COLLEGE STATION — There can only be one first and the Texas A&M Aggies will go down as the original College Football Playoff team in program history.
Somehow, that distinction will do little to blunt the sting of Saturday’s 10-3 loss to the Miami Hurricanes.
Article continues below this ad
The No. 7 Aggies didn’t finish and it’s a playoff lesson the returning players will carry into the spring while others who played or coached in their last game on campus will always ponder what could have been in 2025.
The program took a major step forward in Year 2 under Mike Elko. Who wouldn’t take a jump from eight to 11 wins? The biggest question moving forward is how to close. The Aggies lost their final two games in a season for the third straight season and the second on Elko’s watch, but this one hits different because of the stakes and how it all went down.
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko walks off the field after the loss to Miami in the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
MORE CEDDY:Will the Horns make more staff changes?
Article continues below this ad
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko walks the field ahead of the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
The 12th Man will beam with pride at the 11-2 season, but they also will reflect on what could have been, from the three first-half trips inside Miami territory that resulted in zero points; to the seven sacks that A&M’s veteran offensive line allowed; to the defense’s dam finally breaking on Canes running back Mark Fletcher Jr.’s late 56-yard dash that set up Malachi Toney’s eventual game-winning touchdown; to quarterback Marcel Reed’s potential game tying touchdown pass that fell into the arms of safety Bryce Fitzgerald in the end zone.
The interception was Reed’s third turnover, a real killer for a team that finished the season minus-eight in turnover margin.
Article continues below this ad
Elko is a defensive coordinator by trade, but he would have killed for some more O in the biggest football game in program history. The combined 13 points was as muddy as it sounded since it’s the lowest scoring CFP game ever, easily falling below the 30 points Alabama and Clemson produced in 2017. Elko had a tough time coming to grips with how Miami was able to impose its will up front, handing the Aggies their first home loss and their second dating to back last year’s loss to the rival Texas Longhorns. That was also the last time the Aggies’ offense was held out of the end zone in a home game.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
“We just lost the game at the line of scrimmage and I think it got worse in the second half,” Elko said. “We couldn’t get the run game established and we became one-dimensional. Once we became one-dimensional, they were able to tee off.”
MORE AGGIES: A&M volleyball stalks national title
Article continues below this ad
\While the No. 10 Hurricanes will prep for another trip to Texas — they will meet No. 2 Ohio State, the defending national champions, in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31 — the Aggies will be left to ponder why the didn’t produce enough to extend a season that started with 11 straight wins.
“We have to finish,” said wideout Mario Craver. “That needs to be the motto. We need to learn how to finish games.”
It was all set up for success
The Aggies had so much going for themselves entering the biggest weekend of the season and things started out promising. The Hurricanes couldn’t move the ball for most of the first half and and was struggling in special teams with kicker Carter Davis missing three field goals. While Davis was missing kicks, the Aggies were out on missing scoring opportunities.
Article continues below this ad
A false start helped halt their opening drive inside the Miami 40. Reed lost a fumble one possession later and then new kicker Jared Zirkel — who was later lifted for the embattled veteran Randy Bond — had a chip shot field goal blocked. It all added up to a scoreless first half that had the Aggies believing they would finish since they held a 175-69 edge in yardage the first two quarters.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) hands the ball off to Texas A&M running back Rueben Owens II (4) during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
There wasn’t much carryover and credit had to go to the A&M defense for holding its water enough to set up Bond’s game-tying field goal with 8:03 left. Dalton Brooks’ recovery of a Toney fumble had the Aggies feeling Cotton, but Miami edge rusher Ruben Bain Jr., who will surely star in Elko’s offseason nightmares, sacked Reed twice to force a punt.
And that’s where it fell apart.
Article continues below this ad
Fletcher’s burst off right tackle all but sealed A&M’s fate. He finished with 173 yards on only 17 carries and became the sixth back to top 100 yards aginst the nation’s 38th ranked rush defense.
Hope still wafted through the 104,122 in attendance, especially after Reed drove the team downfield to brink of overtime, only to come up short on a touch pass the Hurricanes read well.
Sign up for Cedric Golden’s newsletter
Sign up for Cedric Golden’s newsletter for hot takes and expert analysis each Tuesday on Texas Longhorns football and beyond. It’s called Ced’s Corner, from the mind of the American-Statesman’s resident sports columnist.
Article continues below this ad
The future is bright
With Reed back for another year, the Aggies can build upon this while the specter of coming so close to the quarterfinals will make for some sleepless nights. Offensive coordinator Collin Klein and his defensive counterpart Jay Bateman are leaving for other jobs, but the nucleus will be back. The biggest challenge will be sustaining the momentum they built this season and taking another step forward which is easier said than done in the rough and tumble SEC.
Article continues below this ad
“We took what we learned from last year, brought it to this year and hopefully can take what we learned to next year,” Reed said. “This was a really good team.”
There is plenty of upside and some hard lessons that may benefit the program in the near future.