Carson Beck is coming off a career-defining performance. In the Fiesta Bowl against Ole Miss Rebels, Beck was tasked with leading a game-winning drive that sent the Miami Hurricanes to their first national championship appearance in 23 years.
Beck lived up to the challenge.
Ole Miss took a 27-24 lead with 3:13 remaining, placing the pressure squarely on Beck, who transferred from the Georgia Bulldogs to Miami on a reported $4.3 million NIL deal.
Fifteen plays and 75 yards later, the Hurricanes reclaimed the lead, 31-27, with just 18 seconds remaining. Beck delivered a series of clutch throws to move Miami down the field, but it was his legs that ultimately finished the drive, as he powered in for a 3-yard rushing touchdown to put the Hurricanes ahead for good.
Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson revealed the game-winning play was originally designed as a pass.
“The game-winning TD run from Carson Beck was supposed to be a pass to Malachi Toney, who ran a short route at the goal line. Ole Miss covered it,” Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported. “Dawson has told Beck to run more on scrambles over the last month. ‘Finally, he did it.’”
The Fiesta Bowl wasn’t the only time Beck used his legs this postseason. Throughout Miami’s playoff run, he continuously extended drives with timely scrambles, but none carried more weight than the one against the Rebels.
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Carson Beck Makes Social Media Post After Fiesta Bowl Win
For someone who was once plastered all over social media due to his relationship with influencer and Miami women’s basketball star Hanna Cavinder, Beck has largely kept a low profile this season. That changed days after Miami’s Fiesta Bowl victory.
Beck posted several photos alongside teammates, with most centered on his game-sealing touchdown run. The caption included a not-so-subtle jab at his former conference.
“It just means more.”
The four-word phrase is famously the SEC’s slogan.
It was a pointed shot from the former Georgia quarterback, who spent the early portion of his career in the SEC. Now, in his final season of eligibility playing in the ACC, Beck will make his first career start in a national championship game.
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Beck faced heavy scrutiny following an inconsistent 2024 season at Georgia, with questions surrounding whether he could elevate his game in high-pressure moments. Those doubts appear to have faded.
With Miami set to face the Indiana Hoosiers — a Big Ten Conference program — in the CFP national championship, it marks the third consecutive season an SEC team will be absent from the title game.
“Ole Miss’ semifinal loss means an SEC team will not play in the national title game for a third consecutive season, its longest title-game drought since not playing for a national title from 2000–03,” On3’s Brett McMurphy said.
The struggles extend beyond the playoff. The SEC finished 4-10 in bowl games this season, with Miami accounting for two of those losses in postseason wins over Texas A&M and Ole Miss. Meanwhile, both the ACC and Big Ten posted 9-4 bowl records.
“There’s no way to defend the SEC. It’s been terrible,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said.
If Finebaum is saying it, it must be true, right?
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