Well, Mario Cristobal stepped into the fire since the moment he joined Miami, but never flinched. He inherited a tough situation after replacing Manny Diaz, facing intense criticism in 2023, particularly for a costly clock-management mistake against Georgia Tech that derailed Miami’s season, ending at a 7-6 record. But last season, Cristobal flipped the script, leading the Hurricanes to a strong 10-3 finish with Cam Ward. With Ward now in the NFL and a new quarterback taking up the charge, it raises concerns. And on top of that, their season opener is against last year’s national runner-up, Notre Dame, which only heightens the pressure. Yet Cristobal thrives under scrutiny; he welcomes the challenge and dares the storm to break.
Look, Mario Cristobal’s team is going to face some tough games this season. With teams like SMU, Florida Gators, Syracuse, and Louisville, their season run is already under scrutiny. However, Marcus Freeman’s ND is the one making the most noise. But when ESPN College Football’s Greg McElroy asked Coach Cristobal how their season opener might affect their summer camp, the Miami HC didn’t mince words. “You know I don’t think the regimen itself would not change, would never change, because we make it as challenging as we can while being smart, right, making sure that we are getting better and that we, in all aspects, tangibly and intangibly,” said Cristobal, making it clear that they aren’t afraid of Freeman’s team.
He further makes it clear that he doesn’t want the team obsessing over their game against Notre Dame and tries to downplay the entire hype, stating, “I think everyone in the world knows who we’re playing game one, so there really isn’t a focal point as we enter the offseason program now. It’s not a focal point as we enter our OTAs, our player practices. Obviously, as a staff, you’re always breaking down your opponents, and you’re very well aware of how prominent and how successful and how elite some of the teams are that we played, you know, this season.”
So, for now, Mario Cristobal’s master plan for winning against Notre Dame is just blood, sweat, and sprints. “But it’s something that you won’t be hearing in meetings, you won’t be seeing attention you know gravitated towards by us by as a staff, that’s the players know that you know that man you played, you know what’s up. And so I mean that’s what you come to Miami for and that’s why you played college football for is to test yourself against the very best and come two weeks out all attention will be on on Notre Dame but between now and then man it’s all about Miami getting better getting tougher getting in the best shape we could possibly be,” Cristobal said.
But even though Mario Cristobal isn’t afraid to face Marcus Freeman’s team without hesitation, Joe DeLeone highlighted Notre Dame’s key advantage: their experience. That pressure feels different under the bright lights, with the whole country watching. DeLeone said:
“I heavily lean in favor of Notre Dame, though, because Notre Dame returns a lot of key players in their secondary. Return Leonard Moore, they return Adon Shuler, they return Christian Gray. You have a feeling-out period that needs to happen. You do not have an FCS opponent. And you do not have a G5 opponent to figure out that feeling-out period of a new quarterback, who was mistake-prone last year, coming off of an elbow injury. Like, I think that, that is going to be the biggest, biggest factor in this game—why Notre Dame can win it.”
That’s really not something Cristobal would want to hear. But let’s just not sleep on that as the team’s underrated playmaker is finally steeping up to take the charge.
Mario Cristobal’s bold step to revive Carson Beck’s shaky past
Riding high after Miami’s 10-3 season and Cam Ward’s top NFL draft pick, Mario Cristobal is aggressively bolstering his team. He spent $5 million on Jackson Cantwell and snagged Xavier Lucas from Wisconsin before he even entered the transfer portal. His boldest move? A $4 million signing of Carson Beck. While the price raised eyebrows, so did Beck’s injury history.
Credits – Imago
A UCL injury against Texas cut short his stellar 2024 season, fueling significant doubt. Despite missing spring practice to rehab his throwing arm, coaches are enthusiastic. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson lauded Beck’s “football IQ,” and Cristobal declared his recovery “ahead of schedule.” However, skepticism remains. Greg McElroy questioned the signing on ESPN, prompting Cristobal to finally explain the logic behind the deal.
And Mario Cristobal made it clear: Beck fits the system pretty well. “We feel we can protect him really well, and we feel what we do offensively. So much of our stuff is NFL-oriented as it relates to protections, our play-action game, our quick game, and intermediate stuff. He fits it perfectly. He’s going to be surrounded by some really talented, skilled guys as well.” Cristobal contends Georgia’s porous offensive line left Beck vulnerable. The numbers support this—Beck threw for 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns but saw a dip in efficiency compared to 2023 as he threw 12 picks, which was just 6 before last season. But let’s not forget Georgia’s receiving corps, with 36 drops, made things worse for Carson Beck.
Coach Cristobal is now rebuilding the offense around Beck, adding a new line and playmakers like wide receiver CJ Daniels (1,067 yards in 2023). This gives Beck a fresh start. Cristobal emphasized Beck’s readiness, stating, “He’s done everything regarding the ball. The only thing he hasn’t done is actually throw. He’s there. It’s ready. Since we’re at the end of spring ball, we just took the extra precaution to wait another week.” But then, Beck turned the page. As Mario Cristobal gives a major update on his UCL injury, saying, “He’s good to go. He’s exceeding every benchmark.”
It looks like Cristobal’s faith in him finally paid off. Facing Notre Dame in week one, Miami needs a sharp, healthy quarterback. And that’s actually happening now; let’s wait and see if Mario Cristobal’s efforts to make an impactful season with Beck turn to reality or not.
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