Mark Fletcher Sr. wasn’t at State Farm Stadium physically, but no doubt, he was there in spirit as the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes squared off against No. 6 Mississippi in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, which is serving as a College Football Playoff semifinal.
“Big Mark,” as he was known to South Florida football enthusiasts, was one of the University of Miami’s biggest fans, even before his son, Mark Jr., signed with that football program out of American Heritage High School, a private school in western Broward County. He attended practices and was a mainstay at games until he passed away in October 2024, two days before the Hurricanes met rival Florida State. He was just 53.
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Mark Jr. plays every game with his father in mind. He still texts his father’s former number after each game.
The Hurricanes rallied to beat the Rebels 31-27 on a Carson Beck run in the final minute Thursday night, Jan. 8, to advance to the national championship game against the winner of the Jan. 9 Peach Bowl semifinal pitting No. 5 Oregon (13-1) against No. 1 Indiana (14-0).
This marked Miami’s fifth appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, but its first win.
Mark Jr. did his part, rushing for 133 yards on 22 carries, with a 15-yard run on the last play of the third quarter, boosting him over 100. It marked the fifth time this season he has surpassed 100 yards in a game. He was the leading rusher in the game.
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Perhaps his best runs didn’t figure in the scoring. He had one run of 19 yards early in the third quarter in which he was met by multiple defenders 5 yards or so past the line of scrimmage, then, with some help from his offensive linemen, dragged them another 10 yards.
He had one later in the drive for 13 yards, but the Hurricanes came up empty as Carter Davis missed a 51-yard field goal attempt.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder has been a workhorse in Miami’s postseason run. He tallied a season-high 172 yards on 17 carries in the 10-3 win over Texas A&M in a first-round playoff win. He had 90 in the 24-14 Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State in the quarterfinal.
The opponent was noteworthy because Fletcher committed to the Buckeyes out of high school, only to change his mind and opt to stay close to home, which was good news for his father.
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That decision paid off in many ways. He’s had success on the field, but he was also close to family when the tragedy struck. He played in that game against Florida State because of the bonds he had with his teammates, whom he credited for helping him through the ordeal.
Fletcher entertained the idea of declaring for the NFL draft, but has already indicated he will return for his senior season, something that, no doubt, would make his father proud.
(This story will be updated. Check back soon.)
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Miami football’s Mark Fletcher Jr. carries team to the CFP title game
