After sneaking into the School Soccer Playoffs, the Miami Hurricanes are headed into the second spherical.
The No. 10 Hurricanes upset the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies 10-3 of their first-round matchup in School Station, Texas on Saturday.
Miami was on the surface wanting in to the playoff till the ultimate CFP rankings had been revealed on Dec. 7. Now, the Hurricanes will play No. 2 Ohio State on New Yr’s Eve within the quarterfinals.
Freshman cornerback Bryce Fitzgerald sealed the win for Miami, intercepting Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed ultimately zone with 24 seconds left to forestall a game-tying landing. Hurricanes freshman receiver Malachi Toney scored the sport’s lone landing on a brief cross with beneath two minutes to go.
Miami joins the Alabama Crimson Tide because the second crew to punch their ticket to the second spherical of the CFP, because the No. 9 Crimson Tide overcame a 17-0 deficit to upset the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners 34-24 on Friday.
Saturday’s sport, alternatively, was an unsightly, defensive slugfest.
Texas A&M and the Hurricanes mixed to make solely 2 of 6 area objectives and convert solely 11 of 31 third or fourth down makes an attempt. The groups additionally mixed for 4 turnovers, together with three expensive ones by the Aggies.
The primary half was the primary scoreless opening half in CFP historical past. Miami missed three area objectives, whereas Texas A&M missed one, fumbled on one other possession, and turned the ball over on downs on one other.
The Hurricanes opened the second half with their first made area objective, solely to overlook one other after Reed’s first interception of the sport.
The groups then traded punts earlier than the Aggies lastly tied the sport within the fourth quarter on a brief area objective to cap a 16-play, 67-yard drive.
Toney fumbled following the Texas A&M rating, however Miami’s protection compelled a punt on the Aggies’ ensuing drive. That set the stage for the Hurricanes’ finest possession of the sport, a six-play, 86-yard jaunt that ended with a Toney landing.
The Hurricanes had been in a position to march down the sphere largely as a consequence of operating again Mark Fletcher Jr., who ran 5 occasions for 75 yards to arrange the Toney landing. Fletcher Jr. completed with 172 yards on 17 carries.
Texas A&M, nevertheless, rapidly bought in place to tie the sport after the Miami rating. The Aggies coated 70 yards in solely 10 performs to make all of it the way in which to the Hurricanes’ five-yard line with 33 seconds to go. After Reed threw incomplete on first and second down, Fitzgerald hauled in his second decide of the sport on third and objective.
With Miami and Alabama advancing, two quarterfinal matchups are actually set.
The Crimson Tide will play the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers within the Rose Bowl on New Yr’s Day. The Hurricanes will play the Buckeyes within the Cotton Bowl.
Miami and Ohio State final met within the postseason in 2003, when the Buckeyes upset the Hurricanes 31-24 within the nationwide championship sport.
In the meantime, the Oregon Geese and Ole Miss Rebels additionally made it to the second spherical Saturday after each faculties simply dispatched their Group of 5 opponents.
The No. 5 Geese dominated No. 12 James Madison, successful 51-34.
The No. 6 Rebels, taking part in their first sport with out head coach Lane Kiffin since his departure for LSU, defeated No. 11 Tulane 41-10.
Oregon will play Texas Tech on Jan. 1 within the Orange Bowl, whereas Ole Miss will face No. 3 Georgia the identical day within the Sugar Bowl.
