COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Malachi Toney’s decisive 11-yard touchdown grab with under two minutes remaining propelled No. 10 seed Miami to a 10-3 triumph over No. 7 Texas A&M on Saturday in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
Mark Fletcher Jr. delivered a personal best of 172 yards rushing, aiding the Hurricanes (11-2) in their advancement to the Cotton Bowl to compete against No. 2 seed Ohio State on Dec. 31.
Toney’s crucial moment occurred a sequence after what appeared to be a crushing blunder from the freshman. Toney made a catch, but Dalton Brooks dislodged the ball, and Daymion Sanford recovered at the Texas A&M 47 with approximately seven minutes remaining. Teammates grouped around a visibly distressed Toney on the sidelines, encouraging him and attempting to uplift his spirits.
Rueben Bain Jr. brought down Marcel Reed on two of three plays during the following drive, forcing a punt.
A career-long 56-yard run by Fletcher on the first play of the subsequent possession propelled the Hurricanes to the Texas A&M 30 with roughly three minutes left. Miami utilized four additional runs from Fletcher to reach scoring territory before Toney caught a short pass from Carson Beck and sprinted into the end zone.
The Aggies had an opportunity to equalize afterward, but Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted Reed for the second time – this time in the end zone – sealing the game.
The Hurricanes executed a relentless defensive display to stifle Texas A&M’s strong offense, which entered the matchup averaging 36.3 points per game. They pressured Reed into a performance rife with mistakes, including a first-quarter fumble alongside the interceptions. They sacked him seven times, pushing him out of the pocket and forcing him to attempt difficult throws repeatedly.
He completed 25-of-39 passes for 257 yards but was unable to lead the Aggies into the end zone for the first time this season.
After claiming the last at-large playoff spot, the Hurricanes now advance with a chance to secure their first national championship since 2001 in their inaugural CFP appearance.
Carter Davis struggled with three missed field goals in blustery conditions after having missed only two prior to Saturday. His 21-yard kick early in the third quarter finally put the Canes on the scoreboard following the first scoreless first half in CFP history.
This marks a disappointing playoff debut for Texas A&M (11-2), which fell to rival Texas in its regular-season finale after starting the season with 11 consecutive victories.
Beck, in his first year at Miami after transferring from Georgia, was 14-of-20 for a season-low 103 yards.
Facing a second-and-18 from his own 8, Reed connected on consecutive throws to Ashton Bethel-Roman for 15 and 13 yards. On third-and-10 later in the same drive, he found Bethel-Roman again on a pass that was just enough for a first down and completed a pass to Mario Craver for a 12-yard gain on the next play.
The drive stalled afterward, but Randy Bond equalized with a 35-yard field goal with about eight minutes left.
The Hurricanes commenced the second half with a nine-play, 72-yard drive concluding with a 21-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Keelan Marion recorded a 20-yard reception during that series, and Fletcher contributed a 24-yard run on third-and-4 to keep the drive alive.
Fitzgerald intercepted Reed and returned it 36 yards to the A&M 20. However, the Canes failed to convert following the turnover; a 35-yard field goal attempt by Davis rebounded off the left upright.
Reed fumbled late in the first quarter, yet the Hurricanes were unable to capitalize on the turnover. A 59-yard reception by Mario Craver brought the Aggies to the 11-yard line early in the second, but they could not advance further and attempted a 22-yard field goal, which was blocked by Bain. This marked Miami’s first blocked field goal since the season opener against Bethune-Cookman in 2022.
Toney’s 55-yard punt return brought the Hurricanes to the 25 with about six minutes remaining in the second quarter. He would have scored had it not been for a shoestring tackle by Marcus Ratcliffe. However, Dalton Brooks sacked Beck on third down, leading to a 47-yard field goal attempt by Davis, which went wide right.
Punter Tyler White’s attempt at a pass on a fake punt went just beyond the reach of a diving Marcus Ratcliffe, granting Miami possession at the Texas A&M 46 with less than two minutes left in the first half. Davis attempted a 40-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, but it was again wide right.
