Miami Hurricanes Showed Relentless Heart Against Texas A&M, Signs Of Changing Culture | Donno's View
I loved the way the Miami Hurricanes fought back from their mistakes on Saturday.
Twice in the first half, Miami gifted Texas A&M opportunities in the red zone with a blocked punt and a muffed punt return. The Aggies capitalized on both of those chances and the "here we go again" groans could be felt throughout Hard Rock Stadium.
When last year's Canes made errors like that, they never recovered.
This time around, Miami had answers every time something went wrong.
Wide receiver Jacolby George responded from his mishandled punt by going on to score three receiving touchdowns. Just when you thought Miami's special teams couldn't get out of their own way, Brashard Smith returned a second half kickoff 98 yards to the house. Slot receiver Xavier Restrepo had an early first quarter drop on third down. He went on to make one clutch catch after another en route to 126 receiving yards.
Throughout the first half, Miami lost starting defensive linemen Akheem Mesidor, Branson Deen and Nyjalik Kelly to (hopefully minor) injuries. The "next men up" performed and Miami managed to keep consistent pressure on Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman.
I've been watching Hurricanes football for over thirty years and even the best teams they've fielded weren't perfect, but they always found ways to dig deep when it mattered most. The 2001 team was in danger of an upset loss to Boston College before a Matt Walters interception somehow turned into an Ed Reed touchdown return to ice the game. The 1987 Canes were down 19-3 to Florida State before mounting a 4th quarter comeback.
No, I am not directly comparing these 2023 Canes to two of the best Miami squads of all time, but I am saying that a sign of greatness is how you respond after getting punched in the mouth.
Mario Cristobal noted on Monday that he loved how offensive guys were encouraging defensive players on the sideline and vice versa when things got tough. This team is developing character and toughness that we haven't seen in recent years.
Let's hope it continues.
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