These teams may not have met in the regular season, but they shared two common rivals, and each team’s best win came earlier in the season against Notre Dame. In Week 1, the Canes defeated the Irish 27-24, and in Week 3, the Aggies defeated Notre Dame 41-40. Here’s a rundown of each program’s season before kickoff on Saturday afternoon:
🤠No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1)
The preseason No. 19 team was ranked in the top five by Week 7 and continued its impressive regular season until Week 14 when it lost to Texas in Austin. The loss was the only blemish on a perfect season for the Aggies. However, it was enough to knock TAMU out of the SEC championship game for the first time. However, Mike Elko’s team made its first appearance in the College Football Playoff comfortably.
Like Oklahoma, Texas A&M has one of the best pass rushes in the country, tied with the Sooners with 41 sacks on the year. The Aggies are sacking the quarterback more than 10 percent of opponents, the highest clip in the nation, led by senior quarterback Cashius Howell, who is tied for the most solo sacks in the nation with 11.
The Aggies also boast the third-best defense in the FBS, with a ridiculously low 22.7% conversion percentage, nearly 6 percentage points higher than second-place Indiana State.
Elko’s offense is led by sophomore linebacker Marcel Reed, who has been a nightmare for opposing defenses with his ability to stretch plays with his feet. His connection with receiver KC Concepcion is one of the best QB-WR pairings in the country, with Concepcion covering nearly a third of the field near Reed. However, Reed is prone to 10 interceptions and is tied for the most in the CFP field with Carson Beck and John Mateer.
🙌 Miami (10-2)
The Canes got off to a red-hot start by defeating then-No. 6 Notre Dame will open the year. Through the first six weeks of the season, they had three wins in the rankings, but losses to Louisville in Week 8 and SMU in Week 10 sent Miami down the rankings, dropping to No. 18 in the AP poll in Week 11. However, Mario Cristobal’s team has closed out the regular season on a dull note, winning by an average of more than 31 points over the last four weeks. The Canes had hoped to advance to CFP Sunday, but Miami received the final at-large bid over Notre Dame, which will play its first CFP game.
The outcome of this game is difficult to predict, as both teams have top-class defenses and explosive possessions. The Canes have the sixth-best defense in the country, allowing less than 14 points per game. Cristobal is a defensive wall on offense, holding the team to less than three yards per attempt and 86 total on the ground. Not quite as good as TAMU, but Miami has the 10th best 3rd down defense and only has a 30% team turnover rate.
Interestingly, Reed and Miami quarterback Carson Beck have the exact same TD:INT ratio, scoring 25 points and throwing 10 each. But the fifth-year transfer at Georgia State has the potential to eclipse 3,000 yards this season. And like Reed, he has a deadly connection with freshman Malachi Toney, who has rushed for 970 of his 3,072 yards. This game could come down to which team can limit the opposing QB-WR duo.
Both the teams are very evenly matched on paper and the crowd could be the deciding factor in this game. The Canes have only left Florida State three times all season and played four on the road. They certainly haven’t played in an environment as hostile as College Station. Keep an eye on how Beck and Miami’s offense handle the noise, because you’ll be rocking Kyle Field and the 12th man.
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