5 heartstopping observations from Miami's stunning CFP win over Texas A&M

Miami won a fist fight on the road, in a stadium built to swallow visiting offenses whole, and looks like a team that has what it takes to compete with anybody in the nation. The Canes' 10-3 win at Kyle Field against Texas A&M was tense from the opening kick to Bryce Fitzgerald's game-ending pick in the end zone. It also told us a lot about what this Miami team really is. 

1. The defense is elite, and it looked championship-worthy

There are good defenses, and then there are defenses that can win you a playoff game when your offense is stuck in neutral for long stretches. Miami's group was the second one Saturday.

Texas A&M finished with 326 total yards and held the ball for 33:44, but it still scored only three points. Miami suffocated the A&M run game (89 rushing yards on 35 carries) and lived in the backfield.

Miami had seven sacks and forced three turnovers. Fitzgerald alone had two interceptions, including the final one with 24 seconds left to seal it.

2. Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher were the offensive MVPs

If you're picking two guys who made points happen in a game where points were at a premium, it's Fletcher and Toney.

Fletcher ran 17 times for a career-high 172 yards, and his 56-yard rip down the right sideline with the game tied late is the play that finally cracked the dam. Miami's last touchdown drive doesn't exist without Fletcher.

Toney caught five passes for 22 yards and the game-winning 11-yard touchdown with under two minutes left. And it wasn't just the score. He also had a 55-yard punt return.

Toney also had a moment late in the game that is worth mentioning. He fumbled in the fourth quarter, looked crushed, got picked up by teammates, and then came right back to deliver the deciding touchdown. That's playoff stuff.

3. Speak nice when talking about Rueben Bain, or he'll make you pay

The trash talk from A&M came back to haunt them.

Bain led Miami with three sacks, and two of them came in a critical stretch right after Toney's fumble, when A&M had a chance. Instead, Bain slammed the door, helped force a punt, and gave Miami's offense another life.

Miami's goal-line stand in the first half also ended with a blocked Texas A&M field goal, with Bain getting a hand on the kick.

4. Beck didn't throw picks, and that mattered more than the yardage total

Carson Beck's passing stats won't wow anyone: 14 of 20 for 103 yards and one touchdown. But, in this game, Miami fans can say, "thank you for not lighting the season on fire."

Beck threw zero interceptions, meanwhile, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed threw two picks, and the Aggies finished with three turnovers to Miami's one. That turnover margin was the game.

5. Yes, this team can compete with Ohio State

Miami's reward is a date with No. 2 seed Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Dec. 31.

The margin for error is even smaller than it was against Texas A&M. Miami won Saturday while missing three field goals and barely completing any explosive passes through the air. Against Ohio State, you probably won't get away with that for four quarters. But the big takeaway is this: Miami knows exactly who they are, and they have the guys who can pull it off on New Year's Eve.