Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson shared his relationship with quarterback Carson Beck and how it led to a change of plans against the Texas A&M Aggies, which set the team up for success to advance in the College Football Playoffs.
The Miami Hurricanes' offense was nearly nonexistent in the first round of the College Football Playoffs against the Texas A&M Aggies. Despite the massive struggles, they left College Station, Texas, with the victory, the final score was 10-3. Freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney scored the game-winning touchdown, the only player from either side to reach the endzone.
However, what saved the Hurricanes' chances was not letting the ball fly, but taking it to the ground. Junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed 17 times for 172 yards. The Miami native carried the program with his legs. He exploded for a 56-yard run in the fourth quarter, which perfectly led to Toney's touchdown.
It took a little longer than it should have for the Hurricanes to adjust the game plan and stick to the run game. Quarterback Carson Beck made it an emphasis to keep it going during the game.
"He's been in a lot of games and he felt like running it right at them was a good way to attack them in the second half," offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. "Conversations with coach [Alex] Mirabel, then obviously, me and Carson would talk and then ultimately, running right at them was the right way to go. We were pushing them around in the middle. I just needed to be patient and stick with that, which is not always easy to do, but it was the right thing to do."
Beck showed true leadership by speaking up about what gave the best chance for the team to win when the offense wasn't going. It also speaks to his experience in the College Football Playoffs throughout his tenure with the Georgia Bulldogs and winning two National Championships.
"Having a level head in those situations is crucial," he added. "It's easy to get impatient and start trying to throw the ball around the yard in a day where it just wasn't working that way. Ultimately, what we had going for us was [that] we could run the football. They had to try to throw it, which turned into a couple of interceptions and erratic passes. Us being able to lean on the run in the second half was really the tail of the tape in the game."
It's going to be crucial for Beck, Fletcher Jr., Toney, and the rest of the offense to click perfectly in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinals against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Hurricanes' defense will always be excellent as it's been all year, but the team can't afford to push its luck again.
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