Miami runs past Texas A&M in College Football Playoff

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – As the Miami Hurricanes celebrated at Kyle Field, the legendary Michael Irvin put his left arm around Mark Fletcher Jr. and grabbed him tightly Saturday afternoon. Then the Hall of Famer jabbed his right index finger on the junior running back’s chest.

“This dude was runnin’,” Irvin roared while tapping Fletcher in the chest multiple times. “He won the game, bro. This was our offense right here. Damn it, man. Way to run, bro. I love you, brother.”

Fletcher exploited the Aggies’ biggest weakness of the season to help Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes beat Texas A&M 10-3 in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Irvin is one of the all-time greats in Miami Hurricanes history and a Pro Football Hall of Famer. His assessment was spot on. Fletcher ran for a career-high 173 yards on 17 carries before a sellout crowd of 104,122, the second largest crowd in the history of the CFP.

Season-long issue

“I think that you’re not really in a position to talk about these things as the year’s going on because you’re just trying to find ways, but clearly that was a weakness of ours,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said of the team’s run defense. “It goes without saying. And so it’s hard to make a weakness a strength in the middle of the season. … 

“Again, we gotta look at what we’re doing. We gotta look at how we’re doing it. We’ve got to figure some things out this offseason. But when you’re in the middle of it, it’s certainly very challenging to turn a weakness into a strength.”

Led by All-American Rueben Bain Jr.’s three sacks, Miami’s defense sacked Marcel Reed seven times to win the defensive duel. The Hurricanes will now prepare to play Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31.

“Big win right here! Big win right here,” said Miami junior linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr., who had four tackles.

Texas A&M’s best season this century ended on a two-game losing streak with a loss on the road at archrival Texas and then a loss at home in the Aggies’ debut in the College Football Playoff.

Positive steps for Aggies

“It’s unreal for sure,” Texas A&M captain Taurean York said. “You have your first ever playoff game at Kyle Field, and you drop it. It’s definitely unfortunate. But, like I said, there’s still so much to build on top of this.

“We’re just barely scratching the surface of who we’re going to become in the future.”

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Under heavy pressure all afternoon, Reed threw two interceptions to Miami’s Bryce Fitzgerald. Reed completed 25 of 39 pass attempts for 237 yards. Fitzgerald’s second interception was in the end zone with 28 seconds left to play, ending the Aggies’ hopes of tying the score on third-and-goal from the 5-yard line.

“I was trying to put it over some of the packages they like to drop right at the goal line,” Reed said. “I got it just over, but it wasn’t in the right spot. They picked us off on that one. That was the end of the game.”

The Aggies had marched 70 yards before the devastating interception in the end zone. Texas A&M held Miami to 69 total yards in the first half, 31 passing and 38 rushing. 

Then the Hurricanes marched 72 yards down the field over 4:26 to start the second half. Kicker Carter Davis, who missed three of four field goal attempts, made a 21-yard field goal to give Miami a 3-0 lead with 10:34 to play in the third quarter. 

Randy Bond tied the score at 3 with a 35-yard field goal with 8:03 to play. The Hurricanes took the lead for good with an 86-yard, six-play drive. Fletcher started the six-play drive with a 56-yard run. Five plays later, freshman Malachi Toney scored on an 11-yard touchdown reception with 1:44 to play. 

Afterward, the Aggies (11-2) could at least find solace in the historic steps they took forward this season.

“I think they left a legacy in terms of redirecting this program,” Elko said. “Eleven wins, playoffs for the first time and then a little disappointed that we weren’t able to finish it down the stretch.”