drop my head. There was no time for that. … It’s all about how you bounce back.”

Fletcher finished the game with 90 rushing yards on 19 carries.

5. Ohio State makes adjustments

The Buckeyes could not do much on offense in the first half, especially on the ground. But Ryan Day and the Ohio State offense figured out how to move the ball in the second half.

After notching minus-3 rushing yards in the first half, the Buckeyes started moving the ball on the ground. Jackson ended the game with 55 yards and a touchdown. Smith came alive in the second half, scoring Ohio State’s second touchdown.

“Just started executing better in the second half. But ultimately, (it) wasn’t good enough,” Sayin said. “Didn’t put up enough points.