Sluggish Offense, Dominant Defense Helps Texas A&M Beat Hurricanes 17-9
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After the Aggies suffered an embarrassing upset loss at the hands of App State in Week 2, questions swirled around the program and how they would respond with a top-15 Miami Hurricanes team coming to town.
It was a low scoring first half for both teams, as they headed to the locker rooms at halftime with the Aggies leading 10-3. The Aggies' defense stifled the Miami offense, while taking advantage of a muffed punt that they would convert into their only touchdown of the first half.
The second half was not much different, as the Aggies' offense only found the end zone one time. However, the defense did their job, holding the Hurricanes to two more field goals as the Aggies leave Week 3 with a 17-9 victory and a 2-1 record.
Max Johnson did enough to win
Quarterback Max Johnson got his first start as an Aggie following Jimbo Fisher's decision to away from Haynes King. The question remained, though, just how good would Johnson look in replacement of King and if he could transform the Aggies' offense.
Johnson was far from spectacular in his Aggie debut, but he also did enough to secure the win over the Hurricanes and seemingly right the ship. He finished the game completing 10 of 20 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers, as the Aggies move to 2-1. Whether it's good enough to win in conference play, though, is an entirely different story.
Aggies' offense still underwhelming
Yes, the Aggies won the game, and at the end of the day that is all that really matters for Texas A&M. However, with SEC play looming, the Aggies cannot feel comfortable with how their offense has looked through the first three weeks of the season.
They managed only 264 yards of total offense, compared to Miami's 392. This simply will not cut it in SEC play. For a team wanting to compete for an SEC crown and a higher tier bowl game, offensive performances like this will make doing so difficult for the Aggies this season.
Punters matter too
While kickers and punters don't often get the recognition they deserve from the casual fans, they matter too. Especially punters, as a good punter is an extended weapon for the offense. The Aggies are lucky enough to boast one of those good punters.
Nik Constantinou was only called upon six times, recording an average of 44.3 yards per punt. However, when he was called into action, he repeatedly pinned the Hurricanes deep in their own territory, with three punts being downed inside the Miami 10-yard line.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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