Perhaps the game delay due to lightning was a premonition because Texas A&M just survived a sluggish first half to trail Miami 21-17 after two quarters. If anything, they have their special teams to thank for keeping them afloat.
It was all Aggies at the onset, with their special teams recovering not one but two muffed kick returns to place them in a great scoring position. A Conner Weigman one-yard touchdown run to start the game, followed by an Amari Daniels touchdown in the second quarter, put A&M up 17-7 early. Outside of a Tyler Van Dyke touchdown pass, the Hurricanes were at the expense of all the momentum going the Aggies’ way.
QB keeper.
First TD run of the season for @ConnerWeigman as the Aggies take advantage of the blocked punt.
đź“ş ESPN News pic.twitter.com/UukYuYJLfM
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) September 9, 2023
.@_NoLimitMari 🤝 the endzone.
đź“ş ESPN News pic.twitter.com/FW8Mz9oqjZ
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) September 9, 2023
And then Miami tacked on two straight touchdowns to propel the Hurricanes to a 21-17 lead heading into halftime. Aside from one sack from Shemar Turner, Texas A&M’s defensive front failed to generate any pressure on Van Dyke for much of the first half. As a result, the Hurricanes’ receivers exploited the Aggies’ secondary on a handful of drag routes.
Van Dyke found Isaiah Horton on a beautiful 52-yard touchdown pass that had Jayvon Thomas, a true freshman cornerback, lost and on skates. The latter touchdown, an 11-yard dime to Jacolby George, capped off an ugly end to the first half as Miami marched down the field 75 yards in just 44 seconds.
As the Aggies head into the locker room, it’s a massive understatement to say that adjustments must be made on both sides of the ball. DJ Durkin must ensure the Aggies generate pressure up front and better contain the edge, while Texas A&M’s offense must inject some new life by any means to tilt the momentum back in their favor.
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