No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M: What to know, how to watch first-round playoff game
The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (10-2) travel to face the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies (11-1) on Saturday in the first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff, with kickoff scheduled for noon from Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
Here is what you need to know about the matchup.
How can I watch the Miami Hurricanes vs. Texas A&M Aggies game?
The game will be televised on ABC and ESPN and available to stream on the ESPN app.
Who is favored in the Miami Hurricanes vs. Texas A&M Aggies game?
The Hurricanes are a three-point underdog against Texas A&M, according to Odds Shark as of Friday morning. The over/under is 48.5 points.
What is the history between the Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies?
Miami is 3-2 all time against Texas A&M. They split their most recent home and home during UM’s first two seasons under coach Mario Cristobal, with the Aggies winning in College Station 17-9 in 2022 and the Hurricanes winning in Miami 48-33 in 2023.
This will be just UM’s third trip to College Station, with the other beyond 2022 coming in 2008.
What were the expectations for the Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies entering the season?
Miami was voted to finish second to Clemson in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference.
Texas A&M was voted to finish eighth in the 16-team Southeastern Conference.
How did the regular season unfold for the Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies?
The Hurricanes swept through their nonconference schedule, with wins over the then-No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, then-No. 18 USF Bulls and the Florida Gators. Miami opened ACC play with a win at FSU before dropping two of its next three — losing to Louisville and SMU with a win against Stanford in between. The Hurricanes then won their final four games against Syracuse, NC State, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh in convincing fashion to secure their spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Aggies started the season a perfect 11-0, highlighted by a 41-40 win against Notre Dame and a 7-0 record at home before losing its finale at Texas to miss out on the SEC Championship Game and a potential first-round bye in the playoffs.
What are the keys for the Miami Hurricanes against the Texas A&M Aggies?
A more in-depth breakdown of five keys can be found here, but here’s the condensed version:
Win the line of scrimmage: This is always the top priority for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes rank among the top 15 nationally according to Pro Football focus in pass rushing (second, 91.8 overall grade), pass blocking (fourth, 86.2 overall grade), run blocking (10th, 73.9 overall grade) and run defense (14th, 92.8 overall grade). Missouri is the only other school to also rank in the top 15 in all four categories.
Texas A&M’s ranks eighth in pass rushing (84.6 overall grade), 21st in pass blocking (78.1 overall grade), tied for 26th in run defense (91.2 overall grade), tied for 56th in run blocking (62.4 overall grade).
Take advantage of explosive plays: Texas A&M has given up 26 plays of at least 30 yards, more than any other team in the playoff field. Miami’s offense has shown as of late that it can hit the big play, especially through the air. That’s where Carson Beck and company needs to thrive.
Contain quarterback Marcel Reed: Reed, a redshirt sophomore, is a dual-threat quarterback who can be dangerous with his arm and his legs. He has completed 61.8% of his passes for 2,932 yards and 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, while also rushing for 466 yards and six touchdowns.
Minimize the Aggies’ home field advantage: Kyle Field has an official seating capacity of 102,733 — the fourth-largest stadium in college football behind only Michigan Stadium (107,601), Penn State’s Beaver Stadium (106,572) and Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium (102,780).
“That’s one of the best atmospheres in all of college football or pro football,” Cristobal said. “I’ve been there four times, and all four times it’s a maniacal scene. Great support, extremely loud. Certainly they do a great job. What can you say? I mean, it’s very well-documented. Preparation has to be at its best.”
Play clean football: Miami has been called for an average of 7.6 penalties per game, tied for the 11th most in college football. The Hurricanes have been on the hook for at least nine penalties in five of 12 games, including both of their losses (nine in a home loss to Louisville, 12 in an overtime road loss to SMU).
But Texas A&M isn’t that much better. The Aggies have been called for only one fewer penalty than the Hurricanes — 90 for Texas A&M compared to Miami’s 91.
Who are five Miami Hurricanes players to watch?
Carson Beck: Regardless of what his actual stats are, the Hurricanes need their veteran quarterback to set the tone. He has been steady as of late, completing 89 of 112 pass attempts (79.46% completion rate) for 1,125 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception over Miami’s final four regular-season games.
Malachi Toney: The freshman phenom wide receiver continues to do a little bit of everything for the Hurricanes. Obviously, he’s excelling as a pass-catcher (84 catches, 970 yards, seven touchdowns), but he’s also getting more involved in trick plays, which have made him a threat as a runner and even as a passer (he has four completions in four weeks, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown).
Francis Mauigoa: The All-American right tackle will set the tone for Miami’s offensive line against an aggressive Texas A&M defensive that is tied for the nation’s lead in sacks (41) and is third nationally in tackles for loss (104).
Rueben Bain Jr.: Bain ranks sixth nationally in quarterback pressures (58) according to Pro Football Focus. He will be at the forefront of Miami’s pass rush against the Aggies.
Keionte Scott: The Hurricanes are poised to get their starting nickel cornerback back after he missed the final three games of the season with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Scott was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to college football’s top defensive back, prior to the injury.
Who are five Texas A&M Aggies players to watch?
Cashius Howell: The redshirt senior, playing in his second season at Texas A&M after starting his career at Bowling Green, has been one of college football’s top edge rushers. He has 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in addition to 40 overall quarterback pressures.
KC Concepcion: The junior wide receiver and NC State transfer leads the Aggies with 57 catches for 886 yards and nine touchdowns. He has also returned two punts for a touchdown.
Mario Craver: The other half of Texas A&M’s one-two receiver punch, Craver has 52 catches for 825 yards and four touchdowns.
Dezz Ricks: The redshirt sophomore has been the Aggies’ top cornerback this season. According to Pro Football Focus, he has allowed just 27 completions on 64 targets against for 375 yards and two touchdowns while forcing six pass breakups.
Taurean York: The junior linebacker has done a little bit of everything for Texas A&M. He leads the Aggies with 68 tackles and also has six-and-a-half tackles for loss, one sack, two pass breakups and 10 quarterback pressures.
.JPG)