ESPN’s Rece Davis believes both the Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies left opportunities on the field by playing things too conservatively in their College Football Playoff showdown.
Speaking on the ESPN College GameDay Podcast, Davis reflected on Miami’s 10–3 road win over Texas A&M. He questioned why neither team leaned more heavily on their quarterback when chances presented themselves.
“The one thing that I did wonder was, and maybe there were some reasons for it, I felt like they needed to trust — both teams needed to trust their quarterbacks a little bit more,” Davis stated.
Davis referenced a sideline exchange with fellow analyst Joey Galloway. They noted how limited both offenses were in attacking the middle of the field.
“Everything’s to the outside,” Davis recalled Galloway saying during the game. “I think it was Carson. Threw one into traffic. Balls batted around. Fell to the turf.”
As the game progressed and points remained scarce, Davis sensed both coaching staffs became increasingly cautious. Especially after multiple missed field goals and a blocked attempt.
“After a couple of field goals were missed, and one field goal blocked and another field goal missed, both sides said, ‘Okay, wait a minute. We’re not going to be the one to screw this up,’” Davis said. “You got a little conservative here and there.”
More on Miami at Texas A&M, Rece Davis
Moreover, Miami quarterback Carson Beck finished the night 14-of-20 for 103 yards and a touchdown, numbers that reflected the Hurricanes’ methodical approach. Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed was more productive statistically. He completed 25 of 39 passes for 237 yards, but his two interceptions loomed large, especially the red-zone pick that sealed the game late.
Davis also questioned the Aggies’ final sequence. Particularly the decision not to find a way to get the ball back into the hands of KC Concepcion, who had been one of the offense’s most dynamic playmakers throughout the game.
“With that much time, at least a run. At least a threat of getting to the edge,” Davis stated. “I needed him to touch it one more time down there, and we didn’t get that.”
Despite his critiques, Davis was complimentary of the overall product He pointed to strong defensive play on both sides.
“I thought those were two really good teams,” he explained. “Two teams that have some challenges on offense, but the defenses made them pay. I thought it was a really, really good game, and a great, great win for Miami on the road.”
Miami now advances in the College Football Playoff to play Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Texas A&M is left to wonder whether a more aggressive approach could have changed the outcome.