​The former Miami standout defender had a playful moment at Ohio State’s expense during the game’s defining moment. The Miami Hurricanes delivered one of the season’s most surprising upsets by knocking off the defending national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, sending shockwaves through college football. Miami surged ahead early in the second quarter and never relinquished the lead, even as Ohio State mounted a second-half rally from a 14-0 deficit. The Buckeyes couldn’t quite close the gap, and Miami sealed the win with less than a minute remaining.
The play that stood out most came with Miami up 7-0 early in the second period. Julian Sayin connected with Jeremiah Smith for a 60-yard gain, but Ohio State attempted a tunnel screen to Brandon Innis. Miami cornerback Keionte Scott read the play perfectly, jumped the route, and returned it 68 yards for a game-changing touchdown that shifted the momentum decisively in Miami’s favor.
Beyond its strategic impact, Scott’s long return ignited discussion of his sideline celebration. In the end zone, he struck a pose that seemed to mimic the statue of the Jim Thorpe Award Trophy, the accolade awarded to the nation’s top defensive back. Scott, however, did not win the Thorpe Award that year despite being a finalist. The moment also drew attention for his apparent focus on the Ohio State sideline as he sprinted toward the end zone.
Scott later opened up about the episode on the Caps Off Podcast, explaining what happened when he started running the other way with the football. “I’m not going to lie, I blacked out,” he said. “All that was just straight flow state, like, I don’t even know what’s going on. I remember turning and thinking, ‘Oh yeah, it’s on now.’ Because all week I was thinking, ‘I didn’t get the Thorpe Award, but I want it. I want to prove I deserve it.’ So, all week I’m thinking, if I get a chance, I’m hitting that Thorpe trophy pose.”
He continued: “So I pick it off, and I’m looking at the sideline. I just see one of their alumni. I don’t even know who I’m looking at. I don’t remember. I’m looking him dead in the eyes, and he’s looking at me, and I just stick my tongue out. I’m thinking, ‘dumb move.’ Bro, I was just like, ‘yeah, it’s on.’”
Based on Scott’s account, the person he taunted wasn’t a current Buckeye player, nor was it head coach Ryan Day or a member of his staff. And it certainly wasn’t star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who missed the crucial block that sprung the big play and was in pursuit of Scott down the field.
Who that mysterious target in scarlet and gray truly was may never be known, and Ohio State won’t have another chance to exact payback at the time, given Scott’s current status with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by Tampa Bay this past spring, sending him to the professional ranks. If the Buckeyes and Hurricanes meet again in a College Football Playoff setting, the moment could become part of the ongoing rivalry narrative. Until then, the memory of Scott’s 68-yard return and the ensuing taunt remains a talking point for fans evaluating the most memorable plays of that season.