Miami Meltdown: Aggies Have Just Half the Equation Figured Out

After the Aggies' fast start against Miami, they got rocked like a hurricane in the second half, leaving Connor Weigman and company with more questions than answers.

Right about now, Texas A&M Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher is likely thinking and re-thinking about the appropriate next steps for his football team. And he should be. 

Coming off of the Aggies' Week 1 victory against New Mexico, Fisher made his thoughts very clear. Texas A&M would celebrate the win for no longer than 24 hours. 

"This one's behind us," Fisher said immediately following that game. "We'll celebrate it tonight, but 24 hours from now, this game is over. We're getting ready for Miami in the next week. We got a heck of a road trip to go next week down to Miami."

Fisher had the right mindset, and given that his players had bought into Texas A&M's system, so did they. The Aggies didn't enter Hard Rock Stadium expecting the Miami Hurricanes to roll over ... but they also weren't expecting to be playing from behind. 

And above all else, they certainly weren't expecting to lose. 

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Texas A&M's 48-33 defeat at Hard Rock Stadium was a big-time wake-up call for the entire program. Yes, the Aggies are much improved from a season ago, when they couldn't score more than 17 points after losing to Appalachian State, but there is still much more work to be done before they can consider themselves among the best teams in the SEC. 

Prior to the game against Miami, Fisher named two key aspects of the Aggies' game that needed to be executed in order to earn a victory. Part one was starting fast. 

"A fast start doesn’t guarantee you a win, but it gives you confidence,” Fisher said. "A slow start can make it ... very hard to climb up the hill. It’s always better to start fast." 

So, step one? Check. The Aggies struck first, forcing the Hurricanes into a three-and-out before blocking their punt and finding the end-zone. A drive later and a 10-point lead was born. That was half of the equation. 

Part two of Fisher's plan was for the Aggies to "keep their foot on the pedal" and capitalize on the start. That's the other half of the equation — the part that Texas A&M hasn't figured out yet. 

Behind Weigman and a trio of talented running backs, the Aggies have the talent on the ground. With a receiver room featuring Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, Moose Muhammad III and Noah Thomas, they also have the air talent. But even so, being consistent on offense similar to teams like Alabama and Georgia hasn't come yet.

Doing so is going to require more work on Fisher's end, but also on Bobby Petrino's front. And Weigman. And everyone else. It won't be an easy task, but if Texas A&M wants to make its way back into SEC West contention, a change is necessary. 

If not? The Aggies may have another tough season in store, or at least a season opposite of what they'd hoped for under new management and returning talent. 

So, Texas A&M's Miami meltdown was telling. It showed off some of the Aggies' flaws — issues that went unnoticed against a smaller program like New Mexico. Texas A&M only has half of the winning equation figured out, and there is a lot of work still to be done. But at the same time, the Aggies have been in this position before. 

The next question is whether or not they'll come out on the other side of the issue at hand, which could see the Maroon & White back in College Football Playoff conversation. 

But for that, only time can tell.