By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
Today is the day, folks. The season has played out, and we are down to the final two teams. Texas A&M will play Miami tonight to determine the Season 22 Champions. Let’s look at how these two teams stack up.
Championship Breakdown
Offense
| Stat | Miami (CFSL Rank) | Texas A&M (CFSL Rank) |
| Points per Game | 44.7 (1st) | 38.9 (6th) |
| Rushing Yards per Game | 145.9 (4th) | 75.8 (22nd) |
| Passing Yards per Game | 351.1 (16th) | 485.3 (4th) |
| 3rd Down Conversion % | 53% (1st) | 47% (t-6th) |
| Turnovers (Ranked by Most) | 13 (t-13th) | 17 (t-5th) |
While both teams have had great offenses this season, the stats show a clear favorite. Miami has scored more, is more balanced, converted more 3rd downs, and has lost fewer turnovers. The Miami offense has been fantastic this season as Leisa Pink’s arm and Bo Yost’s legs (and Pink’s legs too) have crippled opposing defenses. They will likely continue this balanced assault in the championship game.
Texas A&M might not have quite the stats that Miami does, but they have been fantastic this season. Freshman QB Malcom Streets has been prolific in his first season, finding talented WRs like Buck Stackhouse and Eli Riggins for huge totals. They don’t have a lot of balance on offense, but their passing game can find the endzone from anywhere on the field.
Defense
| Stat | Miami (CFSL Rank) | Texas A&M (CFSL Rank) |
| Points Allowed per Game | 35.5 (10th) | 30.8 (4th) |
| Rushing Yards Allowed per Game | 73.9 (2nd) | 103.8 (10th) |
| Passing Yards Allowed per Game | 411.6 (23rd) | 365.9 (15th) |
| Allowed 3rd Down Conversion % | 38% (t-3rd) | 44% (t-12) |
| Turnovers Forced | 18 (t-4th) | 18 (t-4th) |
The defensive advantage in this game is a bit more murky. While Texas A&M is better at keeping the ball out of the endzone and limiting the pass, Miami is better against the run and not allowing third-down conversions. Overall, I still have to give the advantage to the Aggies. I think the one big thing to watch in this game is the Texas A&M passing game against a Miami team that has allowed a ton of yards. However, the Hurricanes have made up for this with stifling redzone defense.
For the Aggies, keep an eye on DE Rand Rockwell. He is tied for third in the league in TFLs and has lived in opponents’ backfields all season. Also, Leisa Pink needs to be ready to take on CBs Ryu Rambo, Marcus Padgett, and SS Noah Radloff, who all have three interceptions this season.
Miami has no shortage of playmakers on defense either. SS Dan Hanson has 18 TFLs which is a staggering number for a safety. He also has 81 total tackles and a pair of picks, proving he is capable of making big plays at every level of the defense. DT Bill Cruz is becoming a household name in the playoffs. He has 10 sacks this season and half of those have come in the playoffs. Freshman CB Jack Jones is another name to watch out for. This young ballhawk has five interceptions this season, which is tied for the fourth most in the league.
Overall
These two teams are talented and it is hard to separate them. I think this will be a hard-fought game that will come down to the wire. Good luck to both the Aggies and the Hurricanes.
