Miami Hurricanes: Category Canes Must Win To Beat Aggies?
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Article photo of Miami's Anez Cooper and James Williams; credit to Brian Smith
With the Miami Hurricanes facing off versus the Texas A&M Aggies, certain components of the game need to go the Canes way to pull off the victory.
What might be the most important category – or possibly even top two or three – for Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes to move to 2-0 by the end of the contest versus the Aggies? Here’s what the All Hurricanes staff believes those areas are.
Brian Smith, Publisher
Three primary points to make. One, special teams and turnovers will be vital in what will be a close football game. Win the field position battle and play clean football, come out a winner.
Two, the Canes must hit some big plays in the passing game. With Texas A&M’s incredible talent along the defensive front, Miami is not going to just line up and run over the Aggies. There needs to be a consistent level of accurate passing that works in conjunction with the run game. Look for wide receiver Colbie Young to be a prime target for quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.
Learn More About The Matchup Between Miami and Texas A&M
Third and finally, short yardage, red zone, and third downs, Miami must play against A&M like it did against Miami of Ohio. That’s consistent and smart, plus being clutch. Winning a 50-50 ball, a Canes defensive lineman knocking down a Weigman pass near the goal line that would've otherwise been an easy touchdown, and just finishing plays to their fullest. Those are all key components of Miami winning over Texas A&M.
Alex Donno, Writer and Podcaster
After reviewing last year's loss to the Aggies, the biggest thing that stood out was poor red zone execution by the Hurricanes. Miami cannot afford to come up dry when they get inside the A&M twenty. You won't get too many opportunities against their big, 5-star laden defensive front.
The Hurricanes were four for four against Miami of Ohio on red zone scoring, but only two of those trips resulted in touchdowns. Punching it into the end zone is key.
Defensively, Miami needs to put consistent pressure on Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman even without blitzing. This is an area where Canes DC Lance Guidry is especially adept. Veterans on Miami's front line like Leonard Taylor, Akheem Mesidor, Jahfari Harvey and Branson Deen must set the tone.
Miami must win on third down in both phases. The Hurricanes defense got off to a great start last week, allowing Miami of Ohio to convert on just 2 of 12 third down tries. It will be tougher against the Aggies, but keeping them to third and longs will welp significantly.
Liam Willerup, Writer
After seeing how Texas A&M put on a passing display in their Week 1 win over New Mexico, it further proves just how important the pass defense will be for the Hurricanes Saturday. Noah Thomas and Evan Stewart will be the two receivers Miami needs to zone in on, and it will be up to Lance Guidry and Jahmile Addae to match up the right corners.
For Miami offensively, it should all be about setting up the play action for Van Dyke. With the hopes of Elijah Arroyo coming back for Saturday's game, he will only provide another option for Van Dyke down field. If Miami is able to push behind their offensive line and allow their running backs space like last game, Van Dyke has a chance to make some big plays.
Tyler Van Dyke on play action passes in Week 1:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 2, 2023
🙌 8/8
🙌 89 Yards
🙌 1 Touchdown
🙌 152.6 Passer Rating pic.twitter.com/0C2C1EvDqz
Lastly, Miami needs to see one of their stars on defense to have a big impact game. Whether it be Kamren Kinchens forcing a turnover or Akheem Mesidor having a two sack performance, a big-time player needs to make some big time plays for the defense.
Corey Carmona, a.k.a. Chalupa Batman, Podcaster
After seeing the success Texas A&M had pushing the ball down the field against New Mexico, there's a very strong chance the Aggies employ a similar strategy against the Canes in week 2. The Aggies had 4 receivers average at least 10 yards per catch against New Mexico, it seems like their formula this year is to go vertical and they have the playmakers to do it. The key for the Canes this week is to keep everything in front of them and limit the big plays on the backend.
Miami will have to rely on the veteran experience from their two highly rated safeties, Kamren Kinchens and James Williams, not only as the last line of defense, but to also make sure everyone understands their assignments. There are a lot of new faces on this Canes defense, and while they're still learning how to play with each other, communication from the veteran safeties is vital to making sure no one is out of position.
The Aggie quarterback, Connner Weigman, can pick a defense apart if you allow him time in the pocket. So the Hurricanes front seven getting pressure will also be key to bringing home a victory. The best way to help out your secondary is with pressure on the quarterback, and it prevents A&M from dialing up double moves and deep shots down the field as plays like that need time to develop. The Aggies running attack doesn't seem to be as potent this year, so applying pressure on Weigman and limiting mistakes in the secondary will be the formula for success for Miami in week 2.
Rowdy Baribeau, Writer
After seeing the success Miami had against Miami of Ohio on the ground, there is a strong likelihood the Hurricanes lean on the same game plan. As a matter of fact, they should. Miami tried to run the ball last year against Texas A&M and averaged just short of five yards per carry. This year, with an improved offensive line and depth at tailback, Miami could do far more damage than five yards per carry, and this time, even put the ball in the endzone.
Miami will have to be strong in the secondary. The Aggies have an elite group of wideouts who, if unaccounted for, will make a long night for Hurricane defensive backs. For the Hurricanes, it may take a quarter or a half to figure out which matchups are the best in coverage, but as long as Miami is competitive at said points in the ballgame, they can make up for the potential mismatches created by the Aggies.
The Hurricane defense will need to generate pressure on Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman. Weigman is young, but he has shown to have an elite presence in the pocket and has good decision-making skills. Granted, against New Mexico State, he had the luxury of being comfortable in a pocket with not much pressure. Against the Hurricanes, that won't be the case, but it will boil down to whether Miami is able to get Weigman out of his comfort zone and make mistakes.
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