New Miami quarterback Carson Beck will run through the smoke at Hard Rock Stadium for the first on Sunday night as he and the No. 10 Hurricanes face No. 6 Notre Dame. But for the veteran quarterback, it’s business as usual.
“Honestly, I’ve played in a lot of football games,” Beck said Wednesday. “Me, as well as a lot of my other teammates, we’ve played in a lot of big games. Me, personally, obviously, speaking on my experiences, I’ve walked in on the road against the No. 1 team in the country. I’ve gone on the road against top-10 teams multiple times in my career. It’s just another football game. It’s another opportunity to go compete, another opportunity to go have fun and enjoy playing with my brothers, playing with my teammates, and ultimately, getting to finally show what we’re capable of.”
Beck, the former Georiga starter, is excited for his first start at UM, but he is not letting the moment get to him.
“I’m super excited,” Beck said. “And it’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity to go out on a football field and play the game I love. And now for it to be here at The U with these guys that obviously I’ve become really close with over the past eight months, it’s an opportunity that you don’t get many of them, right? Guaranteed we have 12 of these opportunities, and you work the rest of the year for those 12 opportunities. So you never take them for granted.”
The Hurricanes’ hopes for the 2025 season rest largely on Beck’s shoulders. He came to Miami after two seasons as the Bulldogs’ starter, accumulating a 24-3 record. But his Georgia career ended with a win in the 2024 SEC title game; during the game, he suffered an elbow injury that knocked him out for the College Football Playoff.
Instead of entering the NFL draft, Beck opted to transfer, and he picked Miami. After undergoing elbow surgery, he was involved as he could be without throwing during spring practice. Beck started throwing soon after spring camp ended and entered fall practices healthy. After about a month of practice, he said he feels as good as ever.
“I feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been,” Beck said. “I’m in a great mindset, mentality. The guys around me have been working their tails off, and we’ve all been working really hard together. So again, I’m really excited for the opportunity to just go out and compete. But I feel like I’m in a great spot mentally, physically and just all around.”
Beck said he spent fall practices getting into a rhythm and making sure he was fully integrated as one of the team’s leaders.
“The biggest thing is just being consistent,” Beck said. “Just showing up and really being the same person each and every day, whether that’s off the field on the field. How I’m able to be a leader and just being the guy that everyone else around me needs. That was my biggest thing because the physical part takes care of itself.
“I’ve been throwing a football forever, and football’s football. The timing is going to be the same, the coverages are going to be the same, the blitzes are going to be the same. It’s all the same stuff, which being consistent in that and not getting tired of simplicity.”
Given his experience, Beck is unlikely to be rattled when he plays Notre Dame on Sunday night. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said Beck stays even-keeled.
“He knows he’s got a lot to prove, and he’s also proved a lot, if that makes sense,” Dawson said. “And I don’t think a lot of that gets talked about, but he’s played a lot of football. He’s played in big games. That’s nothing new for him. … Now, is there a fire? You’re damn right there’s a fire and, and that comes out, obviously, when me and him are having our talks.”
Said Beck: “It’s just another football game, right? That’s the motto, that’s the mindset, and it’s another opportunity for us to compete. It’s the first game. Everyone’s super excited, super pumped. And we’re ready for the challenge.”
