In a game that warranted nothing but the best, Miami showed up with troubling flaws. Carson Beck and the Hurricanes’ offense were a big bummer as they allowed the dominant Indiana offense to capitalize on their lapses. But there were moments in the ill-fated National Championship game where Beck impressed as a Georgia alum came in his defense.

The constant pressure from the defense forced Carson Beck into incompletions, signaling a 2024 version of himself. However, it was also he who finally brought some rhythm to the struggling unit.

“They’re 0-for-6 on third downs going into the second half, former Bulldogs QB David Pollack said on the January 19 episode of See Ball Get Ball.

Carson makes that scramble play to Daniels. That was an elite play by Carson Beck. Like what he does poorly is a lot of times if he’s going to evade the pocket, he’ll leave it too fast and get chased down. He did a good job of starting to leave the pocket, but then stopped, used his guys. Daniels’ scramble drill was amazing.”

Many Georgia fans will celebrate with Indiana, rubbing salt in the wounds of their former quarterback. One of the keys for Miami to win this game was to get things going early, and that’s exactly where it failed. The Hurricanes totaled only 18 yards in the first half, thanks to the offense failing repeatedly on third-down conversions.

Miami needed to do some damage control after the embarrassing blocked punt that Indiana took for a touchdown. With a little over three minutes left until halftime, Beck, who was thankfully well-protected by the O-line, lagged a little before moving right and found CJ Daniels at Indiana’s 40-yard line.

With a 5-yard burst from the WR, this play brought a 25-yard gain and was technically Miami’s first successful big play.

Miami’s struggles on third downs were surprising, given its success in the Fiesta Bowl. The Hurricanes converted 11 of 19 attempts, but only 3 of 8 against the Hoosiers. Moreover, the Indiana defense was a nightmare for Beck in the first half, limiting him to short-yardage throws to Malachi Toney. Without a surprise, the Hurricanes missed a field goal they attempted on that drive.

In hindsight, Carson Beck’s National Championship performance seems eerily similar to the Georgia vs Alabama game in 2024. The QB struggled in the first half, just as he did against Indiana. Escaping the pocket once again became difficult for him, like it was when he was a Bulldog. He then fought back valiantly in the second half, bringing both Georgia and Miami a down shy of defeating their opponents.

He might have even been able to pull them off, had he not ill-planned those fatal interceptions in the final few moments. This Carson Beck was no stranger to Georgia fans.

Beck has already accepted his fault for the Indiana pick, but receiver Keelan Marion also admitted to having a hand in that mistake.

Keelan Marion accepts blame for Carson Beck’s interception

Miami came to life in the second half, pressuring Fernando Mendoza immensely in the 3 quarter. The Hurricanes’ offense still had a shot at glory in the 4th quarter, with the clock showing barely a minute left and the score at 27-21. Miami was on Indiana’s 41-yard line, and Carson Beck knew what he had to do. He went elbows out, but didn’t quite judge his throw.

What could have been a massive TD pass became a fatal interception, as the ball found IU’s Jamari Sharpe instead of Keelon Marion. Turns out, the WR was caught off guard.

“It probably was just a miscommunication. I didn’t even know he threw the ball,” a tearful Marion said after the game. “I got to look for the ball and make that play for him. It was all on me.”

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Keelon Marion had emerged as one of Beck’s most favorite targets during the 2025 season. Entering the game, he was the 2 leader among Miami’s receivers, with 57 catches for 746 yards.

If he had caught it and evaded Sharpe and safety Amare Ferrell in a run to the end zone, Miami would at least have a shot at bringing home a win by tying the score at 27 and could hit the try to win.

Notably, the Hurricanes made too many mistakes in the first half, and also faltered here and there in the second. Whatever Carson Beck did to salvage the damage fell short, as Miami could never extend a lead over Indiana. Beck has done a lot to be proud of in the 2025 season, but he succumbed to the pressure at the most critical moments.