Texas A&M vs Miami: College football playoff first round preview
Will Texas A&M’s dominant team or their inconsistent side face Miami in the playoff?
This time last year, Carson Beck had his first College Football Playoff start taken away from him due to a season-ending elbow injury in the SEC Championship game.
Fast forward a year and the veteran quarterback is set to make that long-awaited start against No. 7 Texas A&M at noon ET inside Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
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Only, it isn’t happening with the team he led to the CFP last season.
REQUIRED READING: Who’s in College Football Playoff? 12-team CFP bracket, schedule, more
Instead, it comes with No. 10 Miami, which, just like Beck, is making its debut in college football’s biggest stage.
“It’s honestly unreal to just kind of step back and look at the whole of everything that’s happened,” Beck said in a Dec. 17 interview. “And it’s surreal to get to this point, honestly and to realize everything I’ve been through and realize the adversity that I’ve had to face and overcome.”
Beck has led the Hurricanes to a 10-2 record this season and is looking to lead the program to its first CFP win. Should Miami pull off the upset against Texas A&M, the Hurricanes will advance to the Cotton Bowl CFP quarterfinal against No. 2 Ohio State on New Year’s Eve.
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Here’s a look back at why Beck transferred to Miami:
Where did Carson Beck transfer from?
Beck transferred from Georgia. He spent five seasons with the Bulldogs, with his final years coming as the starting quarterback.
REQUIRED READING: Texas A&M vs Miami predictions: Picks for CFP first-round matchup
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Why did Carson Beck transfer to Miami?
The decision by the ex-Georgia quarterback to enter the portal was a head-scratching one to an extent, largely because he announced on Dec. 28 on his social media he was declaring for the NFL draft.
“I will forever cherish the memories that have been made,” Beck wrote in that initial NFL declaration post. “Thank you Dawg Nation for the time I’ve been here and to those who’ve supported and believed in me, thank you. It’s been an incredible journey and all these moments have ultimately led me to take the next step in my football career.”
He officially announced on Jan. 9 he was entering his name into the NCAA transfer portal. He announced his decision to return home to the state of Florida to play for the Hurricanes on Jan. 10. As noted by USA TODAY Sports’ Matt Hayes, Georgia wanted to keep Beck in Athens. One of the Bulldogs’ SEC rivals, Alabama, also showed an interest in Beck before he committed to Miami.
As for the reason behind Beck’s decision to transfer, that can likely be pointed to his season-ending elbow injury that he sustained during the SEC championship. Since he needed surgery to repair his UCL in his throwing arm, Beck wouldn’t have been able to throw during the heart of the NFL draft workout schedule with teams.
“This is my future, and I think that this decision is one of the better decisions I’ve made,” Beck said at ACC Kickoff in July. “Just trying to develop those relationships and that camaraderie, it’s just reinforced my decision in a positive way.”
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Carson Beck stats
Here’s a look at Beck’s career stats at Georgia and Miami:
2021 (Georgia): 10 of 23 passing (43.5%) for 176 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions
2022 (Georgia): 26 of 35 passing (74.3%) for 310 yards with four touchdowns
2023 (Georgia): 302 of 417 passing (72.4%) for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions; 116 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 60 carries
2024 (Georgia): 290 of 448 passing (64.7%) for 3,485 yards with 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions; 71 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 55 carries
2025 (Miami): 263 of 353 passing (74.7%) for 3,072 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions; 39 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 38 carries
ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.
“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
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Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.
Inter Miami players celebrate after scoring a goal against Orlando City in MLS.
Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.
Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.
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Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.
Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.
Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.
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Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.
Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
Rain floods Miami Beach streets, cut short Miami Heat Family Festival
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Much-needed rain fell across South Florida on Sunday, but the downpour quickly led to flooding and traffic headaches.
“The drainage systems aren’t the best but in ten minutes it will be gone,” one person said.
The rain lasted longer than 10 minutes, flooding several spots along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
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In one neighborhood, at least a foot of water blocked the entrance. Drivers who attempted to pass through sent waves crashing onto nearby sidewalks.
The heavy rain also snarled traffic on parts of Interstate 95 and on the bridges to and from Miami Beach, slowing drivers trying to get around the area.
“It’s Miami for you. What do they call it, a sun shower?” one driver said.
The weather disrupted Sunday plans for many. The 26th annual Miami Heat Family Festival was cut short after strong winds swept through Dan Paul Plaza, knocking over several tents.
There is no word yet on how or when the Miami Heat plan to make up the family festival.
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Brett Knese
Brett Knese joined the Local 10 News team as a general assignment reporter in March 2025.
Jack and Jill of America’s Miami chapter closed out Black History Month with an inaugural “Roots Across Waters” trip to Nassau, where families explored ancestral sites, honored the Bahamian labor that helped build early Miami, and donated Afro‑Caribbean children’s books to local students.
