CORAL GABLES, Fla.—The palm trees sway a little different for the Miami Hurricanes this season. For the first time in a long time, the Hurricanes already have their quarterback question answered. After Cam Ward was drafted to the Titans, the quarterback position became the topic of discussion.
Carson Beck now takes over and I believe this to be a beneficial move for the program, and himself. It’s important to note that Beck is already polished, so he possess a different level of skill. This lines up with what the Hurricanes want to do, win and keep winning. A fresh start in a new conference sounds good to me.
By the Numbers
Beck has had some inconsistencies in his career, which I’ll go into detail about shortly. However, I have to give credit where credit is due. The numbers always tell a story. Here’s a look at what he’s done thus far.
- 24-3 as a starter. He’s a proven winner, no matter what anyone tries to say about him. I don’t think people understand how difficult it is to win on the college level.
- 7,912 passing yards
- 58 passing touchdowns, 20 interceptions: This equals out to a ratio of 2.9, often seen as good, so he knows how to take care of the ball.
- 2023 stats: 72.4 percent, 3,941 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions and 4 rushing touchdowns: This was his last full season at Georgia prior to injury and surgery.
At Georgia Beck was their guy who led the charge. He was more than a game manger. In fact, he was the key piece to the Bulldogs’ offense. When he got hot, there was little the defense could do. Overall, he seemed like a guy who remained poised, had notable timing and good efficiency in arguably the toughest conference in college football. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Beck an elite passer rating, and noted that his efficiency with clean pocket throws and intermediate accuracy was top notch. This is what Miami wants in its starting quarterback—a winner. Ward did it and Beck will do it as well.
More Sports News
Moving On
When I think about the top level of college football, I think about the SEC and teams like Georgia and LSU. People want to know, why would a starting SEC quarterback just leave like that. Was it the control of the offense? Was it the right pieces being in place? Could it have been due to a personal matter? Beck is on a redemption mission. In a recent press conference, he was straight to the point about his decision to leave.
“Everything has a shelf life, and I think the shelf life there (at Georgia) was over, and it was just time to start something new, to get into a new program, to start a new chapter of my life, my career,” Beck said. “I think the biggest thing for me, obviously, was the offensive fit (at Miami). As a quarterback, the OC, the scheme, the talent and guys that you’re going to have around you is huge to the success and ultimately, the future A, of a quarterback, but of me. This is my future and I think this decision is one of the better decisions I’ve made.
“Since I’ve been in here in January and developing the relationships and building the chemistry with me, the wide receivers, the running backs, the tight ends, the o-line,” he said. “Just trying to develop those relationships and that camaraderie, it just reinforced my decision in a positive way. I’m really excited to keep working with these guys.”
To sum this statement up, it was time to start fresh somewhere else. Sometimes the good things do come to an end.
Expectations for Beck
Beck has inherited a golden opportunity with the Hurricanes. They have a staff who’s proven and wants to win for a very long time. This is the chance for Beck to control his destiny and draft stock. If he can stay healthy, and everything clicks, I can see these numbers being very realistic for Beck:
- 4,000 passing yards or more
- 35 passing touchdowns or more
- ACC Championship game appearance
- Heisman Trophy Finalist
- Day one, round one NFL Draft pick
Overcoming Slow Starts
The two things that gave Beck a bad look was slow starts and turnovers. There were some games where he would throw multiple interceptions, often having his decision-making questioned. To me, interceptions happen, but it’s important to understand that there is a reason for every single turnover. These reasons can include players being out of position, the quarterback making a bad read, the quarterback forcing a throw that isn’t there or the ball bouncing off of the hands of a receiver. These are all real situations that happen in the game of football.
Unless you were his offensive coordinator or head coach, you will never know why the turnovers happened. I think having short-term memory will be his best friend. I wouldn’t worry about his ability to do his job. As far as slow starts, football is a team game, so although the quarterback is the one to catch the blame or the good job comments, you win and lose as one unit. I’d encourage Beck to be more vocal and communicate to combat this.
Franchise QB
I like what the Hurricanes have in place. From the line, all the way down to the team managers and in-house staff, they are in great position to win some big games. This was the perfect move for Beck. Who can blame him for wanting to set himself up for success? Beck will put himself in great position to be a franchise-leading quarterback at the next level.
