Everything Miami Quarterback Carson Beck Said Ahead of the Fiesta Bowl

Carson Beck's experience against Ole Miss could prove handy as he prepares for the Fiesta Bowl.

Carson Beck During Miami's Media Day Ahead of the College Football Playoff Semifinals Fiesta Bowl | Jonathan Mouer www.themouer.com

The Miami Hurricanes quarterback play has been up and down this season, but Carson Beck is playing some of his best football over the past two weeks during the College Football Playoff.

Now he prepares for an Ole Miss team that he has some familiarity with thanks to his time in the SEC.

Beck prepares for more than just the defense, however, as he spoke with meida ahead of the semifinal matchup against the Rebels during the Fiesta Bowl Media Day.

Q. How has your OC [Shannon Dawson] assisted you in becoming better?

CARSON BECK: I said this a couple of times. I think the biggest thing that Coach [Shannon] Dawson has helped me with is, A, overcoming adversity but through his demeanor. He's so calm, cool, and collected. He doesn't let anything ever faze him. Even in moments in games where we might have been down or the game might be close, he's just in there looking at the sheet, like, not freaking out, just super chill. And even if I'm over there Oh, my gosh, what's going on? He just brings the whole vibe down. He stays super level, and I really appreciate that from him, and I really tried to take that from him and add it to my game as well.

Q. You had a bunch of drives against Ohio State where you are able to pound the rock and drain the clock and kind of make – I don't want to say make the defense quit, but just kind of suck their souls out. Basically, what is it like in the huddle during those type of drives where you are able to keep pounding it and just keep moving the ball like that?

CARSON BECK: Yeah, the energy is super high. And when you go into those drives, you kind of know what it's gonna be. I mean, that's an identity drive is what I like to call it. I just go in the huddle before, because you know it's coming, and I just – I tell them, yo, we're behind y'all. This whole ride is being behind y'all. We lean on you, and we need to move the ball. Like, that O-line has really been the identity and the heart of this team, the same thing with the D-line. The stretches were so, so important, especially when making these runs and being a good football team. So, again, I just kind of go in the huddle and tell them. We are right behind you. You guys are going to lead this thing, and let's close out this game.

Q. What goes through your mind when you watch them push the pile an extra two or three yards?

CARSON BECK: I would like to go in there too, but I'm not trying to get hurt. I don't know. It's awesome. They have done such a great job this year.

Q. How much familiarity do you have on the players when you were at Georgia?

CARSON BECK: There's some familiarity. I have been playing them last year and the year before. There's a couple of guys that were on the team last year. The same defensive coordinator as well. As I always say, playing teams, year after year after year, even though you have familiarity with what they can do, you know that they will have some type of changeup and curve ball, and a certain look or do something different off the same look. You always have to be prepared for that and go into the game understanding what our game plan is. And at the end of the game, it's about our execution.

Q. Carson, standing this close to you, I can see you have amazing tattoos. Is there one that's motivational or personal to you football-wise or is there one you're thinking about getting?

CARSON BECK: Man, I don't know. I will probably get more tattoos. I think my favorite tattoo is on my chest. It's one of my best friends that passed away in high school. He passed away in a car accident. We played basketball growing up together. That was actually my first tattoo. It's one of my most meaningful ones, and just a reminder of how precious life is and is always a reminder that it can be taken away from you at any moment.

Q. Carson, last week, Ole Miss, the D-line had a great success in getting Gunner Stockton out of the pocket.

CARSON BECK: Yeah, I think first and foremost, me getting the protections right with a lot of simulated pressure they do and trying to eat up your back and get one-on-one match-ups. And obviously, that's a scheme thing. So just being prepared for that and understand what they are trying to do as a defense against us is a huge thing. I have to protect myself first, and then getting the ball out quickly, that's a huge thing as well. Not holding onto the ball and creating my own pressures. That can be something where they create a pressure when they drop back into zone and try to spread the field. A lot of that comes down to me and understanding what they are trying to do and understanding myself.

Q. You played with Georgia last year. Now when you look at that film, does it make it easier to break down the film, knowing how that offense works and your familiarity with this defense?

CARSON BECK: Yeah, to an extent. I think watching the Georgia vs. Ole Miss game, the Sugar Bowl, and the game they played in the regular season, it's kind of weird to watch the film and be like, oh, this is, blah, blah, blah. And obviously, I remember all the lingo from the Georgia offense. It does make it a little bit easier to break down and understand how they were trying to attack them.

Q. Carson, I know you are a believer in Christ. What has God taught you this year through the ups and downs. I saw that you feel misunderstood sometimes. How has God kept you being yourself and staying the course through all the ups and downs?

CARSON BECK: I think throughout this year, the biggest thing that God has taught me is just to trust in him and his plan. And although I might not understand what the end of all of this might look like, is that his plan will come into fruition, no matter what I might be in, in the moment. And obviously, that can be hard when back in March, I'm sitting there and I'm in a brace, and I'm going through rehab, and I can't throw a football yet, and I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know what the season will look like. There's so many question marks and unknowns. It's in those moments that you have to lean into that the most. Even with that, things aren't going to be perfect. Things aren't ever going to be perfect, and continuing to lean into that and focusing on my identity in Christ and my faith is something that has really pushed me through. It's got me through everything that I've been through.

Q. Carson, what have you made of and how helpful has it been to see previous generations of Miami players support this current team the way that they have?

CARSON BECK: Yeah, it's awesome. And having them on the sideline is honestly one of the coolest things. I will tell a little story. I said this in my media bit earlier this week. We were sitting there, and the defense was on the field. It was probably eight minutes left in the game against Ohio State this past week, and I was sitting on the opposite side, just watching. They were down on the far side, and I looked to my left, and it was Ray Lewis sitting right next to me on the sideline. I took a double take. I was like, oh, my God, that's literally Ray Lewis. He was, like, hey, I never introduced myself. I was, like, dude, you don't need an introduction. He's, like, go win us the game. I was, like, well, shoot, we gotta win the game now! It's awesome. It brings a lot of interest to see the guys with the legacies that someone like him has, come to our games and support us and just trying to continue to keep The U what it is and what it was and continue to build on that culture.

Q. At what point did you realize that that was the level of tradition that you were stepping into when you came here?

CARSON BECK: From the jump. You see all the names in the practice facility, and you see the legacy that so many have left and the culture that they built. And, again, that was our goal, this year, heading into this year is to get back to that.

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