The Miami Hurricanes came up short 9-17 against the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday night. Miami is now 2-1 and needs to improve in a lot of areas before heading into ACC play. Even though this is Mario Cristobal’s first year, there still are high expectations with the level of talent on this team. Here’s a quick recap of Miami’s loss to Texas A&M.
Miami’s Offense Can’t Deliver
In terms of yardage, Miami did their job on offense. The Hurricanes had nearly 400 yards and controlled the time of possession game for the most part. However, the Hurricanes did not capitalize on their given opportunities. Even though Miami reached the red zone, the Hurricanes were forced to settle for a field goal three times, coming away with no touchdowns in the game.
Regardless, credit must be given to Henry Parrish Jr. and Jaylan Knighton for their performances. They really dominated with more than 150 combined rushing yards, and that’s also a compliment to Miami’s offensive line. Tyler Van Dyke dropped back to pass more than 40 times, and the Hurricanes held up well for the most part.
Not having Xavier Restrepo was a big loss in this game, but Will Mallory, Key’Shawn Smith, and Jacolby George stepped up. All in all, Miami needs its passing attack to be just as efficient as its rushing to become a threat on offense in the ACC.
Texas A&M Just Has More Talent
The Hurricanes definitely have a talented roster, but the Aggies have a surplus of blue-chip recruits. Texas A&M chose to put the ball in Devon Achane’s hands for the majority of the game, and that definitely worked out. Ainias Smith was another tough receiver for the Hurricanes to handle, and those two just looked like different athletes out there on the field.
While A&M’s offense did not look incredible, that group did what was necessary to win the game. Moreover, Max Johnson did not turn the ball over, which is a plus considering the recent experiences that Aggies’ fans had with Haynes King.
Concluding Thoughts
Even though this was a loss for Miami, Kyle Field is always a tough place to play and the Hurricanes now know where they need to improve. There’s still a long road ahead, and Miami can still accomplish everything that the team wishes to do. Cristobal definitely has his squad in the right direction.