Aggies Lose to Hurricanes 48-33; We're Reminded It's 'Just a Game'

The Aggies and Hurricanes both were attempting a statement win against each other when the game and sports, in general, took a backseat to reality.

In their effort to prove to the college football world that they belong in the discussion with the best, the Texas A&M Aggies failed. They failed across the board in a game where they had a lead and opportunities to go 2-0 on the young season.

Unfortunately for Aggieland, Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes were also out to prove the same thing. And playing at home, the Canes made the Aggies look silly at times. 

A&M looked to be the better team in the first quarter, but that's where the positivity ends for the Aggies. After a momentum swing (yes, that's a real thing), A&M struggled to keep up with the Hurricanes' offense as the secondary looked silly at times.

But the focus for both teams shifted quickly late in the game when Hurricanes safety Kam Kinchens was injured on a routine play while attempting to make a tackle.

So much for an Aggies' statement win. Instead, the Hurricanes put the college football world on notice.

In the wake of an embarrassing performance, here are three things we learned:

1) Conner Weigman: The Real Deal

Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman came into the game having not thrown an interception in his collegiate career. That ended in the third quarter. Miami would turn that into three points. 

He would throw another late in the game when it didn't matter, but more importantly, he showed resilience and toughness. 

Weigman was hit all day long. The Aggies' offensive line failed him numerous times. Not to be deterred, Weigman kept pushing and kept making plays the best he could. The loss is not on Weigman, but the experience he gained in this game could be invaluable later this season in games that matter more.

Weigman finished the game 31/53 for 336 yards and two touchdowns and two picks.

2) Pourus Defense?

As a whole, the defense didn't look bad. The men up front played as expected, but the secondary looked lost at times. Canes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke threw for 374 yards and five touchdowns. Of those yards, 126 went to wideout Xavier Restrepo.

The defensive line put pressure on Van Dyke all game long, but when he has easy outs to wide open receivers, that pressure does little to stop drives.

3) At the End of the Day, it's Still Just a Game

After the Aggies' chances at a comeback were slim to none, Weigman and the offense were still kicking and screaming. On a pass play late in the game, Hurricanes safety Kam Kinchens attempted a tackle on an Aggies wideout and collided with a teammate head first.

Kinchens went down immediately and showed no movement. Players from both teams quickly motioned for the Miami training staff, and they ran to the scene. As Kinchens lay motionless on the field, the broadcast took commercial breaks and even went to the studio for a time.

Kinchens reportedly showed no movement of his extremities while on the field or while being carted off after several minutes. He was taken by ambulance from the stadium to a local trauma center.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Kinchens and his family with hopes of a quick recovery. AllAggies.com will update his condition when information is available.