Dec. 17, 2025, 6:03 a.m. CT

Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC) is just three days away from hosting Miami (FL) (10-2) in what is considered the best matchup during the first round of the College Football Playoff. Both teams are highly similar on both sides of the ball, while starting quarterback Marcel Reed and Carson Beck threw for 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during the regular season.

For what could be the final time this season, comparing the key stats heading into Saturday’s matchup provides more clarity for both fanbases who may not have watched either team this year. When I said these teams performed similarly, I wasn’t kidding.

Entering the game, Texas A&M is a slight 3-point favorite, mainly due to playing in what should be a sold-out Kyle Field. Still, the Aggies are coming off a devastating 27-17 road loss to rival Texas less than a month ago, while starting quarterback Marcel Reed played what many consider the worst game of his career.

However, Texas A&M’s offense is expected to get star running back Le’Veon Moss back on the field after missing the last five games, and still finished with the 19th-ranked offense even with the senior sidelined for the second half of the regular season.

Under center, Marcel Reed has had the luxury of throwing to wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, who combined for over 1,700 yards and 13 touchdowns. At the same time, Miami quarterback Carson Beck has relied on elite freshman wideout Malachi Toney for most of the passing production at the end of the year.

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On the ground, Texas A&M averaged nearly 200 yards on the ground. In comparison, the Hurricanes finished with 150 yards per contest, which is respectable, but shouldn’t strike fear into Texas A&M’s defensive line and linebacker rotation. Still, the Aggies have not been the most efficient run defense, allowing too many explosive plays before adjusting in the second half.

Outside of limiting turnovers and forcing the Hurricanes into 3rd-and-long situations against Texas A&M’s No. 1-ranked third-down defense, the Aggies will look to produce several explosive plays, primarily through the air. They will be facing a Miami secondary that finished 17th in explosive play defense.

The bottom line is that limiting Malachi Toney and forcing Carson Beck to drop back on nearly every snap is key to Texas A&M’s defense limiting the Hurricanes from reaching the end zone and forcing them to rely on field goals. For the Aggies, OC Collin Klein will need to scheme up “high percentage” plays for Marcel Reed to get the ball out quickly on screens and mesh concepts, and will likely need to rely on extended drives with a balanced rushing attack.

Texas A&M will host Miami on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. with coverage on ABC and ESPN.

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