Up seven with 27 seconds left, the Miami Hurricanes needed one stop to win their first-ever College Football Playoff game against the Texas A&M Aggies.
On third and goal from the five yard line, Marcel Reed fired the ball into the back of the end zone, looking for Melin Ohrstrom to tie the game.
Instead, true freshman safety Bryce Fitzgerald jumped the route, picking the ball off from Reed and falling to the ground before celebrating with his teammates.
Quarterback Carson Beck took a knee, let the clock run to zero, and set the Hurricane crowd into a frenzy as the ’Canes took down the Aggies 10-3.
Amid the chaos of 104,122 fans at Kyle Field Saturday afternoon — most wearing maroon and white — the cheer that resounded through the stadium was, “It’s great to be a Miami Hurricane.”
Mark Fletcher Jr. and Malachi Toney stepped up in a big way to set up Fitzgerald’s interception.
Tied 3-3, with four minutes left at their own 14-yard line, Fletcher found a hole up the middle. The junior running back evaded tackles and carried Dalton Brooks as he ran for 56 yards, setting the ’Canes up in field goal range.
Fletcher led the way for a Miami offense that had just 103 total passing yards. The junior finished the game with a career high 172 yards on 17 carries, averaging 10.8 yards per attempt.
Five plays later, Beck pitched the ball to Toney, who sprinted to the right sideline and hit the pylon for a touchdown to take the lead.
Toney’s touchdown was redemption for a fumble he committed earlier in the quarter. Not only was Fletcher crucial in the drive itself, the junior running back was the first one to console Toney after the play and gave him the motivation to keep going.
“I told [Toney] ‘God’s putting you through a little adversity, look how much time is on the clock’,” Fletcher said to the media postgame.
But for a game that ended with so much energy and excitement, the first half was anything but.
The two teams combined for seven punts, three failed field goal attempts and no points while the Aggies were the only side to enter the red zone in the first half.
It was sloppy offensive football that was magnified by defensive prowess from both sides.
“The number one thing was to contain [Reed] in the pocket,” Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said. “And our guys did a great job at handling changing up the picture pre-snap.”
Miami’s defense was dominant against a Texas A&M offense that averaged 32.4 points per game this season, led by the dual-threat ability of Reed.
Reed finished the game completing 64% of his throws for 237 yards and zero touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, both to Fitzgerald.
Defensive back Keionte Scott, who suffered a lower leg injury against NC State on Nov. 15, played an integral role in his return to the field.
Against the Aggies, the redshirt senior finished with 10 total tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble on Reed early on in the first quarter.
Along with Scott, the dynamic duo of Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor played big roles in the victory.
After hearing criticism from media members and players on TAMU in the days entering this game, Bain silenced all the doubters. The junior defensive end finished five tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss, and one blocked kick in the first quarter.
“Like I said before, I don’t take kindly to disrespect,” Bain said. “Some guys were in the media saying some things they shouldn’t have said, but they did, so God bless them … Don’t write checks you can’t cash.”
Mesidor finished the game with five tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1.5 tackles for loss — and mentioned how sweet it was to finally win at Kyle Field.
“Last time I was in this building I lost,” said Mesidor. “It was great to come back and get a win.”
Despite the win, the Hurricane passing attack and kicking was a major concern. Carter Davis, who finished the regular season hitting 14 of his 16 field goals, missed three of his kicks this afternoon.
While the swirling wind in College Station was certainly a factor, Miami cannot afford to leave points on the board because of poor kicking.
Beck was also not up to his standard despite the victory. While efficient, completing 14 out of 20 passes, he threw for 103 yards and one touchdown. His longest completion of the afternoon was a 20-yard pass to Keelan Marrion early in the third quarter.
In addition, while electric, the “Mali-cat” wildcat formation became almost predictable throughout the game. The beauty of the concept is its unpredictability, but when relied on too much the formation almost guaranteed an Aggies stop.
Head coach Mario Cristobal and the staff will look to regroup and get back into the offensive groove for their quarterfinal matchup later this month.
The Hurricanes win against the Aggies is their first win against an AP top-10 opponent on the road since 2005 when No. 5 Miami beat No. 7 Virginia Tech 27-7 in Blacksburg.
Despite winning one of its biggest games in two decades, the Hurricanes are focused on the next step – the Cotton Bowl.
“It feels great to be able to get our first playoff win, but honestly its onto the next game,” Mesidor said. “You can’t soak in it too much.”
Miami will take on defending National Title champs Ohio State in the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on New Year’s Eve. Kickoff at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas is 7:30 p.m. EST and is set to air on ESPN on Dec. 31.