Mario Cristobal called Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. the heart and soul of the Hurricanes among other praise after their 10-3 win at Texas A&M in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday. Fletcher had 17 carries for 173 yards. Miami had 278 total yards.
The 17 carries for Fletcher were his most since he had 23 attempts for 106 yards in a 42-7 win over Stanford on October 25. Entering the CFP game at Texas A&M, Fletcher had 16 carries for 49 yards and a TD in the four previous games.
Fletcher missed the Syracuse and North Carolina State games with injuries. Returning against Virginia Tech on November 23, Fletcher had six carries for 19 yards. A week later in the regular season finale against Pittsburgh, Fletcher had 10 carries for 30 yards and a TD.
Fletcher leads Miami with 158 carries, 857 yards and 10 TDs this season. The production Fletcher has had in 2025 with missing two games does not fully illustrate his value to Miami. Fletcher lost his father suddenly in October 2024 and continued to play for Miami.
Mario Cristobal on Mark Fletcher:
— Will Manso (@WillManso) December 20, 2025
“He is the heart and soul of our football team.”
Fletcher did not miss a Miami game after his father's death. Fletcher's mother was frequently shown in the crowd during the ABC broadcast on the game-winning TD drive for Miami. After the game, Fletcher said, "It's just a blessing. I was at the lowest point of my life and this university just fed everything into me and I just want to get everything I got back."
Canes HC Mario Cristobal, on Mark Fletcher’s effort today:
— Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) December 20, 2025
“It was a tough year for him, losing his father…You know that. He never flinched…he’s the heart and soul…he took over. He took over the ground game…”
Fletcher Jr. has been a significant contributor since he was a freshman in 2023. As one of multiple key players for the Hurricanes from Miami, Fletcher Jr. has helped Cristobal set the program culture. Miami had to win its final four regular-season games to put itself in position for a CFP berth.
Head Coach Mario Cristobal on Mark Fletcher Jr.:
— Sebastian Font (@S_Font_Sports) December 20, 2025
“He makes such a big difference in this team, everything he does is dedicated to the team winning”
“He took over”
Fletcher had five carries for 75 yards on the game-winning drive for Miami. The first carry of the game-winning drive by Fletcher went for 56 yards to set up the Hurricanes at the Texas A&M 30. Miami scored five plays later on an 11-yard shovel pass reception by Malach Toney.
The TD reception by Toney from Carson Beck was the only touch on the drive by someone other than Fletcher. Fletcher's collegiate career will come full circle in the CFP quarterfinal against Ohio State. Fletcher flipped from Ohio State to Miai in the 2023 class.