Miami's defense dominates A&M for first CFP win

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Rueben Bain rolled his eyes, smiled, then held up his cell phone, the lock screen glowing with a photo of Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III. Bain had anticipated the question. He was looking forward to it.

In the run-up to Saturday's College Football Playoff game between Miami and Texas A&M, Zuhn had delivered the bulletin-board material, telling reporters that he didn't think Bain "would be a threat that we need to worry about too much."

Big mistake.

"We don't take kindly to disrespect," Bain said. "Some people said some things they shouldn't have said."

Bain and the Miami defense were dominant in a 10-3 win over the Aggies, ending a once-promising Texas A&M season and sending the Hurricanes to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, where they'll face Ohio State.

Bain finished with 5 tackles -- 4 for a loss -- and 3 sacks, while also blocking a field goal attempt in the first half.

The rest of the defense followed his lead, racking up nine tackles for loss and creating three takeaways, including a game-sealing interception in the back of the end zone with 24 seconds to play by freshman Bryce Fitzgerald.

After the win, defensive end Akheem Mesidor was naming the players who stepped up against the Aggies -- defensive line, defensive backs, linebackers -- then mentioned Fitzgerald.

"Bryce!" Bain and cornerback Keionte Scott both shouted in unison, laughing.

Fitzgerald arrived on campus in June, but quickly made his presence felt, and his role on Miami's defense has grown as the season progressed. On Saturday, he was a star, intercepting two passes by Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed. The latter came on a third-and-goal at the 5 after the Aggies marched down the field in an effort to tie it. Fitzgerald stepped in front of a pass intended for Melin Ohrstrom, and the celebration began.

"He's a quick study," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. "He's never flinched. He spends every waking minute studying, but when the lights come on, some guys just kind of have 'it.' He's that guy. He just knows what to do and how to do it."

A year ago, this Miami defense kept the Hurricanes from the playoff. With future No. 1 NFL draft pick Cam Ward working magic on offense, Miami's battered secondary created a chain reaction that led to a complete defensive meltdown in the season's stretch run. Miami lost two of its final three games to fall from No. 4 in the rankings to out of the playoff.

Cristobal responded by making a change at coordinator, bringing in Corey Hetherman -- now a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in college football -- and putting a focus on rebuilding the back end of the defense. Fitzgerald, Scott and transfer Xavier Lucas were keys to the turnaround. With the secondary secure, the defensive front was free to wreak havoc, and Mesidor and Bain did exactly that against the Aggies.

"We sat in the locker room for like 15 minutes [after the game]," Bain said, "just saying how crazy it was for us to win this game in this kind of way."

Hetherman said the focus for Miami's defense was more about patience and keeping Reed inside the pocket. The A&M quarterback had some scrambles that gave him time to find open receivers or pick up yards on the ground. But Hetherman said he prioritized showing Reed different coverage schemes to keep him off-balance, and eventually that allowed the Miami defensive front to apply pressure.

Miami's seven sacks against Texas A&M are tied for the most by a Canes defense in the past six seasons. And though there had been concern about how Miami's offensive line would handle the crowd noise at Kyle Field, where more than 104,000 fans provided a stifling soundtrack, it was the Aggies' O-line that was flagged for multiple penalties.

"We lost the game of the line of scrimmage, and I think it got worse in the second half," Aggies coach Mike Elko said. "We just couldn't keep them off of us. We couldn't get the run game established. We became one-dimensional. Once we became one-dimensional, they were able to tee off."

Overall, Miami held the Aggies to just 326 yards of offense and 89 on the ground -- just 50 from A&M's three tailbacks: Le'Veon Moss, Rueben Owens and EJ Smith.

And when Miami faced adversity, the defense was at its best. A&M's three red zone trips amounted to just three points, and when Miami receiver Malachi Toney fumbled near midfield late in the game, the Hurricanes' defense followed with a quick three-and-out.

"A year ago, we had a tough time stopping people on defense," Cristobal said. "This was one of those games where we felt like we were holding good and knocking them back. The confidence that [the defense] brings is off the charts, and they were the difference today."