Mark Fletcher Jr. never thought about not playing in Miami’s rivalry game against Florida State because he knew his father would have wanted him to.
It was fitting that Fletcher scored Miami’s first touchdown. He ran for 71 yards and a touchdown in No. 6 Miami’s 36-14 victory over Florida State on Saturday night, just days after his father, Mark Fletcher Sr., passed away. After scoring, Fletcher knelt in the end zone at Hard Rock Stadium and pointed to the sky.
“Just a shout out to my dad, paying him respect,” Fletcher said. “It’s been a long time since he’d seen Hard Rock this packed. I know he would have loved this, this energy out here, all the seats were taken. I know he would have loved it. So, I just did this for him.”
“Big Mark,” as Fletcher’s dad was known by everyone in the Miami program, often visited practices. He would chat with fans in the stands during games, and Miami coach Mario Cristobal described his personality as larger than life.
“He’s got the best seat in the house going forward, looking from above,” Cristobal said. “I know he’s super proud of Mark.”
Fletcher was the only running back to carry the ball for Miami during the first series, starting with a 13-yard run on his first touch. His touchdown even made others on the Miami sideline point to the sky.
“This game was for him and his family,” Miami quarterback Cam Ward said. “What he’s going through outside of football, I don’t wish on any man. He got the game ball, and he deserves it.”
The presentation of the game ball happened in the locker room afterward. There were other strong performances—Ward passed for 208 yards, Damien Martinez rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and the defense held Florida State to 248 yards.
However, teammates wanted the night to focus on Fletcher.
“It meant everything to me,” Fletcher said. “It just shows the brotherhood we have. I just played a good game, and I’m not even the one who had all the greatest stats, but they just showed that to me to show how much they supported me. I’m nothing but appreciative.”
The Hurricanes are entering November without a loss for the first time since 2017. They are one of four unbeaten teams left in Atlantic Coast Conference games—Clemson is 5-0, Miami and SMU are 4-0, and Pitt is 3-0—and will play against Duke this Saturday. It will be another tough few days for Fletcher as services for his father are scheduled for later this week.
“I’m staying strong,” Fletcher said. “I know my dad wanted me to come out here and ball out for him. It’s just extra motivation. I love that man so much. He’s going to be so missed. But I’ve got to keep his legacy living on. I’m so happy I got his name.”
