Bryce Fitzgerald had a game-sealing interception with 24 seconds left, and No. 10 Miami (Fla.) beat No. 7 Texas A&M, 10-3, on the road in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday.
This matchup was a defensive battle, with both offenses struggling to score. At halftime, the game was scoreless, and Texas A&M coach Mike Elko told the broadcast that “someone’s going to have to find a way to win it.”
That’s what the Hurricanes did. Wide receiver Malachi Toney made up for a fourth-quarter fumble by scoring the winning touchdown with 1:44 remaining. And while the Aggies looked dangerous driving in the final moments, quarterback Marcel Reed threw his second interception of the game, this time in the end zone.
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While there weren’t a lot of points, the game was still quite entertaining. Here are my takeaways:
1. Miami freshmen come through for the win
Malachi Toney totaled 82 yards on four punt returns and scored Miami’s only touchdown on Saturday. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
With the game knotted 3-3 in the fourth quarter, Toney, a freshman, fumbled immediately after catching a pass from quarterback Carson Beck. With the game on the line, Toney was crushed, and TV cameras showed teammates consoling him on the sideline. The Hurricanes’ defense forced the Aggies to punt on the next drive, and on the ensuing possession, Toney got redemption.
Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. pounded the Aggies’ defense in the run game, piling up 172 yards on 17 carries. On the first play of the go-ahead drive, Fletcher went 56 yards and carried the ball four more times to set Miami up on the 11-yard line. Then with Miami facing third-and-5 from, Beck found Toney for what would ultimately be the game-winning touchdown (as well as the only touchdown scored all game).
“[My teammates] were depending on me to make a play, so that’s what I did,” Toney told the broadcast after the game. “I appreciate the coaches trusting me like that.”
After Toney’s touchdown, Texas A&M had less than two minutes to drive down the field and try to tie it up. The Aggies looked in control and found themselves facing third-and-5 from the Hurricanes’ 5-yard line. That’s when defensive back Fitzgerald, also a freshman, came up big and intercepted Reed in the end zone to finish the game.
“The defense was phenomenal, holding them to three points,” Toney said. “Bryce, we text each other before every game. The youngins are trying to change the program. We just gotta keep on going.”
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2. Wind was a legitimate factor, especially in the kicking game
Miami kicker Carter Davis converted on just one of his four field goal attempts on Saturday. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Weather can certainly be used as an excuse in sports, but it actually had an impact on this game. Wind gusts in College Station on Saturday were reportedly up to 30 miles per hour. It was easy to tell on TV, with towels around players’ waists flapping wildly and the flags atop Kyle Field blowing.
In the first quarter, Texas A&M receiver KJ Concepcion uncharacteristically muffed a punt. Concepcion had the second-most punt return yards in the country this year, returning 23 punts for 460 yards with two touchdowns entering this game.
Later, the wind took hold again on a Miami field goal attempt. With 3:30 left in the first half and the game scoreless, kicker Carter Davis attempted a 47-yarder that looked like it was going through the uprights — until it was pushed slightly to the right. Davis ended up missing three of four field goal attempts, and the wind likely played a factor.
“I think the wind is playing a role in it for sure,” Elko told the broadcast at halftime.
3. Sloppy and ineffective offenses
Marcell Reed threw for 237 yards, two interceptions and zero touchdowns on Saturday. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Both Texas A&M and Miami entered this matchup as top-20 scoring offenses. The Aggies, ranked 14th nationally, averaged 36.3 points per game this season and only scored fewer than 31 points twice this season (against Auburn and Texas). The Hurricanes, ranked 19th, averaged 34.1 points per game and only scored fewer than 26 points twice this season (in losses to Louisville and SMU).
On Saturday, neither offense was particularly effective. The Hurricanes amassed a mere 69 yards of total offense in the first half and then opened the third quarter with a 72-yard drive. But they were unable to score a touchdown and settled for a field goal. The drive included a few chunk plays, like 20- and 10-yard completions to receiver Keelan Marion to move down the field. It wasn’t until the game was on the line at the end, and they relied on Fletcher and the running game, that the Hurricanes cashed in on big plays.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, failed to score a touchdown. In the first half, the Aggies had six drives that ended in three punts, one blocked field goal, a turnover on downs and a fumble. The second half wasn’t much better, with drives ending in two punts, two interceptions and one made field goal.
4. Two most controversial teams in CFP win
Miami (Fla.) head coach Mario Cristobal earned his first CFP playoff win on Saturday. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The two most controversial teams to earn spots in the 12-team playoff — Alabama and Miami — both won their first-round games on the road.
On Friday night, Alabama avoided a second loss to Oklahoma this season by coming back from a 17-0 deficit to win, 34-24. Then on Saturday, Miami won a dramatic defensive battle, 10-3.
4 ½: What’s next?
For Miami, a matchup with No. 2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl awaits on New Year’s Eve. And given how dominant the Buckeyes have looked all season on both sides of the ball, the Hurricanes will need to play significantly better to pull off a win.
Ohio State has the best defense in the country, and you know that defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has been scouting for weeks. So Miami’s offense is going to find a way to look more like it did during the last four weeks of the regular season.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
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