Miami Hurricanes’ Carson Beck is a fan of USF’s Byrum Brown. Just not this Saturday
Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck has seen from afar the success USF Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown is having to start this season.
He saw up close and personal this offseason how good Brown is.
Brown was in Jacksonville for part of the offseason, and the quarterbacks connected during a training session up there.
“Very talented guy,” Beck said. “Very athletic. Does really a good job with the deep ball.”
The two will meet on the field Saturday when the No. 5 Hurricanes (2-0) host the No. 18 Bulls (2-0) at Hard Rock Stadium (4:30 p.m., the CW Network).
Brown, who has been USF’s starting quarterback since 2023, has been at the center of the Bulls’ early ascent in the college football scene this season. The Bulls have beaten a pair of ranked opponents in then-No. 25 Boise State and then-No. 13 Florida in their first two matchups, with Brown completing 39 of 60 passes for 473 yards and a touchdown while also running 31 times for another 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Beck will admire what Brown does from a distance the rest of the season.
As for whether Beck will get wrapped up in what will be perceived as a head-to-head matchup between him and Brown on Saturday?
“Not really, to be honest,” Beck said. “ I have to play against their defense. He has to play against our defense. We’re not going head-to-head, per se. I mean, it is head-to-head, obviously, with the teams, but I’m sure he’s the same exact way. He’s going to study the defense. He’s not looking to outdo me or whatever. Both teams are trying to win. I don’t think either of us are really worried about stats. ... He’s a good kid. He’s obviously had a lot of success this year. Hopefully he does well the rest of the year. I’m rooting for him, but, this game, hopefully our defense comes in and attacks him.”
Now, Beck has been solid in his own right so far with the Hurricanes. He has completed 77.8% of his passes (42 for 54) for 472 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception.
It sets the stage for what should be a quality day of passing on both sides.
“These guys aren’t throwing bubble passes all day,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said. “They’re pushing the ball down the field. There’s play action. There’s drop backs. Third-down percentage is really high for both. Plays under pressure and completions under pressure are high for both as well. That position, when it has experience and has talent and has a lot of want-to, it’s a dangerous combination. Both quarterbacks are really highly skilled, highly experienced, and they want to win.”
Beck on Tuesday said he feels the Hurricanes’ offense has been “really consistent” through the first two games. Miami has found a good balance between the run game and the pass game, with UM throwing the ball 66 times and running it 68 times through their wins against Notre Dame and Bethune-Cookman. There has been minimal pressure as well, with the Hurricanes being sacked just three times and having just five total tackles for loss allowed.
The Hurricanes have converted on 8 of 19 third-down attempts.
“We’ve been really good on offense overall,” Beck said. “We’re playing complementary football.”
Center James Brockermeyer credits Beck’s command of the offense in the huddle for a lot of that success.
“He’s doing everything at a really high level, whether that’s getting us right in protection and making sure that he’s protected,” Brockermeyer said. “He’s doing a good job of checking us in the run game and checking us in the passing game. He does really good job of letting our receivers go make plays as well. He’s firing in all cylinders and excited to see him keep it rolling.”
The next test comes Saturday against a USF team that has been taking advantage of its opportunities against top opponents and has been stingy on defense, allowing just 23 total points against Boise State and Florida to start the season.
“Just watching the two games that they’ve played this year so far, against Boise State and Florida, they look like one of the better defenses in the country, from what I’ve been able to see,” Beck said. “They have a lot of athletes. They’re going to challenge you with various pressures — man looks, zone looks. ... They’ll be ready to come in and play, but we’re excited for the challenge.”
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