Carson Beck shoulders blame after interception seals Miami's loss - ESPN

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The last play of Carson Beck's college career was a deep ball down the left sideline and into double coverage. It was intercepted by Indiana's Jamari Sharpe, sealing Miami's 27-21 loss in the College Football Playoff National Championship game Monday night.

It was, Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said, the right call that simply went wrong. It was a mistake that ended a frenetic comeback and a magical season. It was a miscommunication, but in the aftermath, the eye black on his cheeks smeared from tears, Beck shouldered the blame.

«For it to end like that is hard,» said Beck, who threw for 232 yards and a touchdown in his final college game. «It's really tough, especially to battle the way that we did in the second half. To have a chance to win at the end, it says a lot about us. But to lose it — it really hurts.»

Miami fought back again and again in the second half, and Beck drove the Canes to the Indiana 41 with 51 seconds left, trailing by six points. The Hoosiers were in a Cover-2 defense. Miami had wanted to take shots against this look a handful of times earlier in the game, and now Beck saw his opening.

He dropped back, and he launched the ball deep for receiver Keelan Marion. But Marion never turned to look for the ball, which drifted inside. Sharpe reached out, made the catch, and that was it.

The game and Beck's career were over.

«He's played really good football through the course of the season and his best football toward the end. He's got nothing to be ashamed about,» offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. «He'll get the credit he deserves. The people that know will see how good a career he had. He came up a play short in the national championship game, but we came a long way this