Miami Hurricanes Top Performers from Texas A&M Aggies Game
The No. 25 Miami Hurricanes couldn’t bring home a win against No. 23 Texas A&M. What they did bring home, however, was plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the season going forward.
Some Canes that have struggled throughout the year stepped up in a big way against the Aggies which gives reason to believe they could be contributors down the stretch. Here are the top performers from the Hurricanes’ 17-9 loss against the Aggies.
CB DJ Ivey
Ivey has been subject to criticism throughout his Miami career. Against Texas A&M, Ivey silenced the doubters with an impressive performance that consisted of two pass breakups and three tackles. Ivey didn’t allow a catch against Texas A&M.
Ivey was Miami’s best cornerback on Saturday night and it was evident as he wasn’t targeted once in the second half. He even made crucial tackles, all of which were on A&M quarterback Max Johnson.
If not for Ivey, Johnson could have run for more than 20 yards on two different quarterback scrambles It should also be worth noting that both of Ivey's pass breakups came on third downs. If Ivey can keep the same consistency he had against the Aggies, he will end up as the main contributor opposite of Tyrique Stevenson.
Miami's OL
This group as a whole played a good game. Not to say that it wasn’t expected of them, but many believed the Aggies' defensive line would give the Canes' offensive line fits. In pass protection, the group allowed three tackles for loss with no sacks. There were six hurries, but Tyler Van Dyke was able to avoid the pressures and distribute the ball.
The Canes also continued their dominance on the ground against the Aggies. Between Jaylan Knighton and Henry Parrish Jr, the two combined for 5.4 yards per carry and 162 yards. Getting the run game going against Texas A&M was clearly a focal point and if it weren’t for the offensive line, the game could have been uglier for the Miami offense.
Jakai Clark, DJ Scaife and Jalen Rivers were a force along the interior. They were wearing down the A&M interior defensive linemen, especially Isaiah Raikes, the Aggies’ best interior lineman. Raikes logged a tackle for loss, but he and the other defensive lineman were outperformed by Miami’s offensive line.
TE Will Mallory
Mallory had his best game of the season. He caught six of his seven targets for 56 yards. As a safety valve, he was used as the main check-down target for Van Dyke, which as a result, his yardage wasn’t high, but he was Miami’s most reliable receiver against Texas A&M. Mallory had big gains of 21 and 17 in the game.
His run blocking could have been even better on the edge. Mallory also had a holding penalty that cost the team a big gain, but his overall run blocking was good.
AllHurricanes.com is your home for all things Miami Hurricanes football, recruiting, basketball and other athletics, all the time. Follow along on social media at @AllHurricanes on Twitter and All Hurricanes on Facebook for round-the-clock news and analysis.
