Aggies vs. Miami Hurricanes: Statement Win Needed For Both Teams
After a satisfying home win to open the new college football season, the Texas A&M Aggies set their sights on the Miami Hurricanes on the road. Last year, with a much different team, A&M squeaked out a 17-9 win against the Canes at Kyle Field, but that contest should look very different this time around.
For A&M it's a different game because it's on the road. Hard Rock Stadium can be a volatile environment at times, and that should be the case against any SEC foe, particularly the Aggies. In the 2022 matchup, A&M saw just 264 yards of total offense, but that was before the arrival of Bobby Petrino. The Aggies are better this time around, but so are the Hurricanes.
Both teams are coming off blowout wins in games they were expected to dominate. New Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson is doing for quarterback Tyler Van Dyke what Petrino is doing for Conner Weigman, by opening things up for the young quarterback.
Van Dyke threw for 201 yards on 17-of-22 passing with one touchdown, but he also threw an interception. The Aggies' defense is considerably better than the Miami of Ohio RedHawks, and A&M should rely on that group to rattle Van Dyke early.
Where the Aggies might worry is with the Canes rushing attack. They've got a deep room with a "running back by committee" mindset. Four backs carried the ball in Week 1 and three scored touchdowns. All four had runs of 15 or more yards on the night, so the A&M group up front could have their work cut out for them.
Interestingly, the Aggies have opened as slight favorites on the road at -4, but watch that to move as the week goes on. Overall, both teams will be looking for this to be a statement win. For A&M, a win would show the rest of the SEC that they're real this year, and for the Hurricanes, a win could indicate to the members of the ACC that the "U" is back.
