As the Miami Hurricanes prepare to step on the biggest stage of college football, Mario Cristobal has full confidence in Carson Beck, who has been there before.
The Miami Hurricanes had time for excitement and celebration, but now the task is at hand, preparing to face the Texas A&M Aggies, who finished the regular season tied for the most sacks in the nation, 41, alongside the Oklahoma Sooners. It will be crucial for the protection of Carson Beck to let him get into rhythm and have a chance at a run towards the championship.
On the Pat McAfee show, Mario Cristobal believes the 23-year-old is playing his best football of the year.
"Quite honestly, [Beck's] fully healthy now," he said. "He was healthy going into the season, but not at this level. That arm is strong now. He's slinging it. He's really comfortable in our offense and it led to an awesome November."
In the last four games of the regular season, the redshirt senior completed 89 of 112 passes, 79.5 percent, for 1,125 yards, recording 11 touchdowns and one meaningless interception. It was an outstanding stretch, which was necessary for the Hurricanes to have a chance of making the College Football Playoffs, after originally sitting on the outside looking in. Despite all the adversity, controversy, and debates, the program caught a Hail Mary and cracked the 12-team bracket.
Beck has experience on this stage, given his tenure with the Georgia Bulldogs, being the backup when the program won two National Championships. He led them back into the postseason as a starter in 2024 before suffering a UCL injury in the SEC championship game, which then required surgical repair.
The Hurricanes have an opportunity to continue making history, with Beck at the helm of it. They have momentum on their side, especially in the fashion in which the team closed the regular season.
Aggies' Mike Elko also issued the importance of getting Beck out of rhythm.
"Not a lot of teams have been successful doing that, he said. "You have to go to work and come up with a good plan on how to try to create a little bit of indecision for him and at least try to muddy the waters a little bit as best we can."
Beck has tremendous talent surrounding him in Malachi Toney, Mark Fletcher Jr., Keelan Marion, CJ Daniels, and many others who have stepped up massively when the Hurricanes were battling injuries.
A big test is approaching, but Cristobal surely believes this group has enough to get the job done.
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