'Vindicated' Carson Beck books Miami's home date for CFP title game with legacy-defining final drive

Carson Beck spent a year as one of college football's most scrutinized stars. In the desert, he delivered the moment that rewrote his story and sent Miami to the brink of a national championship

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Carson Beck looked left, he looked right and then he saw a clear path out of the desert and back home.

Nearly one year to the day he surprised the sport -- and irked Georgia fans -- by reneging on the NFL Draft to instead transfer to Miami, the quarterback scrambled three yards into the end zone and scored the decisive touchdown against Ole Miss with 18 seconds remaining in the Fiesta Bowl. The legacy-defining play lifted the Hurricanes into the national championship game for the first time in 24 years.

"Man," Beck said, "what an unbelievable year. It was never easy. It was never perfect. There were a lot of ups and downs. There was a lot of adversity that not only I faced individually, but that we faced as a team."

The Hurricanes (13-2) traversed arguably the most difficult path in the playoffs, defeating three higher-seeded teams to advance to the championship. Their reward? They will be the first team in the 27-year era of the BCS/CFP to play for a national title inside their home stadium. 

"We haven't been home in a long time," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. "We've been on the road for five straight games."

Miami keeps winning because it has proven to be the most physical, violent team remaining in the playoff. The Hurricanes have bullied every opponent in the trenches. On Thursday night, they played keep-away from Ole Miss' high-powered, fast-paced offense -- running 88 plays over 41 minutes, the largest time-of-possession disparity in CFP history. Miami converted a playoff-record 11 third downs, including a critical completion on the final drive, and rushed for 191 yards behind a ferocious offensive line.

Beck led back-to-back, 75-yard touchdown drives to cap the 31-27 win against No. 6 Ole Miss after coming up scoreless on five straight possessions. 

"it almost seems like the tougher it gets, the better we play," Cristobal said. "And it's a testament to them -- to their resilience, and their will."

The last drive? The best. The longest. The most thrilling. A 15-play possession with two crucial third-down conversions, both converted by Beck's arm.

" Those are legendary drives and he's going to go down as a legendary quarterback here in Miami," Hurricanes athletics director Dan Radakovich said.

Beck connected on seven of his final 12 passes for 85 yards after throwing a momentum-changing interception that helped set up a go-ahead Ole Miss touchdown. He fired back with a 36-yard touchdown pass to freshman phenom Malachi Toney and scored again on his game-winning scramble.

"I'm sure a lot of people thought we were screwed there a lot of times. Then again, we've got an absolute game-changer at quarterback," Miami center James Brockermeyer said. "He's the reason we got it done at the end."

Beck has been one of the sport's most hot-button players in recent years, a popular target for critics and rival fans. His path has included an interception-laden final season at Georgia that ended with an injury in the SEC Championship Game and an internet-friendly relationship with Miami women's basketball player Hanna Cavinder that drew headlines and social media attention. Through it all, the quarterback navigated landmines -- some of his own making -- to reach the national championship game for the third time in his career, but for the first time as a starting quarterback.

He sat behind Stetson Bennett as the Bulldogs reached the title game in 2021 and 2022, but couldn't do the same as the starter in 2023 and 2024, raising questions about his leadership and talent. In his final season, he threw 12 interceptions (the most by a Georgia quarterback in 12 years) and his receivers dropped 30 passes, the most in the FBS.

"He should feel vindicated," Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson told CBS Sports. "His record against top-10 opponents is as good as anybody, and he deals with a lot of criticism from a lot of people. He's a little bit misunderstood."

Indeed, the numbers paint the picture of an elite competitor. Beck enters the national championship game 37-5 as a starter, the second-most wins over a three-year period in FBS history. He's an unmatched 16-3 against ranked opponents, which includes seven wins this season, and he has led eight comebacks in the fourth quarter.

"This was his moment and he stepped up," Dawson said, as he watched Beck enjoy a shower of gold confetti inside State Farm Stadium. "Good for him. He deserves it. He silenced a lot of critics, but we've got one more to go."

Indeed, Beck is a popular target, because of his notoriety and his reportedly rich NIL contract ($4 million and potentially $6 million with incentives). No one cried when his luxury vehicle was stolen in the spring. If anything, they made him a punchline. They obsessed over his dating life, poking fun at him when his relationship with Cavinder ended.

Still, Miami coaches and players share stories of a misunderstood superstar, one they admittedly once believed seemed aloof before he arrived in Miami last January.

"He really doesn't care too much about what people say about him," said Toney, who caught five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. "He's about his business."

"There's all these weird narratives about the guy," Brockermeyer said. "You meet him, and you're just like, what the crap are these people talking about? He's an awesome dude, a hell of a competitor, a great teammate and a great friend. I love the guy to death."

Beck absorbed four sacks, but was more willing to run than at any point this season. He finished with minus-6 yards but took off seven times, including the scramble to win the game, his first rushing score since Week 3. Dawson said scrambling has been a point of emphasis for Beck in the playoffs.

Up next is a happy flight home to Miami, and a few more practices at the famed Greentree practice fields in Coral Gables. Miami awaits Indiana or Oregon in the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium.

Funny, three of Miami's five previous national titles were secured by winning games at the Orange Bowl. Now they will try to christen their newer digs with a sixth championship -- thanks in part to a new quarterback, who found acceptance and understanding in South Florida.

"We really banded together and showed that we believe in connection; that we just don't fake it," Beck said. "This team is really a family. If our team really wasn't like that, I don't know if this win happens tonight."