When you look at how Miami has carved its path through the College Football Playoff, one thing jumps off the tape: yards after the catch. The Hurricanes have racked up 305 YAC in their three CFP wins, and that’s not just a stat-it’s a statement.
This offense doesn’t just complete passes; it turns short gains into game-breaking plays. Wideouts like C.J.
Daniels, Keelan Marion, and true freshman Malachi Toney have been electric in the open field, turning routine throws into highlight-reel moments.
What makes this even more intriguing is how it intersects with quarterback Carson Beck’s style of play. According to Pro Football Focus, Beck ranked in the bottom 25 nationally in average depth of target in 2025-just 7.6 yards.
That tells you a lot about how Miami’s offense is built. Beck isn’t slinging it deep every other play; instead, he’s operating with precision in the short and intermediate game, trusting his receivers to make defenders miss and do the heavy lifting after the catch.
That approach was on full display in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal win over Mississippi. Beck came into that game with just 241 passing yards combined in the previous two CFP matchups against Texas A&M and Ohio State.
But against Mississippi, he stepped up with 268 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The fourth quarter was especially telling-Beck went 8-of-13 for 93 yards and a touchdown, and he added a rushing score to cap it off.
That’s when he really started to take what the defense gave him, and Miami’s playmakers took care of the rest.
Miami piled up 162 YAC in that game alone, with Malachi Toney accounting for 77 of those. Toney finished with five catches for 81 yards, and his final grab was the dagger-a 36-yard touchdown with just over five minutes left that gave Miami a 24-19 lead. It was the kind of play that perfectly captured what this Miami offense does best: get the ball to its athletes in space and let them go to work.
According to PFF, Miami ranks third nationally in YAC for the 2025 season. Even more impressive?
They’re also among the top five teams in missed tackles forced after the catch. That’s not just a credit to the receivers-it’s a sign of how well this offense is schemed and how dangerous it becomes once the ball is out of Beck’s hands.
But now comes a different kind of test: Indiana. The Hoosiers’ defense has been one of the most disciplined in the country when it comes to limiting YAC.
They allowed just 4.8 yards after the catch per reception in 2025, the 14th-best mark nationally. And they’ve only missed 42 tackles in coverage all season-less than three per game.
That’s the kind of defensive consistency that can force Miami to play a different style.
If Indiana can contain Toney and Marion after the catch, they can force Beck into deeper throws-something he hasn’t consistently leaned on this season. That’s the blueprint.
And it’s not just theory; we’ve seen it play out. In Miami’s only loss of the season-a 24-21 defeat to Louisville-Beck got baited into forcing the issue downfield.
Louisville dared him to check it down, but Beck went for the kill shots. The result?
Four interceptions and a long afternoon.
The key for Miami going forward is balance. When Beck plays within the system, like he did in the fourth quarter against Mississippi, the offense hums. He doesn’t need to be a gunslinger-he just needs to keep putting the ball in the hands of his playmakers and let them do what they do best.
If Miami can establish the run early and keep the defense honest, it opens up everything else. That’s when Beck can settle in, see the field, and make smart, efficient throws. And when that happens, this offense becomes a nightmare to defend-not because of how far it throws the ball, but because of what happens after the catch.