01/15/26 12:26:00
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01/15 12:25 CST Carson Beck's college career set to end when Miami faces
Indiana in College Football Playoff finale
Carson Beck's college career set to end when Miami faces Indiana in College
Football Playoff finale
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) --- Carson Beck was only 17 when he enrolled at
Georgia. Just a kid, completely unaware of what the next six years would bring.
Had no idea he'd become a lightning rod for criticism. Had no idea his elbow
would need to be surgically rebuilt. Had no idea that every start, every pass,
every mistake, everything he did was going to be scrutinized.
His college career ends Monday night. He can get the last laugh.
Beck's final game before he turns pro will be for the College Football Playoff
national championship, with he and Miami (13-2, No. 10 CFP) taking on Heisman
Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Indiana (15-0, No. 1 CFP) in a
game to be played on the Hurricanes' home field in Miami Gardens.
"It's been a hell of a ride," Beck said. "And man, there's just been so much
good and so much else that I've went through --- I don't want to necessarily
say it's bad because I wouldn't be in the position I am today if I didn't go
through it. But it has been unbelievable. I wouldn't have changed anything."
He came to Miami for his final season with this in mind, and believing the
Hurricanes had enough to win it all. There were doubters from the start. There
were even more doubters when Miami went 1-2 over a three-game stretch midway
through the season. The Hurricanes are 7-0 since.
"There were people who believed we'd be in this game and they're the people who
are in this building," Beck said. "Even though nobody on the outside thought it
could happen on November 1st after we lost to SMU ... so many people were
saying, ?just another failure of a season for the 'Canes,' all those things.
"We heard it all. We made the decision to finish this thing the right way. And
shoot, we're here."
They're here because he made the last 3:13 of the CFP national semifinal at the
Fiesta Bowl his masterpiece.
Miami had just fallen behind 27-24 to Mississippi with the game, the season,
his college career and likely a good chunk of his legacy on the line. And then
Beck decided the time was right to give a quick speech, the sort that Hollywood
would turn into screenplays.
"Man, this is what we worked for," Beck told his offense going into that
moment. "This is what we live for. This is why you play the game of football.
This is why you come to the University of Miami is for moments like this; to
play in these big games, to have these big moments. Are we going to respond or
are we not? What are we going to do?"
The speech worked.
Beck led Miami on a 15-play, 75-yard march that ate up all but the last 18
seconds of the game. He was 6 for 11 passing on that drive for 49 yards ---
losing what might have been one big completion when star receiver Malachi Toney
made a spectacular leaping grab but came down out of bounds. Beck wasn't trying
to throw to Toney; he was trying to throw to CJ Daniels. Toney just went up and
got it. ("I was like, ?What just happened?'" Beck said.)
Unrattled, the drive continued, Beck found Keelan Marion for gains of 17 and 11
yards to get Miami on the doorstep. And then Beck ran in from 3 yards out for
the winning score after all of his receiver options --- the play was supposed
to be a pass --- were covered.
"Tribute to him, testament to him and his teammates," Miami coach Mario
Cristobal said. "So many different things on that drive that were executed at a
high level. Handful of third downs that were not the easiest in the world. But
elite protection. Elite route running. Contested catches. Being hard to tackle.
... When it comes down to it, the resilience, the toughness --- we just felt
that that game, it just meant more to our guys, and they were going to find a
way to get it done."
Miami works on 2-minute drives all the time. Beck did some extra work on the
way to the stadium for the Fiesta Bowl.
Turns out, traffic might have helped Miami get to the title game. Tom Brady had
a role, too.
Beck usually just listens to music before games, but the bus ride from the
hotel to the Fiesta Bowl was longer than usual. He decided to watch highlight
videos instead --- specifically, ones of Brady's best 2-minute drills from his
NFL career.
"I'll be damned if I'm not sitting there on the sideline and they get in the
end zone," Beck said. "He's the greatest quarterback to ever play, but I mean,
that video kind of gave me confidence and got me calm and cool in the moment to
just go out there and do what I did."
Despite the criticism --- and it has come in bunches at Beck over the years,
with many Georgia fans making clear that they weren't sad to see him leave ---
he usually finds a way to do exactly that, to get it done.
He's 37-5 as a starter. Among quarterbacks at the FBS level who were still
active this season, Beck ranks No. 1 in career wins as a starter (37) and
passing yards (11,493), plus is second behind Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia in
touchdown passes --- Pavia has 88, Beck has 87.
The stats do not matter to Beck, at least not right now. One game for a title.
Go 1-0 this week, as Cristobal always says. Beck's final ride in college has
arrived and he can write the perfect ending to his story.
"I don't know if it's hit me yet, to be honest," Beck said. "I feel like during
the game, or probably when the game starts, it will. It'll be a thought that
crosses my mind. Knowing that it is my last college football game ever and it
being a national championship, what an opportunity. And regardless of what
happens, what a season as well."
___
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