College Football Playoff live updates: Miami Hurricanes beat Texas A&M Aggies
The Miami Hurricanes’ defense held on as long as it could. The unit, revamped under first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman from a liability last season into one of the best in the country this season, did everything in its power to contain the Texas A&M Aggies, to keep them off the scoreboard.
But eventually, the Aggies struck.
And Miami’s offense, lifeless basically all game, responded.
Malachi Toney scored an 11-yard touchdown on a shovel pass from Carson Beck with 1:44 left to play to lead the No. 10 Hurricanes to a 10-3 win over the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. almost single-handedly willed Miami’s offense to the game-winning score, ripping off runs of 56 and 12 yards in the first three plays of the possession to get UM into the red zone. Fletcher finished with a career-high 172 yards on 17 carries.
And it was redemption for Toney, who had fumbled near midfield on the previous possession that could have given Texas A&M a chance to win.
The Aggies put together one final effort, marching down to the Miami 5-yard line before Bryce Fitzgerald logged his second interception of the game to seal the biggest victory of the Mario Cristobal era.
Toney fumbles
Malachi Toney fumbled near midfield. The Aggies recovered with a chance to take the lead.
Aggies tie it
Texas A&M finally got on the board. A 16-play, 67-yard drive ends in a Randy Bond 35-yard field goal.
It’s 3-3 with 8:03 left to play.
Buckle up.
A big turnover ... that leads to nothing
Bryce Fitzgerald logged his fifth interception of the season and returned it to the TAMU 20.
The offense did nothing, and Carter Davis missed another field goal — this time a 35-yard attempt hitting the left upright.
It’s still 3-0 Miami over Texas A&M.
POINTS
The Hurricanes are on the board with a Carter Davis 21-yard field goal. That capped a nine-play, 72-yard drive that saw Miami’s offense come to life.
For context: UM had just 69 yards the entire first half. The Hurricanes more than doubled that total on their opening drive of the third quarter.
3-0 Miami over Texas A&M, 10:34 left in the third quarter.
And ... nothing
Miami moves the ball a bit but Carter Davis’ 40-yard field goal attempt was no good.
First half ends 0-0.
Aggies miss fake punt attempt
Texas A&M tries for the fake punt on fourth down. They don’t get it.
Miami gets the ball at the TAMU 46 with 1:51 left in the half. UM also gets the ball to start the second half.
Get something — literally anything — out of this drive.
And nothing comes of it
Offense once again does nothing.
Carter Davis 47-yard field goal attempt is no good. Wide right.
Still 0-0 with 3:30 left in the first half.
Big Toney punt return
Malachi Toney nearllllllllly returned a punt for a touchdown.
Taken down at the Texas A&M 25.
55-yard return.
Kid’s. Good.
Another punt
For those keeping score at home: Eight total drives, six punts, a turnover and a blocked field goal.
Another record for Toney
Malachi Toney didn’t need long on Saturday to set yet another Miami Hurricanes record during his stellar freshman season.
Toney’s second catch against the Texas A&M Aggies in a first-round College Football Playoff contest — a 1-yard loss in the second quarter — was his 86th of the season. That’s the most in a season ever by a player in Hurricanes history, surpassing the previous mark of 85 set by Xavier Restrepo in the 2023 season.
Defense gets another break
After giving up a 59-yard completion from Marcel Reed to Mario Craver that got Texas A&M inside the red zone, Miami’s defense held firm and forced the Aggies into a field goal attempt.
Rueben Bain Jr. blocked the 22-yard attempt.
Still no score.
Another punt
Six combined drives, five punts and a turnover.
Maybe points will be scored in this one.
Scoreless through one
It’s a 0-0 game after one quarter. UM’s offense hasn’t gotten going. Its defense has made some big stops.
Carson Beck and Co. need to step up here as Texas A&M prepares to punt again.
Canes punt again
Miami gets near midfield but that’s about it.
Carson Beck’ screen to Malachi Toney on third and 6 goes nowhere to end the drive. Miami punting again. That catch by Toney, however, tied Xavier Restrepo’s 2023 mark for most by a UM player in a single season (85).
KC Concepcion muffed the punt return, pushing Texas A&M back to its 13 yard line to begin its next drive.
Turnover by the UM defense
Texas A&M once again got deep into Miami territory but the defense stepped up. Keionte Scott (who else?) forced a fumble that Armondo Blount recovered.
Offense comes up empty on first drive
All UM could muster was a first down after being pinned to its 8 to start its first possession.
Canes get an early stop
After giving up three third-down conversions to begin the first drive, Miami’s defense held firm once the Aggies got into UM territory.
A Keionte Scott tackle for loss on second down and a stop on a short run set up fourth and six. Texas A&M then committed a false start, making it fourth and 11 and ultimately an Aggies punt.
College GameDay picks
Desmond Howard and Nick Saban picked Miami.
Kirk Herbstreit, guest picker Alex Caruso and Pat McAfee chose Texas A&M.
Canes key player back
The biggest news Saturday morning: Nickel cornerback Keionte Scott has been officially cleared to play for the Hurricanes.
Scott, a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, missed Miami’s final three regular-season games with an undisclosed lower-body injury. He has been arguably UM’s best all-around defensive back this season, so getting him back for the playoffs is a huge boost.
Meanwhile, Damari Brown, who has been part of UM’s rotation at outside cornerback, has been ruled out for Saturday.
On the Texas A&M side, running back Le’Veon Moss is good to go.
Pregame Miami Hurricanes reading
Need to catch up before kickoff? Here are the highlights of the Miami Herald’s coverage over the past two weeks.
How Bain and Mauigoa — Miami’s ‘agents of change’ — turned UM into a playoff team
Can Hurricanes’ run game step up when it’s needed most in playoff game vs. Texas A&M?
‘What I came here for’: Leading Miami into playoffs means ‘everything’ to Carson Beck
Cristobal’s message that sparked the Hurricanes’ turnaround and why it resonated
‘The truth spoke loudly’: How Hurricanes made their College Football Playoff case
How Beck’s season-ending run for Miami compares to other quarterbacks in playoff field
Miami making College Football Playoff ‘another significant step’ under Cristobal
This story was originally published December 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM.
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