MIAMI GARDENS — Carson Beck dropped back to pass in the final minute, and a bad night was ready to turn good in the way a nightmare game folds into a dream season as he threw short into the flat.

A simple pass. A safe pass.

Only a word got in the way.

“Miscommunication,” as the Miami Hurricanes quarterback said afterwards.

Everything looks good in a perfect season until it doesn’t. And it didn’t for No. 2- ranked Miami from the start Friday night against Louisville to this very end when Beck’s pass to tight end Elija Lofton was intercepted with 32 seconds left.

“Just ran the route wrong, and I went to go throw it because we’re hot off of pressure,” Beck said. “And, again, (Louisville’s T.J. Capers) made a good play, but it didn’t help we ran the wrong route.”

After starting 5-0 with some telltale wins, after putting visions of sugarplums in their fans’ heads, anything and everything was imaginable for Miami this season.

This wasn’t what you imagined, though. This night. This loss. This was like watching your worst sports nightmare, the one where your great season falls for a fake field, gets behind early 14-0, suffers early three interceptions, trails by 11 points in the fourth quarter and then when it has a chance to either tie with a field goal or win with a touchdown …

“All in all, flat out just not good enough,” coach Mario Cristobal said after Miami’s 24-21 loss.

Before going any further, before saying this wasn’t the team of the previous five games, understand one loss doesn’t kill Miami’s big hopes. It will make the playoffs with one loss, can still advance into the deepest part of January with one loss.

Here’s Miami’s schedule the rest of the way: Stanford, SMU, Syracuse, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Pitt. Not a heavyweight the rest of the way.

But then Louisville was only thought to be a middleweight. This wasn’t a night Miami had to be great, like it was against Notre Dame, or to be the bully, like against Florida. This was a night it was asked to survive. Just that.

And it didn’t survive.

It couldn’t.

Q: How did Beck throw four interceptions?

A: His fifth one was erased by a Louisville roughing-the-passer penalty.

It was that kind of loss for Miami.

“If you give away plays, it’s going to get you,” Cristobal said. “Tonight, it got us.”

This team that had large swaths of games where they physically dominated games against Notre Dame, Florida and Florida State. That’s this team’s identity. But that kind of line play only made cameos Friday night.

Miami’s running backs had 16 carries for 40 yards. That’s an opening drive some games.

“We didn’t run the ball,” Cristobal said.

Louisville running back Isaac Brown had 113 yards on 15 carries. A 7.5 average. How did that happen?

“I’ll bring it back to us,” defensive tackle David Blay said. “We’ve got to get to work.”

There was a football show here between Brown’s big runs against Malachi Toney’s big catches. Both were electric. Both put up big numbers. Both deserved to have their night in lights.

Then Brown fumbled midway through the fourth quarter leading to Toney’s 12-yard touchdown pass from Beck on the next play. Toney threw on a reverse for the two-point conversion and Miami was within three points with over seven minutes left.

There was no magic left, though, at least not for Miami. Louisville coach Jeff Brohm was soon being pictured before a pair of brass cowboy boots that’s the trophy celebrating the winner of the matchup between Howard Schnellenberger’s big teams.

As they came off the field, Louisville players stopped before a camera identified by writing above it, “Win video,” and they’d offer a line …

“Big win!” one said.

Or a dance.

“Feeling like this!” another said, busting a move.

Down the hallway, Beck was saying, “I’ve got to protect the ball better. That’s unacceptable.”

Yes, anything could happen this Miami season and something did.

“We got knocked in the mouth, we’ve got to come back,” defensive back Zechariah Poyser said.

One loss won’t kill the season. But miscues and miscommunications that filled this game can.

Originally Published: October 18, 2025 at 12:51 AM EDT