Carson Beck's college career concludes with heartbreaking interception in CFP title game on pass his receiver never saw
- - Carson Beck's college career concludes with heartbreaking interception in CFP title game on pass his receiver never saw
Jason Owens January 20, 2026 at 1:27 AM
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Carson Beck will have plenty of fond memories to look back on from his college football career.
But it ended Monday in heartbreak.
With a chance to lead Miami on a drive for its sixth national championship, Beck threw an interception that sealed Indiana's fate. His intended target on the play, Keelan Marion, never saw the ball in the air.
With the clock ticking under two minutes, Miami's defense held Indiana to a field goal that gave the Hoosiers a 27-21 lead. Beck then led the offense onto the field with 1:42 remaining, in need of a touchdown that could seal a national title on Miami's home field.
Roughing penalty helps Miami advance to IU territory
Miami overcame a delay-of-game penalty with a pair of first downs that put them over midfield. The first first down of the drive arrived courtesy of a roughing-the-passer penalty that resulted in the back of Beck's head hitting the turf.
With the Hurricanes facing first-and-10 at the Indiana 41, Beck decided to go for it all with 51 seconds remaining. Marion ran a go route down the left sideline, facing man coverage from cornerback Jamari Sharpe and safety help over the top.
Beck launched a deep ball that never stood a chance.
jamari sharpe game sealing interception; miami vs indiana pic.twitter.com/ceKYojVw14
— ◇ (@F0RGIAT0) January 20, 2026
The ball was short and thrown into double coverage. Sharpe pinpointed it for an interception at the 15-yard line as Marion continued to run toward the end zone.
With Miami out of timeouts, all that was left for the Hoosiers to clinch the national championship was to run out the clock. They did just that for a 27-21 win.
Beck will finish his college career with two national championships as a backup at Georgia, but none as a starter.
Beck talks late hit, fateful interception
The turnover was the first of the night for either team on a night when Beck completed 19-of-32 passes for 232 yards with 1 touchdown and the late interception.
Beck was asked after the game how he was feeling on the last drive after the roughing-the-passer hit.
"My ears are ringing," Beck said, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Beck also spoke with reporters about the game-sealing interception.
Here’s Carson Beck explaining the final interception. pic.twitter.com/COIrwqYO4C
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) January 20, 2026
"The guy made a really good play," Beck said. "They were in cover 2 and he sunk with no flat threat, made a really good play on the ball.
"So again, a lot of credit to them and their defense. They played really, really well tonight."
Marion, in tears, says he never saw the ball
Per Thamel, Marion was in tears in the postgame locker room with a towel over his head. He said the interception was his "mistake" and that he didn't realize that Beck had thrown the pass.
"I didn't even know he had threw the ball," Marion said. ... “I got to look for the ball and make that play for him. So that's all on me.”
Here's a look at the Marion's route from the sideline near the end zone. Marion didn't look back for the ball until he crossed the 20-yard line after Sharpe had made his break. By then, it was too late.
I see what Carson Beck saw here. Why is Keelan Marion running with his head down? I really don’t understand. pic.twitter.com/XopqjBbpVp
— Miami Hurricanes 2026 National Champs 🏆 (@nijayforeverlit) January 20, 2026
Beck's long college career comes to an end
The interception concludes a college career for Beck that started at Georgia in 2020 and featured five seasons including a redshirt campaign with the Bulldogs before he utilized his extra COVID-19 season to transfer to Miami.
Beck's teams lost just six games that he started over his college career. And Monday night's loss ended like four of those six did.
A complicated legacy:Carson Back lost just six games in his college career.In four of them, the final offensive play was a Beck INT with a chance to win the game.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) January 20, 2026
Miami didn't win the ACC with Beck at quarterback, but was granted a controversial berth in the College Football Playoff. Beck and the Hurricanes ultimately proved the selection committee correct by winning three playoff games to advance to Monday's championship game.
They had a chance at the end to upset a historic Indiana team that surged to the top of college football with dominant units on both sides of the ball following decades of irrelevance.
It's a lot to be proud of. But it's not likely to soothe the pain of how Monday's championship game was lost at the end.
Source: “AOL Sports”
