While points were aplenty on Friday night in Norman, the same thing cannot be said about what transpired on Saturday afternoon in College Station. After it looked like an awkward middle dance for 58 minutes, the Miami Hurricanes saved the best for last. A Malachi Toney touchdown grab set up by Mark Fletcher Jr. going BeastQuake essentially gave Carson Beck his first win in the playoff to date.
Although Beck did not play that poorly, especially given the windy conditions that were commonplace throughout the ballgame, another former Georgia player might have been more impactful in sending Miami to the Cotton Bowl. That would be former Georgia backup kicker Jared Zirkel, who had his chip-shot field-goal attempt hilariously blocked during the first half. Miami would go on to win, 10-3.
It was one of those games where it played into the nature of their defenses. Neither team could really get much going offensively. It was only exacerbated by some of the worst kicking you will ever see. While Randy Bond made his lone kick for the Aggies, Zirkel's disaster was only outdone by Carter Davis' atrocious day on special teams for the Hurricanes. He made one of his four kicks on the day.
Yes, Mike Elko put Zirkel in a bad spot, but the guy gets to go to school for free to make those kicks...
Jared Zirkel's blocked field-goal attempt will haunt Texas A&M forever
Watching this game from start to finish was like watching Elko and Mario Cristobal use brawn and no brains to get out of an escape room from a closed caption television set. Miami largely won this game because Broyles Award finalist in defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman was simply outstanding in his role. He overcame Shannon Dawson getting too cute with Toney, and the Mario Cristobal of it all...
From an Aggies standpoint, it kind of felt like offensive coordinator Collin Klein was way too distracted with the prospects of taking over at his alma mater of Kansas State than putting Marcel Reed in advantageous situations to succeed. Then again, Reed's decision-making in this first-round playoff game was largely terrible. Elko did not separate and elevate like he should have leading A&M.
To tie a bow on this, special teams once again cost an SEC home team badly in the playoff. It was a horrendous day for the kicking game of Oklahoma last night. Couple Zirkel's unbelievably bad field goal attempt, one where he effectively Younghoe Koo-ed it off the turf, with the poorly-designed fake punt pass, and Texas A&M put the game on a silver platter for Miami to take it. The U took it in the end.
Beck needs to throw for more than 100-plus yards vs. Ohio State, as Zirkel cannot bail him out here.