By: Chris King
Winners and Whiners
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It’s a battle of Power Five programs as a program from the SEC takes the trip to South Beach to tangle with the ACC. The #23 Texas A&M Aggies are on the road as they make the trip to take on the Miami Hurricanes in a non-conference clash Saturday afternoon. Texas A&M obliterated New Mexico 52-10 in their season opener at home last Saturday, covering the line as a 38-point favorite. Miami rolled past Miami (OH) 38-3 at home last Friday night in their season opener, covering the line as a 16.5-point favorite in the process. These teams have split four previous matchups, with Texas A&M picking up a 17-9 home win in the most recent matchup on September 17, 2022, and covering the line as a 6.5-point favorite.
Aggies Seek to Beat Hurricanes for Second Straight Season
Texas A&M had little trouble dispatching New Mexico in their season opener at Kyle Field. The Aggies now look to make it 2-0 and beat the Hurricanes for the second straight year to try to turn the heat down on Jimbo Fisher’s seat. Against New Mexico, Texas A&M led 7-0 after the opening quarter before blowing the game open by outscoring the Lobos 28-7 in the second to take a 35-7 advantage at the half. The Aggies didn’t let the Lobos closer than 25 the rest of the way en route to the win. Texas A&M rolled up a 411-222 edge in total offense, picked up 27 first downs while allowing 18 and forced the game’s only turnover. Those numbers helped the Aggies overcome a 34:20 to 25:40 disadvantage in time of possession in the contest.
The Aggies enter this contest 46th in the nation in passing offense as they average 277 yards per game through the air. Texas A&M is tied for 80th in rushing offense as they average 134 yards per contest on the ground. The Aggies are 14th in the FBS in scoring offense as they average 52 points per contest while they are 32nd in the country in scoring defense by allowing 10 points a game. Conner Weigman hit 18 of 23 passes for 236 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 22 yards on the ground. Max Johnson is six of nine for 41 yards and a score. Amari Daniels leads the team with seven carries for 51 yards on the ground. Le’Veon Moss (six carries, 26 yards, TD), Rueben Owens (seven carries, 25 yards) and David Bailey (four carries, 20 yards) have each seen work in the early going. Evan Stewart has a team-high eight grabs for 115 yards and two scores. Noah Thomas has six catches for 74 yards and three scores while Ainias Smith (three receptions, 40 yards), Jahdae Walker (three catches, 31 yards) and Moose Muhammad (three grabs, 12 yards, TD) each have been valuable targets in the passing game. Randy Bond has hit all seven extra point attempts and one of two field goal attempts with a long of 39 on the year.
Hurricanes Look to Build Off Season Opening Performance
Miami opened up the season with a solid showing as they took apart Miami (OH) at home, covering the line as a 16.5-point favorite. The Hurricanes get a chance to avenge last season’s loss to the Aggies and start the year 2-0 under coach Mario Cristobal, who tries to put last season’s disappointment in the rear-view mirror. Against Miami (OH), Miami took the lead just 1:34 into the contest and didn’t look back. The Hurricanes were up 10-0 after the opening quarter, 16-3 at the half and 24-3 after three quarters en route to the win. Miami piled up a 493-215 advantage in total offense, racked up 26 first downs while allowing nine and won the time of possession by a 32:53 to 27:07 margin. Those numbers allowed the Hurricanes to overshadow committing the game’s lone turnover.
On the season, the Hurricanes are 64th in the nation in passing offense with 243 yards per game. Miami stands 17th in rushing offense by piling up 250 yards per game on the ground. The Hurricanes are 46th in the FBS in scoring offense with 38 points per game while they stand ninth in scoring defense by allowing three points a contest. Tyler Van Dyke is 17 of 22 passing for 201 yards with one touchdown and one interception on the year. Emory Williams is three of three for 42 yards. Henry Parrish Jr. leads the ground game with nine carries for 90 yards and a score this season. Mark Fletcher Jr. (nine carries, 76 yards, TD), Ajay Allen (nine carries, 47 yards) and Donald Chaney Jr. (eight carries, 38 yards, TD) were all part of a balanced attack. Jacolby George leads the team with six catches for 56 yards. Xavier Restrepo (five receptions, 68 yards) and Colbie Young (four grabs, 79 yards, TD) are also solid targets in the aerial attack. Andres Borregales has hit all three extra points and three of three field goal attempts with a long of 43 this season.
Both teams took care of business with relative ease in their respective openers but those games came against overmatched smaller programs. This one will be a test for both teams as the Aggies have to show that they can prevail on the road against a Power Five program after dropping all four of their true road tilts a season ago. Meanwhile, Miami has to show that they can take down a quality opponent as the lone win they recorded over a team with a winning record last season came over a Southern Miss team that finished 7-6 and that came in week two. Weigman was the first Aggies quarterback to have five touchdowns in the opener. Texas A&M should be able to rattle Van Dyke and the Hurricanes while taking care of business offensively. Look for the Aggies to earn the win on the road in a tight game.
Prediction: Texas A&M Aggies -4
Written By Chris King , “Chris King”
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Chris King has been immersed in the world of professional and collegiate sports for more than three decades. Whether it’s playing pickup games or being involved in organized sports to being a fan, he’s checked all the boxes. From the NFL to arena football, the NHL to the KHL, the NBA to the WNBA to college hoops, and even MLB to the KBO. If it’s out there, he’s covered it and bet on it as well, as Chris has been an expert bettor in his career. Before joining Winners and Whiners back in 2015, his work appeared around the internet and in print. He’s written books for Ruckus Books about college basketball, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, golf, and the World Cup. If you’re looking for the inside track on hitting a winner, do yourself a favor and read what Chris has to say.