Texas A&M hosts Miami in a brutal first-round CFP matchup, and here are Hurricanes' playmakers the Aggies absolutely cannot let get comfortable at Kyle Field.
The wait is over ... and the road is nasty.
After all the late-season bracket debate, Texas A&M avoided a dangerous rematch with Notre Dame and instead drew Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The Aggies will host the Canes at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 11 a.m., in what will be the first-ever home playoff game in College Station history.
That's a nightmare setting for a road team, but Miami isn't limping in. The Hurricanes have three legit stars that could flip this game if A&M isn’t locked in.
Carson Beck, QB
Aggies fans know the name. Carson Beck is no stranger to the SEC or big stages after transferring from Georgia, where he posted a 24-3 record, an SEC title and Heisman buzz before moving on to Miami.
He's never dealt with Kyle Field in playoff mode, though. That's a different animal.
In his first season running Miami's offense, Beck has thrown for 3,072 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, adjusting to a new system and staff while still looking like a big-game operator.
He's already escaped a nail-biter at Florida State and taken his lumps in a loss to SMU. If No. 11 finds a rhythm early, A&M's pass rush has to be the equalizer, or this turns into a track meet.
Mark Fletcher, RB
If there's one matchup that should have the Aggie defense on edge, it's Mark Fletcher vs. A&M's run fits. The Fort Lauderdale junior is a 225-pound bowling ball with enough juice to house it if he gets a crease.
Fletcher has 685 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 141 carries, plus 14 catches for 107 yards.
His best stretch came against ranked USF and Florida, where he ripped off back-to-back 100-yard games.
A&M has shown vulnerability against physical ground games. If the Aggies don’t set the tone early, Fletcher can turn this into a body-blow afternoon.
Malachi Toney, WR
Then there's the cheat code.
Freshman wideout Malachi Toney has become Beck's go-to weapon and a true No. 1 receiver already. At 84 catches for 970 yards and 7 touchdowns, he's a problem at every level of the field, and he's heating up at exactly the wrong time for A&M.
Toney has six games with at least 80 yards this year, including a 61-yard bomb vs. Louisville and back-to-back explosions late with 146 yards vs. Virginia Tech and 126 vs. No. 22 Pitt on 13 grabs.
If he gets loose early and starts stacking chunk plays, the Aggies could spend all day chasing.
Miami isn't walking into Kyle Field scared. They're walking in with firepower. If Texas A&M wants this CFP run to be more than a one-game appearance, job one is simple... make life miserable for Beck, Fletcher and Toney from the first snap.