COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Neither Miami nor Texas A&M could muster much offense in their College Football Playoff debuts.

The combination of a strong wind and excellent defense kept both teams out of the end zone — until running back Mark Fletcher Jr. put the team on his back.

The junior running back notched a massive, 56-yard run that set up an 11-yard pop pass from Carson Beck to Malachi Toney. After a last-second, game-saving interception by freshman Bryce Fitzgerald, the touchdown was enough for the Hurricanes to secure a 10-3 win over Texas A&M in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Saturday.

“I told Mark — I was like, ‘Look, we’re riding you down the field,” UM offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said.

Miami will face No. 2 seed Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31.

“I think it was important first to get in the playoffs, then to go and win at a place like this,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “One hundred-plus thousand people on the road, a team that was arguably top two or three until their last game, and to get it done in this type of an environment. I think we needed that. If you could draw it up how we wanted it, we wanted to go there. We wanted to come here and do it against a great football team.

“So what does it mean for us? Continued progress, the vision, and we’ve never altered the course or deterred from (the vision) despite all the challenges that come with it. … Here we are with the chance to keep playing, and that’s all that matters now.”

Before Fletcher provided the spark, both teams were mired in offensive futility. The Aggies’ first drive stalled in Hurricanes territory. Texas A&M lined up to go for it on fourth-and-6, but star offensive tackle Trey Zuhn III jumped early and backed the Aggies up. They punted to end the drive. But Miami’s first drive did not go any better, getting stopped inside its own 25.

The Hurricanes got their first break of the game on the Aggies’ second drive, as Keionte Scott — who returned from injury after a three-game absence — forced TAMU quarterback Marcel Reed to fumble. UM recovered the loose ball, but could not make anything happen on offense.

“I put all my attention to trying to focus on getting better and getting healthy,” Scott said. “And I want to give a huge shout-out to our strength staff, our treatment, our sports science. They did a lot of things, a lot of exercising going within the restraints of helping me get better, and I definitely feel a lot better. And I’m excited to be back with my guys.”

Texas A&M appeared poised to get on the board first. After Reed connected with Mario Craver for a 59-yard pass that put the Aggies inside the Miami 15, the UM defense buckled down and forced a field goal attempt. Defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. blocked the kick and kept TAMU from scoring.

Miami star Malachi Toney was bottled up in the passing game for much of the first half — though he did set the UM single-season receptions record — but he made a massive play on special teams, returning a punt 55 yards to the Texas A&M 25. But it was not enough to get points, as Carter Davis’ 47-yard field goal attempt was caught by the blustery winds and pushed to the side of the uprights.

The Hurricanes sniffed out a fake punt late in the second quarter and had another opportunity to take a first-half lead, but Davis missed a second field goal by a wide margin, and the teams went to the locker room scoreless.

UM finally opened the scoring after a 72-yard drive fell short of the end zone. Davis kicked a short field goal to put Miami ahead 3-0.

Both quarterbacks struggled through the game. Reed threw the first interception of the game to UM’s Bryce Fitzgerald, who returned the pick to the Texas A&M 20-yard line. But the Hurricanes could not turn it into points, as Davis missed a third field goal try.

The Aggies converted their second field goal attempt, as Randy Bond hit a 35-yard field goal to tie the game with 8:03 left in the fourth quarter.

Toney nearly cost UM the game with a fumble in the fourth quarter, but the Hurricanes’ defense again stiffened and forced the punt that set up his winning touchdown and Fitzgerald’s defensive heroics.

The Aggies drove down the field after the Hurricanes scored their first touchdown, reaching the Miami 5-yard line before Fitzgerald’s second interception sealed the game.

Five takeaways
1. Offense struggles mightily — until it was Fletcher time

The Hurricanes managed just 69 yards in the first half as they struggled to move the ball. Beck struggled to throw the ball downfield and finished the first half with just 31 yards on 8-of-12 passing.

The running game was not much better, gaining 50 yards in the first half.

Miami’s offense started moving the ball more in the second half, gaining 72 yards on their first drive of the third quarter. But that drive still stalled inside the 10.

While the Hurricanes were failing to find the end zone, Fletcher broke off big runs late in the fourth quarter. The junior running back set a career high with 172 yards in the win.

2. Aggies dial in on Toney

A major reason the Hurricanes struggled to generate offense was because Texas A&M was locked on Toney, who has been UM’s best playmaker this year.

Toney wrapped up the first half with three catches for minus-1 yard. The Aggies snuffed out all the specialty plays designed for Toney; he had two carries for 6 yards in the first half, and his one first-half pass fell incomplete.

Toney came through at the most crucial moment, though, scoring on a pop pass with less than two minutes left to give Miami a 10-3 lead.

3. Defense leads the way

While Miami’s offense struggled, the defense kept UM in the game. The Hurricanes forced punts on three of the Aggies’ first five drives, and the other two first-half series ended with a fumble and a turnover on downs.

Bryce Fitzgerald had two interceptions, including the game-saving end-zone pick that won the game.

4. Field goal woes

Neither Miami nor Texas A&M could kick in Saturday’s game. The teams missed their first three field goal attempts.

The Aggies missed the first field goal when Bain blocked the kick. The Hurricanes’ kicking woes cost them six points, as Davis’ first kick got caught in the wind and his second went wide right.

Davis did eventually convert on a short field goal, which broke a scoreless tie early in the third quarter. But when called on again in the third quarter, he clanked a kick off the uprights.

5. Hurricanes’ pass rush gets home

Miami sacked Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed six times on Saturday, and the pass rushers were frequently in the backfield.

Reed did punish the Hurricanes when the pass rush left running lanes open, but Miami’s defense caused enough havoc to make Reed struggle at times.

Bain — who made a screenshot of what he felt was disrespect from an Aggies offensive lineman the wallpaper on his phone — had three sacks and four tackles for loss. Akheem Mesidor had 1.5 sacks. Scott had two sacks and three tackles for loss.