Texas A&M and Miami are also in similar positions as they aim to recover from dismal 2022 seasons that finished without bowl invitations. The Hurricanes and Aggies will meet Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, to chart new paths for 2023. Both handily defeated lesser opponents in Week 1, but now comes a serious test as both sides deploy retooled attacks against sturdy defences.
Last week, Miami allowed just nine first downs and 215 total yards in a 38-3 win against Miami (Ohio), while Texas A&M limited New Mexico to 222 yards in a 52-10 season-opening win. Because of the low-key nature of both teams’ Week 1 competition, the offences of Miami and Texas A&M were not compelled to expose all of their secrets, setting the setup for an interesting chess match between coaching staffs.
Last season, the Aggies defeated the Hurricanes 17-9 in a shambolic defensive battle in which both teams failed to pass the ball. The 2023 version of this game, though, could feature a little more offence, with Shannon Dawson now leading Miami’s offence following a successful stint at Houston and legendary offensive mastermind Bobby Petrino now orchestrating things for No. 23 Texas A&M.
How to Live Stream Texas A&M vs. Miami
Saturday, September 9 | 3:30 p.m. ET
Hard Rock Stadium is located in Miami Gardens, Florida.
TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (free trial)
Texas A&M versus. Miami: What You Should Know
Coordinator showcase: Mario Cristobal, second-year Miami coach, and Jimbo Fisher, sixth-year Texas A&M coach, both had to swallow their pride and make coordinator changes. Cristobal’s solution was to hire Dawson from a Houston programme that tried 499 passes previous season. In 2022, the Hurricanes attempted just 413 passes, choosing for a balanced run-pass strategy. The ‘Canes leaned heavily on the run once again in Week 1, although there was little need to do so against an outmatched opponent. However, Texas A&M’s passing offence showed clear indications of progress against New Mexico, and it will be interesting to see whether that trend continues against the Hurricanes after the Aggies failed terribly to throw the football in last year’s clash.
Quarterback battle: Texas A&M’s Max Johnson started last year’s match but has since been replaced by former five-star recruit Conner Weigman. Weigman, who showed potential late last season, threw five touchdowns and completed 18 of 23 passes in Week 1. Noah Thomas caught three of them touchdowns and seemed to be a breakthrough standout for the Aggies following a limited role as a rookie in 2022. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke completed 17 of 22 passes for the Hurricanes against Miami (Ohio), but the talented fourth-year junior is still looking to reclaim the promising trajectory he demonstrated as a redshirt freshman in 2021 prior to Cristobal’s arrival as coach.
ACC against. SEC: The ACC went 2-1 against the SEC in Week 1, with North Carolina defeating South Carolina and Florida State defeating LSU. Tennessee’s win against weak Virginia was the SEC’s lone victory, and the ACC may continue to put pressure on the SEC this week. If Miami wins against Texas A&M and Wake Forest wins at Vanderbilt, the league will be 4-1 versus the SEC. The SEC has a busy week ahead with No. 3 Alabama facing No. 11 Texas, Mississippi State hosting Arizona, and Auburn travelling to California. The league struggled in Week 1 and will need a solid performance on Saturday to stake a claim to the top league in the sport early in the 2023 season.
Predictions and choices for Texas A&M vs. Miami
SportsLine consensus odds
After terrible 2022 seasons, both offences have been overhauled under first-year coordinators, but the verdict is yet out on how dedicated the head coaches are to playing aggressive offence. Fisher and Cristobal are senior coaches who prefer to keep the ball in their hands and rely on their defences. They combined to score only 26 points in last season’s 17-9 win over Texas A&M, and it’s difficult to envision that number more than doubling in 2023 unless some defensive touchdowns and significant special teams plays alter the action.
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