Aggies Mental Mistakes Lead To Loss At Miami; Kam Kinchens Injured
Jimbo Fisher didn't allow Texas A&M's methodical march to the end zone in a 52-10 win over New Mexico to differ his opinion on the opponent waiting for his team in South Beach, Fla.
Shemar Stewart, a native of Miami who grew up watching the Hurricanes before pledging his commitment to A&M, said he knew this version of the once perennial powerhouse was different. According to Stewart, the team that lost at Kyle Field 17-9 a season ago no longer existed.
Both comments were right. Miami backed it up for four quarters en route to a 48-33 triumph over the Aggies at Hard Rock Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Hurricanes made a statement while grabbing revenge on their home turf.
The Aggies made mistakes, far too many to count that eventually put them in a hole they never could climb out of.
Both sides of the ball failed to find continuity after Conner Weigman's 1-yard touchdown run to give the No. 23 Aggies (1-1) an early 7-0 lead. A week ago, A&M's trench play paved the way for the sophomore quarterback to toss five touchdowns against the Lobos, a feat that hadn't been accomplished since Johnny Manziel ran the offense in 2013.
Against the Hurricanes, the offensive line shriveled. Weigman felt the pocket collapsed as was forced to make throws that saved drives rather than pick up yards. He was drilled countless times despite never being sacked.
No, the Aggies didn't shuffle the line. The starting five from last week's victory took center stage against an improved defensive front seven riddled with players from the transfer portal, albeit Kam Dewberry played over Mark Nabou at left guard.
It didn't matter as the offense looked one-dimensional, often relying on a passing game to carry the load. Amari Daniels broke free for two runs over 10 yards and scored a touchdown to extend A&M's lead by 10 in the second. Weigman picked up a pair of first downs with his legs, but most of his carries came to evade pressure up the middle.
Miami (2-0) feasted on the Aggies' offensive line woes, forcing their way into the backfield with ease. And when finally facing a delayed blitz up the middle, Weigman's tunroverless streak came to an during the third quarter on his first of two interceptions, eventually leading to a 33-yard field goal from Andres Borregales.
Defensively, A&M couldn't contain Tyler Van Dyke from connecting consistently through the air. Last season, Van Dyke failed to find the end zone in College Station. He connected five times with three different receivers for scores and threw for 374 yards.
Pressure was barely applied outside of a pair of sacks from the Shemars. Open-field tackling went from bad to worse. Of Miami's 374 passing yards, 286 came after the catch. The Aggies were also flagged with three pass interference calls, two of which came against last week's hero Josh DeBerry, leading to scoring drives for Miami.
The Hurricanes found ways to keep the drives alive and the offense thriving, totaling 451 yards. A&M mustered up 305 yards and three turnovers in the second half.
Weigman, beaten and bruised, wouldn't go down without a fight. He connected with Earnest Crownover for a 19-yard touchdown to bring A&M within five. On fourth-and-goal facing a delayed blitz up the middle, he found Noah Thomas for their fourth score of the season.
But for every positive came a step back. Bond kicked a 28-yard field goal that was followed up by 98-yard kickoff return for a toucdown from Brashard Smith.
Daniels fumbled in A&M territory, leading to a Van Dyke 3-yard touchdown pass to Jacolby George. The duo connected again following Thomas' touchdown, leading a 64-yard house call and a 15-point lead.
The throw picked up the first down. The missed tackles tacked on the seven points.
Minor mishaps led to major failures for A&M on the road. Now come questions on A&M's status under Fisher.
Are these the same old Aggies of 2022?
Will Fisher be able to win in the big game?
One souring defeat doesn't define a season. A&M returns home to regroup and retool for Week 3's showdown against Louisiana Monroe, a game most expect to end with a victory.
But then comes Auburn. Then Arkansas. Alabama's return to College Station is less than a month away, and a trip to Knoxville to take on Tennessee could indicate where the Aggies fall in the SEC power rankings.
Fisher was right not to fall for the trap of a Week 1 win. He'll have little time to help the program recover before things get out of control. If mistakes continue, A&M will unravel and find itself facing a similar outlook to the one a season ago.
Miami won against A&M on the scoreboard. The record will say the Aggies lost to a new and improved Hurricanes squad.
Perhaps it's true. Maybe the Hurricanes will be better in 2023.
But A&M wasn't defeated by a team with better talent. It lost to itself due to more mental errors than one could count.
