No. 10 Miami Stamps the "U" Is Back in Road Victory Against No. 7 Texas A&M in the CFP
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COLLEGE STATION, Tx — Despite an abysmal performance from Carson Beck, questionable play calling from offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, and three missed field goals, the Miami Hurricanes escaped Kyle Field with a victory over the No. 7 Texas A&M in the first round of the College Football Playoff, 10-3.
The gusting 30-mph winds in College Station were the tip of the iceberg for the Canes trying to put points on the board. The elite defense, led by defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, gifted a masterclass on the biggest stage of them all. However, it did not come easily.
The first half was a battle of attrition between the stoppable force meeting the movable object.
"We just found to keep pushing through difficult situations," Cristobal said. "The defense was off the charts the entire day. We found ourselves finally running the ball and getting some chuck yardard. It took some time; we were up and down on offense. Just a great response by getting the ball back and the offense getting the ball back and just scoring."
Not a lot of pretty football is being played here in College Station, as the Hurricanes sit tied at 0-0 with Texas A&M at the halftime break. Thus far, the stoppable force has met the movable object.
— Miami Hurricanes On SI (@CanesCentralSI) December 20, 2025
The Hurricanes will receive the second-half kickoff and look to capitalize.
The Canes gained 69 total yards of offense in the first half, while going 1-7 on third down. It also didn't help that kicker Carter Davis could not hit anything from beyond the 30-yard line. Davis finished the day 1-4 kicking, but it didn't help that the playcalling was also questionable. Early offensive struggles started because of the defense of the Aggies and due to Dawson's calling.
"I'll give those guys a lot of credit," Dawson said. "They played very well on defense. They are a really good third-down defense. I was trying to stay out of third-down and long and didn't do a good job in the first half."
However, Miami was able to keep the electric Aggies offense at a standstill. The Canes keyed in on multiple stops and got a blocked field goal to keep the score 0-0 going into half, while offensively, they continued to test out different options.
The Canes soon got on the board thanks to their star freshman Malachi Toney, who found a way to sneak past and get a 55-yard punt return that allowed Davis to make his only kick of the day, pushing the Canes up 3-0.
Moreover, one player was starting to gear up for a moster second half. When the Aggies faced Texas in their final game of the regular season, the Longhorns' rushing attack killed them and cost them the game. It would soon be the reason why they would lose to the Canes and their star running back.
The Hurricanes saw in the first few rushes that junior Mark Fletcher Jr. was going to have a career game.
"The second half, we stayed out of third down because we ran the ball better," Dawson said. "I wanted to lean more on that, and I could see Mark getting some momentum. Ultimately, we knew a couple of plays were working, and that last drive, I was not going to deviate from those couple of plays. "
BIG TIME FLETCH😤 #GoCanes
— Miami Hurricanes On SI (@CanesCentralSI) December 20, 2025
17 Rushes
172 YDS
10.1 YPC pic.twitter.com/cpkNN1lgLo
Fletcher finished the first half with 41 yards, but each run felt bigger than the last. At halftime, he averaged 9.1 yards a carry, and in the second, he continued the trend. Fletcher finished the game with 172 yards on 17 rushes on 10.1 per carry.
"It's a blessing," said Fletcher. "I'm just grateful for the opportunity, and I definitely wasn't expecting it. I'm just happy that we won."
As the Hurricanes leaned on him, more big plays continued to happen. In the final drive of the game, the Hurricanes went back to Malachi Toney, who had fumbled the possession before. Toney caught a jet sweep across the middle and, with less than two minutes remaining on the clock, scored the only touchdown of the game, giving the Canes a 10-3 lead.
The defense continued to play elite defense, finishing the day with seven sacks, hounding Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed and the offensive line until the final drive. They also forced him to throw two interceptions, both landing in the hands of freshman Bryce Fitgerald, who sealed the game in the back of the endzone, pushing the Canes to the next round of the College Football Playoff.
The Hurricanes will now travel to face an old rival and the reigning national champions, No. 2 Ohio State, in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.