Fox Sports CFB Analyst Gives Aggies vs. Hurricanes Prediction

The Texas A&M Aggies take their new-look offense to South Beach (kind of) to take on the also new(ish)-look Miami Hurricanes on Saturday. 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.

The seasons for both teams ended with disappointment last year with both finishing 5-7 and way short of any postseason hopes. But this year should be different for both teams and the national media is taking notice.

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt is excited about the matchup.

“I kind of like Miami in this game. Even though Connor Weigman played well, and Bobby Petrino got off to the right start from an offensive coordinator perspective. Scored 50 points, granted against New Mexico. Weigman threw five [touchdown] passes. Miami is more desperate in my mind. I still don’t know what the culture is, what the program is all about at A&M. They’ve recruited really well, they’ve lost a lot of guys in the portal. Now, they’ve got Petrino in at offensive coordinator. That’s a wait-and-see.

“If they win this one, yeah, I think that would be a huge feather in their cap– there’s no doubt. Something tells me this Miami team is going to be, defensively, they’re going to be a problem for A&M. A&M has a hard time blocking that front seven. I think that athleticism could pave the way. A&M is favored by 4.5. I would take Miami in that game. I would take Miami.”

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 are slight favorites on the road at -3.5, 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 could 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.