Football Game Notes: vs. Miami

Saturday, December 20

Bryan-College Station

11:00 AM

Texas A&M

Miami

Buy Tickets

Dec 15, 2025 | Football

Game Notes vs. Miami

By: Brad Marquardt, Assistant AD/Athletics Communications

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M (11-1) hosts the Miami Hurricanes (10-2) in a College Football Playoff first-round game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20 at Kyle Field. Texas A&M, under the direction of second-year head coach Mike Elko, completed the second 11-win regular season in school history and the first-ever perfect 7-0 home worksheet in 2025.

Saturday's matchup between Texas A&M and Miami marks the first CFP appearance for both schools. Both teams received at-large bids with the Aggies earning the No. 7 seed and the right to host the No. 10 seed Hurricanes at Kyle Field.

SETTING THE SCENE:
Miami at Texas A&M
11:00 a.m. CT | Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025
Kyle Field | Bryan-College Station, Texas

Rankings
Miami (10-2 Overall, 6-2 ACC)
No. 10 (CFP) | No. 10 (AP) | No. 10 (Coaches)

Texas A&M (11-1 Overall, 7-1 SEC)
No. 7 (CFP) | No. 7 (AP) | No. 7 (Coaches)

Television
ABC (National)
Sean McDonough, Play-by-Play
Greg McElroy, Analyst
Molly McGrath, Sideline
Taylor McGregor, Sideline

Radio
ESPN (National)
Marc Kestecher, Play-by-Play
Kelly Stouffer, Analyst
Ian Fitzsimmons, Sideline

SiriusXM:
Channel 84 (Texas A&M Network call)

Texas A&M Radio Network (Regional)
The Texas A&M Radio Network provides coverage via nearly 60 stations across the state of Texas. For a complete list of affiliates, please go to 12thMan.com.
Andrew Monaco, play-by-play
Dave Elmendorf, analyst
Will Johnson, sideline

Texas A&M Spanish Broadcast (Regional)
Texas A&M's Spanish broadcast is streamed on RadioAggieland.com and airs in the Bryan-College Station area on La Jefa 102.7 FM, as well as in Monterrey, Mexico on Radio Nuevo Leon.
Pedro Luna, play-by-play
Michael Gonzalez, analyst

NCAA STATISTICAL COMPARISON

Statistic	Rank	Texas A&M	Rank	Miami
Total Offense	20	454.4	27	425.8
Rushing Offense	25	192.7	77	150
Passing Offense	32	261.8	18	275.8
Passing Efficiency	28	149.09	9	165.47
Scoring Offense	14	36.3	20	34.1
Total Defense	19	309.8	11	277.8
Rushing Defense	38	127.1	7	86.8
Passing Defense	21	182.8	30	190.9
Passing Eff. Defense	34	119.73	18	113.35
Scoring Defense	41	21.9	6	13.8
Turnover Margin	T-111	-0.58	T-12	0.75
3rd Down %	58	0.409	T-20	0.472
4th Down %	4	0.75	31	0.632
3rd Down %	1	0.227	10	0.299
4th Down Defense %	21	0.412	T-46	0.48
Red Zone Offense	75	0.836	12	0.923
Red Zone Defense	129	0.938	69	0.84
Net Punting	66	39.6	44	40.46
Punt Returns	10	16.03	15	14
Kickoff Returns	33	22.7	45	22.23
First Downs	T-35	272	33	275
First Downs Allowed	12	193	11	192
Penalties/G	T-118	7.5	123	7.58
Penalty Yards/Game	T-117	64.5	108	62.67
Time of Possession	16	32:24	5	33:43

COLLEGE GAMEDAY RETURNS TO AGGIELAND
ESPN's popular college football road show returns to the campus of Texas A&M for the ninth time for Saturday's College Football Playoff first-round clash between the 7-seed Aggies and the 10-seed Miami Hurricanes. It marks Texas A&M's 12th total appearance on College GameDay.

Texas A&M's History on College GameDay

Date	Matchup	Campus Site, City
Dec. 20, 2025	No. 10 Miami (10-seed) at No. 7 Texas A&M (7-seed)	Aggie Park, Bryan-College Station
Nov. 30, 2024	No. 3 Texas 17, at No. 20 Texas A&M 7	Aggie Park, Bryan-College Station
Aug. 31, 2024	No. 7 Notre Dame 23, at No. 20 Texas A&M 13	Aggie Park, Bryan-College Station
Nov. 13, 2021	at No. 15 Ole Miss 29, No. 11 Texas A&M 19	Oxford, Miss.
Sept. 8, 2018	No. 2 Clemson 28, at Texas A&M 26	Aggie Park, Bryan-College Station
Oct. 22, 2016	at No. 1 Alabama 33, No. 6 Texas A&M 14	Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Oct. 8, 2016	at No. 8 Texas A&M 45, No. 9 Tennessee, 45-38 OT	Aggie Park, Bryan-College Station
Sept. 14, 2013	No. 1 Alabama 49, at No. 6 Texas A&M 42	Simpson Drill Field, Bryan-College Station
Sept. 8, 2012	No. 24 Florida 20, at Texas A&M 17	Simpson Drill Field, Bryan-College Station
Nov. 4, 2006	No. 18 Oklahoma 17, at No. 21 Texas A&M 16	Cain Park, Bryan-College Station
Nov. 11, 2000	No. 1 Oklahoma 35, at No. 24 Texas A&M 31	Kyle Field, Bryan-College Station
Sept. 23, 1995	at No. 7 Colorado 29, No. 3 Texas A&M 21	Boulder, Colo.

NEED-TO-KNOWS

CFP FIRST-TIMERS: Saturday's College Football Playoff first-round matchup between Texas A&M and Miami marks the first CFP appearance for both schools. Both teams received at-large bids with the Aggies earning the No. 7 seed and the right to host the No. 10 seed Hurricanes at Kyle Field.
SEASON SNAPSHOT: Texas A&M finished the 2025 regular season with an 11-1 record, including its first perfect 7-0 worksheet at Kyle Field.
It was the second time in program history the Aggies have won at least 11 games during the regular season, joining the 12-0 regular season finish in 1992 under then-head coach R.C. Slocum.
It also marks the Aggies' first 10-win season since 2012 and the 13th in school history.
Texas A&M was 7-1 in SEC play and finished in a four-way tie for the best league record with fellow CFP participants Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss. It marked the Aggies' highest regular season finish since joining the conference in 2012.
SEEKING NO. 20: Second-year Aggie head coach Mike Elko is a win away from his 20th victory at Texas A&M. With a win over Miami, Elko would become the second Aggie head coach to accumulate 20 wins in his first two seasons in Aggieland. He would match Kevin Sumlin, who compiled a 20-6 record in his first two campaigns.
HOME OF THE 12TH MAN: Texas A&M has a 10-game streak of 100,000-plus crowds at Kyle Field dating back to 2024. Seven of the top 10-largest crowds in Kyle Field history have come during the Mike Elko era.
Texas A&M shattered regular season records for average and cumulative home attendance in 2025 with an average of 106,159 and 743,113 fans in seven home contests. It was the sixth time Texas A&M has drawn 700,000-plus fans through the gates at Kyle Field.
Kyle Field has had three 100,000-plus crowds for 11 a.m. kickoff games already this season – 100,026 vs. Utah State on 9/6, 108,582 vs. South Carolina on 11/15 and 104,877 vs. Samford on 11/22.
FAMILIAR FOES: Texas A&M and Miami recently completed a home-and-home series with the Aggies winning 17-9 at Kyle Field in 2022 and the Hurricanes taking a 48-33 decision at Hard Rock Stadium in 2023.
The two teams have one common opponent in 2025. Both squads tallied victories over Notre Dame with the Hurricanes beating the Irish, 27-24, in Miami on 8/31 and the Aggies winning 41-40 in South Bend, Indiana, on 9/13.
COMPLEMENTARY FOOTBALL: Texas A&M is one of four teams ranked in the top-20 nationally in total offense and total defense - the others are fellow CFP participants Indiana, Oregon and Texas Tech.

PLAYERS TRENDS

Redshirt sophomore QB Marcel Reed completed 69-of-119 pass attempts for 963 yards (8.1) and six touchdowns in four games against AP top 25 opponents (all on the road). He also rushed for 245 yards and two scores on 37 carries (6.6).
In seven games at Kyle Field, Reed averaged 241.5 passing yards per game and 9.0 yards per attempt (117-of-187). He passed for 16 touchdowns against five interceptions. Additionally, he rushed for 166 yards and three scores to raise his total yards average on his home field to 265.0 per game.
Redshirt senior DE Cashius Howell has been credited for a tackle for loss in five-straight games and in 10-of-12 contests this season.
Junior WR KC Concepcion has had at least three catches in every game, including five-plus receptions in last three. He has scored a touchdown in five of his last six outings and became the first Aggie to post a rushing, receiving and punt return TD in a single season in the modern era.
Concepcion has had at least one reception of 15-plus yards in every game.
The 2025 Paul Hornung Award winner, Concepcion has averaged 117.4 all-purpose yards for the full season, including 137.0 over the past five games.
Concepcion has gained 460 yards on 23 punt returns (20.0 average), making him the first Aggies with 450-plus punt return yards this century. It ranks as the most since Danté "Human Joy Stick" Hall had a school-record 573 yards in 1996.
Concepcion and fellow WR Mario Craver combined for 10-plus receptions in seven games, including the Aggies' most recent outing at No. 16 Texas.
Texas A&M's receivers average 14.1 yards per catch, which ranks No. 11 nationally. Led by WR Ashton Bethel-Roman's 23.0 yards per catch, the Aggies have 11 players averaging 10.0-plus yards per reception.
Bethel-Roman has averaged 24.9 yards on 15 catches over the last six games while scoring five touchdowns. He has recorded at least one 20-plus yard reception five times during that stretch. In the first six games of 2025, Bethel-Roman had five catches for 86 yards and no TDs.
Tight ends Theo Melin Öhrström and Nate Boerkircher combined for four-plus catches in five games and at least two in 10 games.
Junior S Dalton Brooks, who rushed for 2,500-plus yards at Class 2A Shiner High School, has put his running skills on display in the latter part of the 2025 season with a 48-yard scamper on a fake punt and 26-yard fumble return vs. Missouri and a 39-yard interception return vs. South Carolina.
Brooks is the only player in the FBS with a 20-plus yard rush, fumble return and interception return on his resume this season.
Brooks posted a career-high 12 tackles against Texas during his last outing.
While starter Le'Veon Moss has been out of the lineup due to an injury, redshirt sophomore RB Rueben Owens II has picked up the slack, racking up 484 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 94 carries (5.1) in his last seven contests, including a pair of 100-yard games.
Also chipping in valuable rushing yards in Moss' absence is graduate student RB EJ Smith, who has produced 133 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries (4.6) in the last five games.

TEAM TRENDS

The defense enters the postseason tied for the national lead with 3.4 sacks per game and have produced 4.0-plus take-downs in 6-of-12 games.
The Maroon & White ranks second nationally in tackles for loss with 8.7 per game and have reached double-digit TFLs in three-straight games and in four of the last five.
Texas A&M has allowed just 6.0 sacks in its last eight games and lead the SEC in fewest sacks allowed (No. 11 nationally) at 1.0 per game. Aggie quarterbacks have been sacked just 12 times while attempting over 30 passes per game.
Texas A&M leads the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed at 2.8 per game and have allowed 2.0 or less eight times.
The Aggies have won the time of possession battle in nine-consecutive games after opponents had the TOP advantage in two of the season's first three games.
Texas A&M has produced at least 19 first downs in 11-straight games since logging a season-low 17 in the season-opener against UTSA (8/30).
The Aggies have made at least four trips into the opponent's red zone in eight-straight games, while generating 26 red zone touchdowns during that span.
The defense has limited opponents to five-or-fewer third-down conversions in nine-straight games, including one-or-less four times.
The Aggies are 12-of-16 (.750) on fourth-down conversions this season, including 9-of-10 over the past six games.
Since Mike Elko announced the fictitious "Coaches Cabo Fund" after piling up 13 penalties in back-to-back games in late September, the Aggies have remained in single digits in penalties in the last eight games and averaged 6.5 per outing.

QB1 REED LEADS THE OFFENSE

Redshirt sophomore QB Marcel Reed has been a driving force behind a strong and balanced offense that ranks No. 20 in total offense (454.4) and is the only offense ranking in the top 30 nationally in total offense, passing, pass efficiency, scoring, rushing and time of possession.
Reed was a finalist for Davey O'Brien, Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards and earned national offensive player or QB of the week honors three times. He was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing and passing for two touchdowns in the Aggies' first win in Baton Rouge in more than 30 years.

REED IN RANGE

QB Marcel Reed is within range of becoming the FBS's fifth player this season to reach the 3,000 passing (needs 68) and 500 rushing yards (needs 34) plateaus, joining Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia, USF's Byrum Brown, Texas State's Brad Jackson and UNLV's Anthony Colandrea.
Only two Texas A&M players - Johnny Manziel (twice) and Jerrod Johnson - have reached the 3,000/500 levels in a season.

Marcel Reed Statistical Snapshot

PASSING: 209-338 (.618), 2,932 yards, 25 TDs, 10 INTs
RUSHING: 89 attempts, 466 yards (5.2), 6 TDs
TOTAL OFFENSE: 427 plays, 3,398 yards, 31 TDs, 283.2
Is one of two players in the SEC with 25+ passing TDs and 5+ rushing TDs
Has posted five games with 3+ passing TDs this season

In the SEC Rankings:

1st in passing yards per completion (14.0)
2nd in yards per play (8.0)
3rd in passing TDs (25)
4th in passing efficiency (153.19 rating)
5th in total offense (3,398)

HOW IT STARTED VS. HOW IT'S GOING
Marcel Reed's Statistics

Statistic	2024	2025
Total Offense	219.2	283.2
Touchdowns Responsible For	22	31
Yards per Play	6.8	8.0
20-Plus Yard Plays	27	50
Passing	169.5	244.3
Pass Efficiency	142.1	153.2
Passing Touchdowns	15	25
Yards per Completion	12.7	14.0
Yards per Attempt	7.8	8.7
Yards per Rush	4.7	5.2

CA$H MONEY

Redshirt senior DE Cashius Howell became Texas A&M's first SEC Defensive Player of the Year since the school joined the league in 2012.
The 6-2, 248-pound Howell emerged as the SEC's most-feared pass rusher in 2025 with a league-best 11.5 sacks, while also generating 41 quarterback pressures according to Pro Football Focus.
Howell's QB take-down total is the most by an Aggie since current NFL sack record-setter Myles Garrett had 11.5 in 2014.
Howell earned Walter Camp first-team All-America honors and was a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski and Lombardi awards after entering 2025 with a second-team All-SEC selection by Athlon as his most notable preseason honor.
Making plays all over the field, Howell ranked fourth in the SEC with 14.0 tackles for loss and batted down six opponent aerials.
Howell etched his name into college football lore by posting a "sack-trick" with three consecutive sacks during a single drive against Utah State (9/6). Research indicates that Howell was the first FBS player to record three-straight sacks in a single drive since Wisconsin's Jack Cichy in the 2015 Holiday Bowl. For his efforts, Howell was named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Against South Carolina (11/15), Howell batted down a career-high three Gamecock passes, which matched his own school record for pass breakups by a defensive lineman that he shares with Alonzo Williams. Howell also swatted three opponent aerials against Mississippi State in 2024.

FBS Sack Leaders

Rk	Player, School	Sacks	Sacks/G
1	Nadame Tucker, W. Michigan	14.5	1.12
2	John Henry Daley, Utah	11.5	1.05
3	David Bailey, Texas Tech	13.5	1.04
4	Nathan Voorhis, Ball State	12.0	1.00
5	Cashius Howell, Texas A&M	11.5	0.96

FBS Pass Breakup Leaders (Among Defensive Ends)

Rk	Player, School	PBUs
1	Leroy Harris III, Kansas	8
2	Cashius Howell, Texas A&M	6
	Max Llewellyn, Iowa	6
	Patrick Payton, LSU	6
5	Emmanuel Oyebadejo, Jacksonville State	5

ALL-PURPOSE CONCEPCION

Junior KC Concepcion won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player after generating 1,400-plus all-purpose yards and becoming the first player in the modern era at Texas A&M to score a touchdown on a rush (1), catch (9) and punt return (2) in a single season.
Concepcion ranks second nationally with 460 punt return yards and tied for third with a 20.0 punt return average.
Concepcion's 80-yard return vs. UTSA and 79-yard return against LSU, both for touchdowns, rank as the eight- and ninth-longest punt returns in school history. He is tied for the national lead in 70-plus yard punt returns with two.
Concepcion is tied for the SEC lead with nine receiving touchdowns (tied for 15th nationally) and ranks fourth with 886 receiving yards. Of Concepcion's 57 receptions, 46 have resulted in a first down (44) and/or a touchdown (9).
He has accumulated 1,409 all-purpose yards this season, which rank 14th nationally and fourth in the SEC (No. 1 among wide receivers).

FBS Punt Return Leaders

Rk	Player, School	PR-Yards.	Avg.
1	Kaden Wetjen, Iowa	19-538	28.3
2	KC Concepcion, Texas A&M	23-460	20.0
3	Ryan Niblett, Texas	19-448	23.6
4	Caullin Lacy, Louisville	22-440	20.0
5	Tony Freeman, Wash St	23-386	16.9

DYNAMIC TANDEM

Mario Craver and KC Concepcion combine to average 148.8 receiving yards per game and are one of six receiving tandems nationally with 800-plus yards each.
Craver and Concepcion are one of just three receiving tandems nationally averaging over 15.0 yards per catch (minimum of 50 catches).
Both players rank in the top five in the SEC in all-purpose yards per play.

SEC All-Purpose Yards Per Play Leaders

Rk	Player, School	Plays-Yds.	Yds./P
1	Tre Richardson, Vanderbilt	62-1108	17.9
2	Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee	62-1017	16.4
3	KC Concepcion, Texas A&M	88-1409	16.0
4	Mario Craver, Texas A&M	63-906	14.4
5	Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma	92-1273	13.8

WINNING ON THIRD DOWN

Texas A&M leads the nation in third-down conversion defense, allowing opponents to convert just 22.7% of the time. In league play, the Aggies are even stingier, holding opponents to just a 21.9% success rate.
All eight SEC opponents faced 8.0-plus yards-to-gain on third downs in 2025, including four games with 10.0-plus.

Third-Down Yards-to-Gain in SEC Play

Opponent	Yards-to-Gain Avg.	Third Downs
Auburn	10.7	0-13 (.000)
Mississippi State	11.4	1-10 (.100)
Florida	9.5	1-10 (.100)
at Arkansas	10.1	4-10 (.400)
at LSU	10.2	2-13 (.154)
at Missouri	8.2	5-13 (.384)
South Carolina	8.7	4-15 (.267)
at Texas	8.8	4-13 (308)

MAROON GOONS PAVING THE WAY

Texas A&M's success on offense starts with the strong play of its offensive front, also known as the "Maroon Goons." The Aggies' offensive line were semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top offensive line.
Texas A&M paces the SEC in fewest sacks allowed at 1.0 per game (No. 11 nationally). Aggie quarterbacks have been sacked just 12 times while attempting over 30 passes per game.
Texas A&M leads the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed at 2.8 per game.
The Aggies rank No. 15 in time of possession with an average of 32:24 and have earned a TOP advantage in nine-straight games.
The Aggies are 12-of-16 (.750) on fourth-down conversions this season, including 9-of-10 over the past six games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Texas A&M's standard starting five offensive linemen of LT Trey Zuhn III, LG Chase Bisontis, C Mark Nabou Jr., RG Ar'maj Reed-Adams and RT Dametrious Crownover have allowed just three sacks and five QB hits while all logging more than 300 snaps.
The five starters average 33.4 career starts, led by Zuhn III with 49 (44 consecutive).
Also via PFF, Texas A&M's offensive line has a 91.4 pass block efficiency rating, which ranks 13th among Power 4 conference teams.
The Aggies' offensive line unit was one of the most experienced in the nation with 161 career starts entering 2025, which ranked fifth-most among FBS schools. Entering the postseason, the standard starting five average 34.4 career starts.
The 2025 starting unit ranks as one of the heaviest in school history, weighing in at 1,617 pounds, or 323.4 per goon.

FBS: Fewest Tackles for Loss Allowed/Game

Rk	School	TFL-Yards	Avg.
1	Texas A&M	34.0-123	2.83
2	Navy	34.0-119	3.09
3	Cincinnati	39.0-93	3.25
4	San Jose State	40.0-152	3.33
5	Miami (FL)	42.0-140	3.50

WALKING TALL

Graduate student LT Trey Zuhn III stands out among the Maroon Goons as he became the third Aggie to receive the SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy, joining Luke Joeckel in 2012 and Jake Matthews in 2013.
Zuhn III surpassed the 3,000-snap plateau for his five-year career earlier this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Zuhn III has played 3,212 offensive snaps for the Aggies.
The 2025 first-team All-SEC pick owns the nation's highest pass blocking grade at 96.9 and surrended just a single sack on 382 pass snaps in 12 regular season games, according to PFF.
One of the nation's most versatile offensive linemen, the 6-6, 319-pound Zuhn III is the only power four player with 500-plus snaps at tackle and 100-plus at center.
With a team-high 49 career starts, the two-time team captain has committed just nine penalties in his career since seeing his first action in 2021.

Pro Football Focus Pass Blocking Grades

Rk	Player, School	Pass Snaps	Pass Blocking Grade
1	Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M	382	96.9
2	Carter Smith, Indiana	399	93.4
3	Beau Stephens, Iowa	342	92.9
4	Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma	453	91.5
5	Logan Parr, SMU	353	91.3

IMPROVED NUMBERS
Texas A&M's offense has made significant strides in the national statistical rankings from 2024 to 2025.

In the NCAA Statistics: Comparing Year 1 to Year 2

Statistic	2024	2025	Difference
4th Down %	T-106/.444	4/.750	+102
Passing Offense	87/210.3	32/261.8	+55
Sacks Allowed	55/1.77	11/1.00	+44
Passing Efficiency	65/134.72	28/149.09	+37
Scoring Offense	50/30.4	14/36.3	+36
Yards Per Completion	40/12.7	11/14.1	+29
Total Offense	49/405.8	20/454.4	+19
First Downs	T-48/279	T-35/272	+13
Time of Possession	28/31:43	15/32:24	+13
Tackles For Loss Allowed	12/3.9	1/2.8	+11
Rushing Offense	26/195.5	25/192.7	+1

PLAYING KEEP AWAY

Texas A&M has earned a time of possession advantage in each of the past nine games, after logging a possession deficit in two of the first three games of 2025.

Controlling Time of Possession

Opponent	TAMU / Opponent	Margin
Auburn	34:06 / 25:54	+8:12
Mississippi State	38:17 / 21:43	+16:34
Florida	33:42 / 26:18	+7:24
at Arkansas	33:48 / 26:12	+7:36
at LSU	30:12 / 29:48	+0:24
at Missouri	35:44 / 24:16	+11:28
South Carolina	30:16 / 29:44	+0:32
at Texas	32:15 / 27:45	+4:30

GETTING TO THE QB

Texas A&M is tied for the national lead with 41.0 sacks or 3.42 per game. While senior DE Cashius Howell easily leads the team with an SEC-best 11.5 take-downs, the Aggies' pass rush is fueled by 16 players with 1.0-plus sacks this season.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Aggies have pressured the opposing quarterback an SEC-high 127 times in 13 games.
Of the Aggies' 41.0 sacks, nearly half (19.0) have come in the fourth quarter.
Texas A&M is one of two teams with multiple pass rushers in the top 20 of NCAA's active career sacks leaders list. Howell is tied for fourth with 27.0 while graduate student DE Dayon Hayes ranks 16th with 18.5.
Hayes, who had previous stops at Pittsburgh and Colorado, has posted 2.0-plus sacks in six-straight collegiate seasons.

FBS Team Sacks Leader