Miami Advances to Cotton Bowl After Upsetting Texas A&M in Playoff Showdown
Miami advanced to the College Football Playoffs' Cotton Bowl, upsetting Texas A&M 10-3. A dominant defense and crucial offensive plays secured their victory.
Overview
- Miami triumphed over Texas A&M with a 10-3 victory in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game, marking a significant upset for the team.
- The win propelled Miami into the Cotton Bowl, where they are now set to face Ohio State in the next stage of the College Football Playoffs.
- Miami's defense played a crucial role, effectively shutting down Texas A&M's high-scoring offense and forcing multiple errors throughout the game.
- Offensively, Mark Fletcher Jr. delivered a career-high 172 rushing yards, while Malachi Toney scored the game-winning touchdown for Miami.
- The game made history with its first scoreless opening half in a College Football Playoff, contributing to Texas A&M's disappointing playoff debut.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story around Miami freshman Malachi Toney's personal redemption arc and the team's validation in the CFP. They use evaluative language to describe Toney's "devastating mistake" and subsequent "game-winning touchdown," portraying Miami's win as proof they "belonged." Texas A&M's loss is characterized as a "disappointing quick exit."
"The Hurricanes proved they belonged in the CFP after some questioned if they should have gotten in ahead of Notre Dame."
Chicago Tribune"The No. 10 Hurricanes upset the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies 10-3 in their first-round matchup in College Station, Texas on Saturday."
NBC News"Malachi Toney’s tiebreaking 11-yard touchdown reception with less than two minutes left lifted No. 10 seed Miami to a 10-3 win over No. 7 Texas A&M on Saturday in the College Football Playoff."
Associated Press"The sickos laughed. They loved every second of this 10-3 Miami upset of Texas A&M."
USA TODAYArticles (5)
Center (4)
FAQ
Miami will face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal on December 31.
Miami's defense shut down Texas A&M's offense, forcing errors, while Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for a career-high 172 yards and Malachi Toney scored the game-winning touchdown.
It was the first scoreless opening half in a College Football Playoff game and the playoff debut for both Miami and Texas A&M.
Expert consensus favors Ohio State over the Miami/Texas A&M winner in the Cotton Bowl, with pre-game odds listing Texas A&M as a 3.5-point favorite over Miami.
This was the first-ever CFB Playoff berth for both Miami and Texas A&M.
History
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