Malachi Toney’s heroics lift Miami over Texas A&M in College Football Playoff

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Malachi Toney’s tiebreaking 11-yard touchdown reception with less than two minutes left lifted No. 10 Miami to a 10-3 victory over No. 7 Texas A&M on Saturday in the College Football Playoff.

Mark Fletcher Jr. had a career-high 172 yards rushing to help the Hurricanes (11-2) advance to the Cotton Bowl to face No. 2 seed Ohio State on Dec. 31.

Toney’s big play came a series after what looked a devastating mistake for the freshman. Toney made a reception, but Dalton Brooks knocked the ball out and Daymion Sanford recovered it on the Texas A&M 47 with about seven minutes to go. Teammates surrounded a visibly upset Toney on the bench, encouraging him and trying to keep him positive.

He and Miami’s offense got another chance when Rueben Bain Jr. sacked Marcel Reed on two of three plays on the ensuing drive to force a punt.

A career-long 56-yard run by Fletcher on the first play of the next drive got the Hurricanes to the Texas A&M 30 with about three minutes to go. Miami used four more runs by Fletcher to get into scoring position before Toney took the short toss from Carson Beck and dashed into the end zone.

NO. 5 OREGON 51, NO. 19 JAMES MADISON 34

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Dante Moore threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score and Oregon beat James Madison in a College Football Playoff opener.

The Ducks (12-1) advanced to face Texas Tech in a quarterfinal game at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. Oregon won a playoff game for the first time since 2014, when the Ducks beat Florida State in the Rose Bowl semifinal before losing to Ohio State.

Moore completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Johnson less than two minutes into the game to give Oregon a lead it would not relinquish. Johnson hauled in Moore’s pass with his right hand, and romped into the end zone while dragging a pair of defenders.

NO. 6 MISSISSIPPI 41, NO. 17 TULANE 10

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Trinidad Chambliss ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, and Mississippi looked unfazed by the defection of coach Lane Kiffin, beating No. 17 Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Scoring runs of 20 yards by Kewan Lacy and 4 yards by Chambliss gave OIe Miss (12-1) a 14-0 lead before eight minutes had elapsed in the coaching debut of Pete Golding, who was promoted from defensive coordinator after Kiffin left for LSU on Nov. 30.

Now Golding is set to coach Ole Miss in a CFP quarterfinal against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1

Tulane (11-3) and QB Jake Retzlaff moved the ball effectively at times, but the Rebels remained comfortably ahead throughout, thanks to Ole Miss cornerback Jaylon Braxton’s early interception, as well as multiple fumble recoveries and fourth-down stops by the Rebels’ defense.