COLLEGE STATION, Texas – On Saturday, Dec. 20, the Texas A&M Aggies hosted the Miami Hurricanes as both schools made their program debuts in the College Football Playoff.
In a messy, tense, and low-scoring affair, Miami scored the game’s lone touchdown to break the tie and go up 10–3 in the fourth quarter.
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The Aggies drove down the field and positioned themselves within five yards of tying the game. However, A&M quarterback Marcel Reed threw an interception in the end zone that ended the game and sealed the 10–3 victory for Miami.
After the game, Reed took ownership of the game-ending pick, saying his ball placement on the throw allowed the Hurricanes’ defense to make a play.
“I tried to put it in there over some of their [linebackers],” Reed said. “It wasn’t in the right spot.”
In the postgame press conference, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said he expects his team to carry the momentum from this win into the next round. He was complimentary of both the A&M team and the electric Kyle Field environment.
“To get it done in this type of an environment, we needed that,” Cristobal said. “If you can draw it up how we wanted it, we wanted to come here and do it against a great football team.”
A&M head coach Mike Elko said the loss is going to haunt his football team in the months ahead.
“We came up five yards short, and that’s something we’ll have to live with throughout the offseason,” Elko said.
LIVE GAME BLOG
A HISTORIC AFTERNOON
In the third quarter, announcers released the official Kyle Field attendance number: 104,122.
The figure marked the second-highest attendance in College Football Playoff history, but didn’t even crack the top 10 by Kyle Field standards. Each of the top 10 highest-attended games at Kyle Field surpassed 107,300, with the highest being 110,633 in a 2014 matchup against Ole Miss.
MORE INFO: Texas A&M prepares for College Football Playoff debut hosting Miami
PLAYER STATS
A&M QUARTERBACK
Marcel Reed: 25/39, 237 passing yards, 0 TD, 2 INT | 15 rushes (7 QB sacks), 27 rushing yards, 1 fumble lost
A&M STANDOUT PLAYERS
- WR Mario Craver: 7 receptions, 92 yards
- S Dalton Brooks: 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble
MIAMI QUARTERBACK
Carson Beck: 14/20, 103 passing yards, 1 TD, 0 INT | 4 rushes (2 QB sacks), -6 rushing yards, 1 fumble (Miami recovered)
MIAMI STANDOUT PLAYERS
- DB Keionte Scott: 10 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
- WR Malachi Toney: 5 receptions, 22 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 3 rushes, 9 rushing yards, 1 fumble lost, 0/1 passing, 4 punt returns, 82 return yards
- RB Mark Fletcher Jr.: 17 rushes, 172 yards
TEAM STATS
A&M: 326 total yards, 21 first downs, 8/18 third-down efficiency, 3 turnovers (1 fumble, 2 interceptions), 1 turnover on downs, 1 field goal missed (blocked), 4 penalties (15 penalty yards)
MIAMI: 278 total yards, 12 first downs, 3/12 third-down efficiency, 1 turnover (fumble), 3 field goals missed, 4 penalties (30 penalty yards)
BIG PLAYS/SCORING PLAYS
MARCEL FINDS HIS TIGHT END (5:16 Q1): Marcel Reed connects with tight end Nate Boerkircher for 19 yards, A&M’s longest completion of the first quarter.
A&M FUMBLES (4:11 Q1): Marcel Reed fumbles the football, and Miami recovers at its own 32 to flip possession as the Aggies approach the red zone for the first time.
MIAMI AVOIDS DISASTER AFTER BECK FUMBLES ON THIRD-DOWN SACK (13:38 Q2): On third down and 6 from the Miami 38-yard line, Carson Beck is sacked by A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell, forcing a fumble. Beck recovers his own fumble, forcing a Miami punt.
REED CONNECTS WITH CRAVER ON DEEP BALL (13:11 Q2): On first and 10 from the A&M 30, Marcel Reed finds Mario Craver down the left sideline for a 59-yard gain to the Miami 11-yard line.
FIELD GOAL BLOCK (11:32 Q2): A&M kicker Jared Zirkel attempts a 22-yard field goal, which is blocked by Miami’s interior pressure. The Hurricanes recover and return the ball to the Miami 13-yard line.
FIRST BIG RUN FOR MIAMI (11:24 Q2): Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. takes the handoff up the middle for a 17-yard gain, setting up a first down at the Miami 30.
HUGE PUNT RETURN BY THE MIAMI TRUE FRESHMAN (5:41 Q2): Miami forces an A&M punt. Malachi Toney bursts through a pack of would-be tacklers, tightroping down the sideline for a 55-yard return to the A&M 25.
MIAMI MISSES FIELD GOAL (3:30 Q2): A&M forces Miami back four combined yards on its next three plays. Miami kicker Carter Davis misses a 47-yard field goal attempt wide right.
A&M FAKE PUNT PASS BACKFIRES (1:51 Q2): On fourth and 4 from the A&M 46, the Aggies run a fake punt pass. Punter Tyler Whit throws down the left sideline to Ashton Bethel-Roman, but the ball slips through his fingertips. Miami takes over at the A&M 46.
BECK EXTENDS DRIVE INTO A&M TERRITORY (0:26 Q2): On third and 8 from the A&M 44-yard line, Carson Beck connects with CJ Daniels for a 14-yard gain to the A&M 30.
ANOTHER MIAMI MISS (0:03 Q2): Carter Davis misses his second kick of the game as time expires in the second quarter, keeping the score knotted at 0–0.
HALFTIME: A&M 0, MIAMI 0
BACK-TO-BACK BIG PASSES (14:30 Q3): On the first two plays of the second half, Carson Beck completes passes to CJ Daniels (15 yards) and Keelan Marion (20 yards), moving Miami to the A&M 40-yard line.
MIAMI FINALLY MAKES A KICK (10:34 Q3): Carter Davis converts a 21-yard field goal.
SCORE UPDATE: Miami 3, A&M 0
MARCEL IS INTERCEPTED (8:37 Q3): On third and 17 from the A&M 29, Marcel Reed is intercepted over the middle by Miami DB Bryce Fitzgerald, who returns it 36 yards to the A&M 20.
DAVIS MISSES HIS THIRD FIELD GOAL (7:13 Q3): Miami stalls again, and Carter Davis doinks a 35-yard attempt off the left upright, keeping the score at 3–0.
HUGE SACK TO END THE THIRD QUARTER (0:26 Q3): Marcel Reed scrambles in the pocket before being brought down by Rueben Bain Jr. for an eight-yard loss to the A&M 16.
DRIVE EXTENDED WITH BIG THROWS TO ABR (13:26 Q4): Facing second-and-18, Reed connects with Ashton Bethel-Roman for gains of 15 and 13 yards on consecutive plays.
AGGIES TIE IT (8:04 Q4): Kicker Randy Bond drills a 35-yard field goal.
SCORE UPDATE: Miami 3, A&M 3
AGGIES FORCE A FUMBLE (7:11 Q4): Two plays later, Malachi Toney fumbles after a strip by Dalton Brooks. A&M recovers at its own 47.
MARK FLETCHER JR. BREAKS AWAY FOR MASSIVE RUN (3:50 Q4): After forcing an A&M punt, Fletcher Jr. rips off a 56-yard run to the A&M 30.
MIAMI TAKES THE LEAD (1:44 Q4): Carson Beck finds Malachi Toney for a 12-yard touchdown—the game’s first.
SCORE UPDATE: Miami 10, A&M 3
MARCEL REED THROWS A PICK IN THE END ZONE (0:24 Q4): Reed leads A&M to the Miami 5-yard line with completions to KC Concepcion and Nate Boerkircher. A controversial helmet-to-helmet hit goes uncalled on second down. On the following play, Reed throws a game-ending interception to Bryan Fitzgerald in the end zone.