CFP First Round Preview: Miami at Texas A&M

The 12-team College Football Playoff has presented some good matchups. Here is the CFP First Round Preview: Miami at Texas A&M.

Miami Hurricanes (10-2)

Miami won 12 games to make the their first College Football Playoff. They defeated four bowl-eligible teams: Notre Dame, USF, NC State and Pitt. Both of their losses, to Louisville and SMU, were to teams that made bowl games. 

The Hurricanes score 34.1 points per game, ranking 20th in the country. They pass for 275.8 yards (ranked 18th) and rush for 150 yards (ranked 77th) per game. 

Carson Beck transferred to Miami from Georgia and has played well. He has passed for 3,072 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 74.7 percent completion. Three players have over 350 receiving yards for the Hurricanes. Malachi Toney has been a game-changer as a freshman with 84 catches for 970 yards and seven touchdowns. Keelan Marion and CJ Daniels have also been solid with 557 and 391 receiving yards, respectively. 

Three running backs have over 350 rushing yards on the season. Mark Fletcher Jr. has been the starter, putting up 685 ards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. CharMar Brown ang Girard Pringle Jr. have chipped in with 389 and 362 yards apiece. 

Defensively, the Hurricanes give up 13.83 points per game, ranking sixth in the country. They allow 190.9 passing yards (ranked 30th) and 86.8 rushing yards (ranked seventh) per game. Mohamed Toure has the team lead with 54 tackles. Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. make a solid pass-rushing duo with NFL potential, with seven and 4.5 sacks apiece. Jakobe Thomas has made plays in the secondary with four passes defended and four interceptions.

Texas A&M Aggies (11-1)

The Aggies won 11 games, but missed out on the SEC Championship, earning an at-large bid for the CFP. They defeated four bowl-eligible teams this season: Utah State, Notre Dame, LSU and Missouri. Their lone loss was to Texas, who went 9-3 on the season.

Texas A&M scores 36.3 points per game, ranking 14th in the nation. They put up 261.8 passing yards (ranked 32nd) and 192.7 rushing yards (ranked 25th) per game. 

Marcel Reed has developed well in his second season as the quarterback for the Aggies. He has passed for 2,932 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 61.8 percent completion. Three receivers do the majority of the production as pass-catchers for the Aggies. KC Concepcion, an NC State transfer, leads the team with 57 receptions for 886 yards and nine touchdowns. Mario Craver has made a huge impact with 52 catches for 825 yards and four touchdowns, while Ashton Bethel-Roman has 20 catches for 459 receiving yards and five touchdowns. 

Four players have at least 200 rushing yards this season for the Aggies. Rueben Owens leads the team with 618 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Reed shows off dual-threat abilities, as he has rushed for 466 yards and six touchdowns. Le’Veon Moss has missed time, but Mike Elko mentioned that he is looking good. He had 389 rushing yards, while Amari Daniels rounds out the group with 216. 

The Aggies’ defense concedes 21.92 points per game, tying them for 41st in the FBS. They give up 182.8 passing yards (ranked 21st) and 127.1 rushing yards (ranked 38th) per game. Taurean York has led the team with 67 total tackles this season. Cashius Howell has taken a huge step forward this season and paces the team with 11.5 sacks. Will Lee III has seven passes defended, helping to live up to his nickname of “the blanket”.

Prediction

The Aggies have the defense to slow down Malachi Toney from Miami. If they can limit the big plays, they should be able to move the ball with their well-balanced attack. It should be relatively close, but Texas A&M can pull off the win at home.

Texas A&M Aggies 28 Miami Hurricanes 24

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