CANES POSTCAST: LATE TD + INT LIFT MIAMI HURRICANES OVER TEXAS A&M AGGIES 10-3 in CFB PLAYOFF OPENER

True freshman safety Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted Marcel Reed in the end zone (his 2nd pick of the game) with less than :30 left in the game right after fellow true freshman sensation Malachi Toney scored from 11 yards out on a shovel pass from Carson Beck on the games only touchdown- lifting the 10th-ranked Miami Hurricanes to victory in their 1st ever college football playoff game, 10-3 at Texas A&M.

The Miami defense (7 sacks, 9 TFL’s) held A&M scoreless for 3 quarters while keeping the Aggies out of the end zone for the only time this season.

After Toney scored, Marcel Reed led the Aggies right down the field, and to the doorstep of tying the game with under :30 left. Miami’s Armando Blount was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty on a late hit to help the Aggies’ drive.

Toney took a shovel pass from Carson Beck into the end zone from 11 yards out with 1:44 left, capping an 86-yard drive and giving the Hurricanes the 10-3 lead.

Junior RB Mark Fletcher Jr. (176 yards on 17 carries) gained 75 of those yards on this drive- including an inspiring 56-yard ramble- in his career-best game.

Toney fumbled with just under 8:00 left as Miami was starting to move down the field, giving the Aggies the ball back.

The game was played in 74° weather, but the wind blew between 11 and 20 miles per hour, with gusts up to 30+.

Beck went 14-20 for just 103 yards and the 1 TD with no interceptions and a fumble, recovered by Fletcher for Miami.

The Aggies tied it at 3 on Randy Bond’s 35-yard field goal, with Reed going 6 for 9 on his best drive of the game.

Miami Kicker Carter Davis missed 3 field goals. Davis, who was 14-16 for Miami this season, missed from 47, 40 and 35 yards.

The 1st half ended scoreless- the 1st time this has ever happened in the history of the college football playoff. Davis missed 2 field goals, Toney was ankle tackled by the last Aggie chasing him on a long punt return, Texas A&M survived near disaster 2 times on Miami punts, and Shannon Dawson’s play-calling and Mario Cristobal’s clock management left a lot to be desired.

The Aggies also missed a FG after their 1 big pass play of the game set them up in the Miami red zone.

The Miami offense came out and put the 1st points of the game on the board at the start of the 3rd quarter, with Beck hitting big throws to CJ Daniels and Keelan Marion and Fletcher ripping off a big run. The drive stalled inside the 5, and the ‘Canes put 3 on the board to take the lead. Miami gained 72 yards on nine plays in 4:30, topping their entire 1st half offensive output.

Fitzgerald, who had started the last 3 games in place of the injured Keionte Scott, intercepted Reed on the next drive after coming into replace Zachariah Poyser, who left with an injury.

Texas A&M out-gained Miami 326-278, and Miami went 3-11