Historic year ends in disappointment as Texas A&M falls to Miami

Click HERE to view Texas A&M’s postgame press conference.

Game #13: #10 Miami 10, #7 Texas A&M 3
Records: Texas A&M (12-2, 7-1), Miami (11-2, 6-2)
Box Score

A Texas A&M football season filled with historic achievement ended with historic bereavement on Saturday at Kyle Field.

An end zone interception in the final minute dashed No. 7 A&M’s national championship hopes with a 10-3 loss to No. 10 Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

“They were able to find a drive, and we were able to respond, and we just weren't able to finish,” A&M coach Mike Elko said. “We weren't able to get it done. We came up five yards short. That's something we'll have to live with throughout the offseason.

“(I’m) Still proud of this team. Proud of what they accomplished. Proud of what they did.”

Yet, the loss is still arguably A&M’s most painful defeat since another quest for a national championship died in Little Rock in 1975.

Alas, long-suffering Aggies have endured more than a few tough losses in between. Disappointment and A&M football are connected like conjoined twins.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Texas A&M’s first CFP appearance was short-lived as the Aggies end 2025 with an 11-2 record.

This loss probably hurts more than the 31-6 loss to Arkansas, which knocked No. 2 A&M from the ranks of the undefeated in '75.

This team figured to be different.

The Aggies had posted 11 victories for the first time in more than a decade. Their 41-40 win at Notre Dame was A&M’s first non-conference road victory over a ranked opponent since 1979. These Aggies defeated LSU in Baton Rouge for the first time in more than 30 years.

Yet, an offense that averaged more than 36 points per game could not manage a touchdown.

Misdeeds that have often bedeviled the Aggies reared their ugly heads again. An erratic kicking game, a tendency to allow big running plays and costly turnovers were too much to overcome.

An early A&M drive reached the Miami 36-yard line, but stalled there. The next series ended with a fumble at the Miami 29.

A 59-yard pass from Marcel Reed to Mario Craver set up A&M at the Miami 10. Four player later, a 23-yard field goal attempt was blocked.

The Aggies' offensive issues were so frustrating that — perhaps in a show of desperation — Elko signed off on a fake punt from his own 46-yard line with about two minutes remaining in the first half.

Punter Tyler White’s pass for Ashton Bethel-Roman sailed incomplete.

“It was something we felt like we had a chance at,” Elko said. “It was something we wanted to run around that area of the field, and it just felt like the right time to try to see if we could get a lead going into halftime.”

Luckily, Miami was not able to capitalize on the prime field position. Hurricanes kicker Carter Davis was wide right on one of three field goal attempts he missed.

The half ended in a scoreless tie.

Davis finally connected from 21 yards to give Miami a 3-0 lead early in the third quarter. A&M’s Randy Bond forged a 3-3 tie with a 35-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Two plays later, the Aggies were gifted a chance to take the lead. Safety Dalton Brooks yanked the football loose from Miami receiver Malachi Toney, and linebacker Daymion Sanford recovered at the A&M 47-yard line with 7:11 left to play.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Dalton Brooks finished tied for the team lead with seven tackles, included four solo stops. He had a sack and the forced fumble in the fourth quarter.

Instead, Miami forced an A&M punt, which pinned the Hurricanes back on their own 14-yard line. A defensive stand figured to again give A&M favorable field position.

However, Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. broke loose for a 59-yard run. Explosive runs like that have been a recurring problem. It was the eighth running play of more than 40 yards that A&M has given up this season.

“Honestly, it’s just knowing who you’re in the fit with,” linebacker Taurean York said while trying to explain why the problem persists. “It’s all about numbers and leverage. If you know football, it’s all about leverage and angles. It’s just communication as well.

“It’s, ‘Are you in the fit with me? OK.’ If you’re not, then who’s in the fit with me? It’s all about being on the same page.”

The big play led to a Toney 11-yard pop-pass touchdown with just 1:44 remaining.

The score seemed to settle the issue. But on its ensuing series, A&M’s offense showed its explosive ability.

Reed quickly led the Aggies downfield for a potential tying touchdown. He hit KC Concepcion with a 14-yard completion to the Miami 4-yard line.

Brian Jones

KC Concepcion had four catches for 33 yards and two carries for 12 yards.

But on third down, his pass for Theo Melin-Öhrström was intercepted in the end zone.

“We were trying to get an exchange with the receiver and tight end,” Reed said. “Kind of have a big body in the end zone. I tried to put it up there over some of their ‘backers they like to drop right on the goal line and got it just over, but it wasn't in the right spot.

“Yeah, they picked us off on that one, and that was the end of the game.”

It isn’t the end of the Aggies’ national championship quest. Elko said it was just an interruption.

“We were not an elite program ready to compete for a national championship when we took over,” the second-year coach said. “We’re still not. We're working to become it. We're battling to become it.”

He added: “I think it's a credit to those kids that they put ourselves in this position and got us to where we were, but we've got a lot of work to do to continue to develop this program into what ultimately it needs to become. We're still in the infant stages of that.”

Better times may indeed await A&M in the future. But for now, it’s just more disappointment.