Photo Special: A different vantage point of the National Championship Game

Behind the scenes of title game.

MIAMI — There were a lot of people on the sideline at Hard Rock Stadium during the College Football Playoff championship game on Monday. Naji Saker, my photographer, jockeyed for position and a good camera angle as Indiana was driving for a critical fourth-quarter touchdown.

Saker captured the 12-yard TD run by Hoosiers’ quarterback Fernando Mendoza in an epic way, photographing the entire dive sequence. Watch a video of every frame of ‘the dive’ that Saker captured with his camera here:

Indiana beat Miami, 27-21.

I asked Saker how that photo sequence unfolded.

“The prime spots on the field are the corner end zone spots,” he told me. “I got myself in the corner so that if someone dove for the pylon I would have had an amazing dive shot. Once Mendoza started running, you could see him picking up speed. The way he was leaning, I could tell he wasn’t going to slide. Then, all of a sudden, I was like ‘Holy smokes, he’s going to dive.’ I knew in that moment it was the shot of the game.”

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Saker used a Nikon Z9 camera to capture the sequence. He was using 3D tracking on the camera, that locked in on Mendoza from the start of the play.

Did he immediately know he got the shot?

“I knew I’d framed it well,” Saker told me. “But I looked and checked it really quick as they were lining up for the ensuing kickoff. I was like ‘Sweet. I didn’t cut his head off.’”

I’ll posted the video of the entire sequence of that play on Instagram and TikTok. Saker’s photo gallery from the championship game is worth your time:

Mark Cuban, DJ Khaled, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady, and President Trump were all the game. (Photos: Naki Saker)

Saker also captured a candid photo of former Miami linebacker Ray Lewis on the sideline. Saker said: “Ray Lewis was just pacing the sideline the whole game. I kept trying to get a shot of him between plays but he was always in movement. He eventually takes this position, where puts his hands on his knees for about half a second during a play. I turned and got the shot.”

Ray Lewis on the sideline at the CFP title game. (Photo: Naji Saker)

Indiana blocked a punt and recovered for a TD.

Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. runs for a TD.

Indiana sealed the game with an interception.

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