Mark Fletcher Jr. led the Miami Hurricanes with his legs and heart against the Texas A&M Aggies in the College Football Playoffs.
The Miami Hurricanes continue to write program after a gutty victory over the Texas A&M Aggies, with a final score of 10-3. Both offenses struggled for the majority of the game, but the only one to find tremendous success on the field was running back Mark Fletcher Jr. The junior rushed 17 times for 172 yards.
However, it was the fourth quarter when the 21-year-old carried the team on his shoulders. On first and 10, he found a massive gap at the line of scrimmage and ran down 56 yards, fighting for every inch. After being brought down, the Hurricanes would soon score the game-winning touchdown by wide receiver Malachi Toney. Without the strength and legs of the Miami native, it would've been a much uglier game.
"I just told the [offensive] line, wide receivers, and tight ends to just put a hat on somebody," Fletcher Jr. said. "I'm going to handle the rest and that's the reason it opened up like that."
The former four-star recruit originally planned to join the Ohio State Buckeyes, even committed on April 12th, 2022; however, family played a role in his change of plans to instead join the Hurricanes. Last year, his father, Mark Fletcher Sr., passed away. The program, from top to bottom, supported him through difficult times.
The star running back felt the presence of his late father as the Hurricanes advanced to the Cotton Bowl quarterfinals.
"I think about him every single day, every second," he added. "That's what drives me. I told other people that I had to switch my mindset about how I would think about him. I would think about him and get sad, even cry, before some games. That's not how he would want me to play this beautiful game of football."
Fletcher Jr. wasn't only impactful on the field, but on the sidelines. Before Toney reached the end zone, he fumbled on the previous drive and his frustrations were visible. The junior was the first to pick up his confidence.
"For a second, I saw his head drop down," Fletcher Jr. said. "I immediately rushed to him and said, 'Man, God is putting you through some adversity right now. That's it. It's just a little adversity. You see all that time we got on that clock. Let's go win this thing, and look at God."
The Hurricane will prepare to face the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinals. Fletcher Jr. played a massive role in the program's rebuild and it's finally panning out. The next round of the College Football Playoffs will be on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31st, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.
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