Tim Johnk watched with pride from back home in Omaha, Nebraska, as one of his prized pupils keyed one of the most important drives of the Miami Hurricanes’ season.
CharMar “Marty” Brown was a nonfactor for the Hurricanes in the playoffs until this point. The running back and North Dakota State transfer didn’t play in Miami’s first-round win against Texas A&M and did not receive a carry in the quarterfinals against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Wednesday until that final drive.
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But then…
“Marty got in there,” Johnk told the Miami Herald in a phone interview Sunday, “and he did Marty things.”
Five carries for 26 yards. A 5-yard reception on a critical third down. And, at the end, a 5-yard rushing touchdown with 55 seconds left to secure No. 10 Miami’s 24-14 win against No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. It advanced UM (12-2) to the College Football Playoff semifinal, where a date with the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (13-1) awaits in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday (7:30 p.m., ESPN) for a spot in the national championship game.
While Brown’s playing time diminished down the stretch of the season — Miami has a loaded running back room headlined by junior Mark Fletcher Jr. and saw the emergence of freshman Girard Pringle Jr. late in the season — the redshirt sophomore worked behind the scenes to be prepared when his name was called.
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It was called in a big moment Wednesday. He delivered.
“He knows he’s a big part of this,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said Monday. “He knew this was his kind of game, too. This was one of those physical, knock ‘em, sock ‘em around type of games. The rock fights like we talk about. And he was prepared. He was prepared. When he got his opportunity, not only did he show up; he showed up strong. And he was a difference-maker in the game, both with his catch, with his blocking, and of course, the way he finished those runs.”
Johnk had seen those types of runs from Brown before most. He coached Brown for all three years the running back played at the varsity level at Creighton Prep in Nebraska, when Brown ran for 2,610 yards and 38 touchdowns — including 1,408 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior.
Brown parlayed that success into a strong showing at North Dakota State in his first collegiate stop. He helped the Bison win the Football Bowl Subdivision Championship as a redshirt freshman in 2024, rushing for 1,181 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to being named the Jerry Rice Award winner as the FCS’ top freshman.
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And now Brown is making his mark on a Hurricanes team that is trying to win its first national championship since the 2001 season.
He enters the Fiesta Bowl second on the team with 105 carries for 415 yards and six touchdowns. Of his 415 yards, 301 — 72.5% — came after first contact.
“He’s a really good running back in between the tackles,” Johnk said. “He’s got great forward lean. Really good downhill runner. That’s who he is. He’s a big back, so it was exciting to see him. It’s been exciting to watch him all year. And I know he got more opportunities at the beginning, the first half of the year. But maybe that’ll give him a shot at getting an opportunity here in the semifinal.”
Miami Hurricanes running back CharMar “Marty” Brown (6) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half of their NCAA football game at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Brown had played all season with a mind-set that he can excel regardless of the situation. After Miami’s season-opening win against Notre Dame, a top-10 matchup in which Brown ran for 69 yards and a key touchdown in his first game at the FBS level, he said he was confident he would produce because he had played in big games before.
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He isn’t the featured back, but he knows what he can do for a team when given a chance like he got on Wednesday.
“When your name is called, they just say ‘Just be ready.’ And he was ready,” Fletcher said. “He prepared. He’s a pro. He’s always ready to go in and make an impact in the game. Just to see my brother go in there and score, it was a great thing to see for sure.”
As for who decided that Brown would play on that final drive? Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said running backs coach Matt Merritt has a heavy say in those plans. Merritt, Dawson said, “does a great job of feeling people and feeling the game, and he felt that Marty was the one we would throw it to if Mark needed a break.”
“It’s a physical game,” Dawson said, “and [Merritt] went to him. He’s been pretty spot-on through the course of his time here with who to put in the game, and I trust him with that. He did a heck of a job there, and Marty did a phenomenal job coming in and really finishing the game off.”
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Dawson also credited Brown for his “phenomenal attitude” despite getting limited playing time late in the season.
“At some point in your life as an athlete, things aren’t going to go exactly the way you want it to go,” Dawson said. “How you handle those situations are vital, and he stayed extremely positive these last couple games when he wasn’t getting the touches that he had been getting earlier in the year.”
Added Cristobal: “He’s always been a big part of the equation. He’s proven that throughout the course of the year. And Marty is made of the right stuff. He understands what team play and being a great teammate is all about. There’s no flinching him. There’s no hesitation or reservation about him. Every time he’s been called upon, he’s answered the bell.”
Brown’s ability to answer the bell on Thursday has Miami one step closer to a national championship game appearance.
