Aggies Look For Clean Sweep Of Miami At Hard Rock Stadium

The last time A&M made the trip to South Beach was the beginning of the end of the Dennis Franchione era.

COLLEGE STATION -- Much has changed since last year when Texas A&M survived a 17-9 scare over Miami at Kyle Field in Week 3. Even more has differed since the last time the Aggies made a trip down to South Florida. 

In 2007, the Hurricanes held the Aggies to 38 yards of offense in the first half. Kyle Wright tossed two touchdown passes and led five scoring drives to make it 31-0 heading into the fourth quarter. A&M's offense found life thanks to two touchdowns from Stephen McGee and Jerrod Johnson, but the damage was far too much to recover from, leading to a 34-17 defeat in the Orange Bowl. 

McGee and Johnson are living life post-football. The Orange Bowl no longer exists. But a slip-up from the No. 23 Aggies (1-0) in the first half could open the door for the Hurricanes (1-0) to piledrive the run-heavy offense in the end zone, putting the SEC West contender in a hold far too deep to dig out of. 

Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher is looking for better results this time around at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, but it starts with a quality week of practice. 

“They’re athletic, strong, physical, tough and competitive,” Fisher said Monday of the Hurricanes. “It’s a typical Miami team.

"Their fans are going to be tough. They’ll be brutal and banging on the buses coming through the lot and all that good stuff. I mean, that’s what gets you up and that’s part of it." 

Sixteen years after the start to the end of the Dennis Franchione era, A&M looks to erase history from its last trip to Miami Gardens. The Aggies should be comfortable with the field at Hard Rock, having won the Orange Bowl, 41-27, over North Carolina just three years prior. 

But Fisher knows it's best not to sleep on Mario Cristobal on his home turf. Cristobal, a fellow Nick Saban disciple who reignited a spark at Oregon before returning to his alma mater, wins with trench play. He knows how to recruit and is a salesman in keeping kids in the Sunshine State rather than heading to programs eastbound in the SEC Country. 

"Mario Cristobal is a very good coach," said Fisher. "Their offensive line is a big, physical group. They ran the ball extremely well in the game against Miami (Ohio). 

"It's going to be a great challenge." 

A&M's inept offense was given a much-needed makeover after finishing 101st in scoring by stylist and offensive mastermind Bobby Petrino. In the Aggies' season-opener win over New Mexico, Petrino passed with flying colors, helping the offense put up more points in the first half than in every matchup last fall. 

Petrino called the plays, but sophomore Conner Weigman drove the personnel up and down the field. In his fifth career start, Weigman dazzled, becoming the first A&M quarterback since Johnny Manziel 2013 to throw for five touchdowns in a game. Noah Thomas was on the receiving end of three scores, while Evan Stewart caught the other two. 

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“He’s got great supporting cast members,” Cristobal said of A&M's offense. “The most important thing is making sure we study film really well, and that our plan is as airtight as it could possibly be to give our players a chance to play fast and free.”

Miami might be on its third offensive coordinator in as many years, but its veteran core leads a group of up-and-coming talent. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has started 19 games since 2021. Running back Henry Parrish Jr. rushed for a career-best 617 yards in his first season with the program.

The Hurricanes took advantage of the transfer portal this offense, primarily in fixing their offensive line woes. Newcomers Javion Cohen (Alabama) and Matt Lee (Central Florida) started at least two seasons at their former programs. Tight end Cam McCormick (Oregon) was recruited by Cristobal to Eugene and scored three touchdowns while serving as an extra blocker in his final year with the Ducks. 

"They're a well-coached group," defensive lineman Shemar Stewart said of the Hurricanes' offensive line. "They're going to bring it Saturday. They're going to try and get a little nasty streak on you, but preparation prevents a piss-poor performance." 

Stewart, a Miami native, was still learning about the game the last time A&M marched into his backyard to take on the hometown team, so he might not remember the score. He does, however, remember how the city turned its shoulder on him after he committed to the Aggies and snubbed then-coach Manny Diaz. 

Some things never change, but the outlook on Saturday's showdown might differ from 16 years ago. So has Stewart's opinion on the Hurricanes. He said he still has friends who stayed close to home and committed to the program under Cristobal.

"Come Saturday, we not friends anymore," Stewart joked. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.