If Miami is going to survive Marcel Reed and Texas A&M in the College Football Playoff, it starts with something very simple: tackle the screen game. Reed and the Aggies are lethal when they get the ball out quick and Miami's defense is built almost perfectly to take that away if it plays to its identity.
Miami Hurricanes vs Texas A&M Preview
Reed has thrown for 2,932 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, averaging 8.7 yards per attempt, and added 466 rushing yards and six scores on the ground this season. Texas A&M leans into that dual-threat skill set by turning the screen game into an extension of the run. Reed holds an 8.6 yards per attempt on screens.
Texas A&M leads the CFP field at 7.4 yards after catch per reception, with the offense built to let its playmakers work in space. KC Concepcion, who just earned AP first-team All-America honors, has 886 receiving yards on 57 catches and 12 total touchdowns this year. Mario Craver has chipped in 52 catches for 825 yards and four scores, plus 81 rushing yards on jet sweeps and gadget plays.
So with the success in the screen game, and the weapons at Reed's disposal, how does Miami have the advantage here? Because screen passes are one of the things this group quietly does best.
The Hurricanes have allowed just 5.0 yards per attempt on screens all season and only 30.4 screen yards per game. In ACC play, those numbers dip to 4.7 yards per attempt and 23.9 yards per game. That is elite efficiency in a sport where most offenses are happy to live in the 6-7 yards per attempt range on quick throws. The only time Miami has really been hurt on them is in its two losses, when it gave up 46 screen yards per game and 6.1 yards per attempt.
The Miami Hurricanes defensive unit is elite
Under first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, Miami has made a 41% improvement in points allowed per drive compared to last season, the second-biggest jump in the country. The Hurricanes are allowing just 6.0 yards per attempt overall in the passing game and have given up only 2,291 passing yards on 380 attempts through the regular season.
They have one of the strongest combinations of defensive line and secondary in the nation, a big reason they look like a true national title contender.
Miami's front, led by stars like Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, has been a problem for opposing offensive lines all season. But, the trick is forcing Reed to hold the ball long enough for that rush to matter.
Texas A&M's entire passing approach is designed to stay ahead of the chains and avoid negative plays. When Concepcion and Craver are turning 2-yard throws into 9-yard gains, Reed rarely has to take true five/seven-step drops against a loaded pass rush. When those plays get tackled at or near the line of scrimmage, suddenly it is second-and-9, third-and-7, and Miami can unleash its defensive line.
If Miami can keep those first-down screens from getting loose, the Hurricanes have a clear path on Saturday.