How Special Teams Doomed Texas A&M In College Football Playoff Loss

Know when to hold them, know when to fold’ em.

That’s a classic song sung by Kenny Rogers, and that can be a relatable verse that pertains to the first-ever playoff game that Texas A&M played against Miami.

There were moments where the coaching staff had to make pivotal decisions. For example, whether to punt the ball or to kick a field goal. Neither opportunity went the way the entire A&m team had hoped.

“Hats off to Miami for making the plays down the stretch that they needed to make to win the football game,” Elko said. “We weren’t doing a very good job of the field position game on special teams. That was when they had the big return that flipped the field. We had a couple line drive kicks that didn’t help.”

Hold ‘em

BLOCKED BY BAIN!!!

📺 ABC/ESPN pic.twitter.com/hczTRUcho3
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 20, 2025

In the second quarter, there was a chance to tie the game up at 3-3, but the plan wasn’t executed as hoped by the entire team. Entering the contest, there were answers about what Elko would do about the kicking situation, considering that he had two guys who were healthy enough to give it a shot to drill a field goal through the uprights.

For kicker Jared Zirkel, he was given the first moment to record points and missed the mark. Elko shared his thoughts on what he saw as he watched the kick unfold and wasn’t at the necessary height.

“It was just low,” Elko said. “It didn’t get the height that it needed. It didn’t get the trajectory that it needed.”

A&M was driving on its fourth possession of the day after going five plays for 65 yards, but was stalled after Miami’s special teams made a big play that ended with a 22-yard field goal that was blocked. It occurred after two punts and a fumble, when the offense looked like it was controlling the time of possession but couldn't sustain a drive to punch it in.

The kicking game had been somewhat of an issue over the last month or two, so maybe it would’ve been best if the Aggies had punted it away or gone for it, keeping a decent drive going with the cards that were dealt.

Fold ‘em

Texas A&M Aggies coach Mike Elko reacting during the game. — Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts during the second half of the first round game of the CFP National Playoff against the Miami Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

One sequence led to another domino tipping over as the fake punt attempt spiraled, and the A&M offense began its drive at the 29-yard line before advancing to the 46-yard line. That moment resulted in handing the ball right back over to Miami after punter Tyler White threw deep left to wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman, but he couldn’t connect.

Quarterback Marcel Reed was using his legs and continued to show off how well his mobility was by running up the middle for 11 yards before a run and another pass came before the two-minute warning.

A fourth-down chance came when either the coaching staff saw something throughout the week that led them to their decision or felt it was in their best interest. Unfortunately for A&M, they were unable to capitalize on the coverage that the Miami unit showed.

Was it a bad call to make? That’s the conversation, but A&M had multiple other chances down the line, even with the errors.

“We just weren’t able to finish,” Elko said. “We weren’t able to get it done. Still proud of this team. Proud of what they accomplished. Proud of what they did.”