Miami QB Carson Beck has revived his career post-Georgia transfer, leading the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff semifinals. His tremendous run this season can be attributed to defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman’s dominant unit. Ahead of the Fiesta Bowl clash with Ole Miss, Beck opened up about his season and the benefits of working under Hetherman.

Beck had to make a complete 180 from what the 2024 season was for him in 2025 if he wanted to bow out as a memorable player. He took a leap of faith coming to Miami, which had once again missed out on a spot in the playoffs. But thanks to Mario Cristobal’s genius, Beck has returned to respectable form, barraging through offenses in its playoff run. He credited his efficiency as a QB to Hetherman, who sharpened his skills through unfamiliar challenges.

“It’s not a defense that I’ve seen a ton,” Beck told reporters on January 6. “In the SEC, a lot of the defenses can be similar and repetitive, as far as pressures and coverages. It’s a lot of match coverage, and that’s why a lot of people are usually covered, and defenses are very well coached. But what Corey Hetherman does is very different. It’s something that I haven’t really studied a lot. So, getting to go up against them every single day has made me a lot better as a quarterback.”

Meanwhile, Kirby Smart comes from a defensive background, and defense is Georgia’s brand. But this side of the ball took its share of hits along with the Dawgs’ offense in 2024. Glenn Schumann’s signature is a combination of the 4-man front, blitz schemes, and zonal coverage (Cover 4). These make for a steady pass rush with blitzes concealed from offenses. Schumann also relies on the secondary to make a mark.

At Miami, things are different with first-time defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. He runs a strategy called ‘ESV.’ It stands for playing with excitement, swarming the ball, and playing with violence. Miami has been nailing all three areas during this part of the season.

Hetherman particularly focuses on getting turnovers and pressuring the quarterbacks. The duo of Rueben Bain Jr. and Ahkeem Mesidor has helped the defense lead the country in sacks. The DC runs a 4-2-5 defense. He brings in blitzes early in the game, and the coverages account for almost all players on the offense. Hetherman’s defense can get around the pocket and then to the QB. His goal is always to deploy an “attacking defense” that only gets “vertical.”

Beck, at the ACC Kickoff, mentioned that the difference between ACC and SEC defenses was in the defensive coordinator. He’s worked with both Glenn Schumann and Corey Hetherman, who also had to work on turning around their respective defenses. Schumann actually had it easier than Hetherman, the latter having to deal with a weird mix of old and new players.

Beck will now face a team that gashed up Georgia’s defense in the Sugar Bowl. He is not a better quarterback than Trinidad Chambliss. But thanks to the Hurricane defense, Beck simply has to do what has worked for him all season: play error-free football and just put points on the board. The defense will do the rest, unlike Georgia’s unit, whose Sugar Bowl collapse against Ole Miss revealed a rebuild that never fully gelled.

Ole Miss’s upset win over Georgia proved that Carson Beck made the right choice

Georgia lost the Sugar Bowl largely due to offensive mistakes, but the defense was also at fault. The loss was even more disappointing because the Dawgs had silenced the Rebels in the regular season. In the rematch, Chambliss and the offense came guns blazing. The QB just could not be sacked by the defense. The pass rush was also a no-show, having lost a lot of players before the game.

The defense was able to hold on to its reputation entering the game because of the jump in results from November onwards. The sacks were coming in, and the opponent’s points were getting fewer. But Glenn Schumann loosened his grip on it at the Sugar Bowl. He tried to stop that explosive offense with too many blitzes, but Mississippi was simply better.

Georgia, once again, has to work its way back up as a defensive threat in college football. Carson Beck suffered the first dip in 2024, and Gunner Stockton went through a similar fate in 2025. Nevertheless, Beck desperately needed the change, and he seems to be enjoying every upside that Coral Gables is giving him.

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