Miami outlasts Texas A&M in dramatic College Football Playoff debut, advances to Cotton Bowl

Texas A&M hosted Miami astatine Kyle Field connected Saturday day successful a crippled that marked some teams' College Football Playoff debut.

The Hurricanes earned the last at-large playoff spot implicit Notre Dame with a 27-24 triumph implicit the Fighting Irish successful the play opener.

Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney’s tiebreaking 11-yard touchdown reception with little than 2 minutes near lifted the Hurricanes to a 10-3 triumph implicit Texas A&M successful Saturday’s College Football Playoff first-round game.

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Bryce Fitzgerald (13) of the Miami Hurricanes celebrates aft intercepting a walk successful the 4th fourth against the Texas A&M Aggies during a first-round 2025 College Football Playoff crippled astatine Kyle Field Dec. 20, 2025, successful College Station, Texas.   (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for a career-high 172 yards to assistance the Hurricanes beforehand to the Cotton Bowl, wherever they volition look defending champion Ohio State Dec. 31.

Miami placekicker Carter Davis missed 3 tract goals successful gusty winds aft missing lone 2 each play earlier Saturday. His 21-yard footwear aboriginal successful the 3rd 4th enactment the Canes connected the committee aft the archetypal scoreless archetypal fractional successful CFP history.

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Texas A&M had an accidental to unit overtime. In the closing minutes, the Aggies enactment unneurotic their champion violative bid of the day, driving into the reddish portion successful the last minute.

The Texas A&M Aggies instrumentality the tract earlier a first-round 2025 College Football Playoff crippled against the Miami Hurricanes astatine Kyle Field Dec. 20, 2025, successful College Station, Texas.   (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

But backmost Marcel Reed threw an interception successful the extremity zone, which sealed Miami’s victory.

The Hurricanes’ propulsion for what would beryllium a sixth nationalist title — and their archetypal since 2001 — remains alive. Next up, Miami volition conscionable Ohio State successful the Cotton Bowl Classic Dec. 31.

Texas A&M Aggies backmost Marcel Reed (10) scrambles against Miami Hurricanes antiaircraft lineman Akheem Mesidor (3) during a CFP first-round crippled astatine Kyle Field successful College Station, Texas, Dec. 20, 2025.   (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)

Texas A&M's lengthy nationalist rubric drought volition beryllium extended by astatine slightest 1 much year.

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The Aggies haven’t hoisted a nationalist title trophy since 1939.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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