Carson Beck threw for 103 yards, but he protected the ball, trusted the run game and watched the Hurricanes' defense strangle Texas A&M in a 10-3 College Football Playoff first-round win. Afterward, Beck kept coming back to the environment, the physicality and how much it meant to get a playoff win on the road.
Carson Beck after Miami's first-ever CFP win
"Obviously an amazing feeling to be able to come into this environment and play against a really, really talented team with really, really good coaches. They had really good scheme, really good players. To be able to come in here and come out with a win, not only a win on the road but a playoff win on the road, it means everything to us and this team, and especially me."Carson Beck
Beck finished 14 of 20 with one touchdown and no interceptions, but the Hurricanes ran for enough to control the biggest moments, with Mark Fletcher Jr. ripping the Aggies for a career-high 172 yards on 17 carries.
With the game tied 3-3 late in the fourth quarter, Fletcher broke a 56-yard run on the first play of Miami's last possession, instantly changing the game. Four more Fletcher carries pushed Miami into position, and Beck gave the ball to Malachi Toney for an 11-yard touchdown to put Miami ahead for good.
"It was grind it out, playing against a really physical defense. We're a really physical offense. When you're playing smashmouth football, at the end of the day, at some point one side is either going to continue to push and push and push and then it just breaks open, and that's what we were able to do on that last drive, and then obviously Malachi was able to make the play to get it in the end zone, and then defense does their job and gets the stop and closes it out. I thought we played really good complementary football today and just stayed the course and just played super physical."Carson Beck
On the previous possession, Malachi Toney fumbled near midfield, a moment that could have sunk Miami. Instead, Miami went right back to him for the game's only touchdown.
Beck also gave a clear picture of what Texas A&M was trying to do defensively, and why Miami accepted the ugly version of the game.
"They honestly stayed in a two-high shell for most of the game. There was a lot of quarters, and again, you have D-linemen like that, you have linebackers like that, a front seven that are really talented and can create different holes and gaps and things of that sort with their scheme, it can be difficult to throw the ball down the field. I think we had like one or two one-on-one shots that I missed that I could have given them better balls. But at the end of the day, if they wanted to play like that, then shoot, we're going to hand the ball off. Mark Fletcher has an unbelievable game. We have an unbelievable offensive line. Shoot, we're behind them — I've said that this whole entire season; they lead the way, and today they did."Carson Beck
That decision, and the confidence behind it, is why Fletcher's performance was more than just what we saw on the field. Beck said Fletcher was one of the first teammates to introduce himself when Beck arrived in January, and one of the first guys he "clicked with."
"From the jump since I've been at Miami, since January, he's one of the first guys that really came up to me, introduced himself. Not only that, but one of the first guys that I really clicked with and really meshed with. He's one of my best friends on the team. We constantly have conversations almost every single day all the way from January, February, about our goals, about what we want to do with this season and this team. To be able to see him have that much success today, it's very expected, obviously, seeing the way that he works each and every day, day in and day out, to be able to go out there and execute the way that he did, it's expected, and again, I’m super happy for him to watch him be able to do that."Carson Beck
The Hurricanes will face No. 2 seed Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic quarterfinal on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.