Texas A&M’s Week 2 road matchup vs. Miami was a tale of two quarters, as the Aggies actually led 17-7 with 13:11 remaining in the 2nd-quarter before Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke zeroed in on A&M’s apparent weak spot in the secondary, throwing for five touchdowns en route to a 48-33 blowout victory for a Miami team that looked highly competent compared the visitors.
On paper, Texas A&M’s lackluster defensive performance is the primary culprit based on the film alone, and while second-year defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin has likely overstayed his welcome, open-field tackling, one of the more basic defensive concepts was lacking in droves throughout the disappointing contest.
Head Coach Jimbo Fisher, of course, deserves a wealth of the blame as the essential CEO of the program. Still, while a bulk of what is a rightfully angry Aggie fan base attempts to find their pitchforks, there are still ten games to right their wrongs, and after Alabama’s shocking double-digit loss to Texas, the SEC West is wide open.
“We aren’t worried about expections, we are worried about next week.”
Focusing on the secondary, the debate surrounding the Aggies’s talent barometer as opposed to simply possessing depth is an issue that can’t be mended in 2023. For senior strong safety Demani Richardson, his vocal leadership to the rest of the defensive back group will be vital for any changes to be made, which starts in practice this week.
“I just fee we as the secondary, we have to do a better job at covering, and tackling.”
As I’ve stated several times already, Texas A&M’s highly talented defensive line failed to pressure Van Dyke, who was outmuscled by Miami’s solid but far-from-elite O-line at a consistent rate, aside from two registered sacks. So, while tackling and discipline in coverage have a path toward improvement, how Durkin plans to free up the many blue-chip pass rushers stretched across the Aggies roster will be telling.
Offensively, Texas A&M has found their quarterback in sophomore Conner Weigman, who, despite being blitzed on 33 of his 57 dropbacks, completed 31-53 for 336 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions on the night, connecting with starting wide receiver Evan Stewart for 11 receptions at 142 yards. The offensive line, led by senior right guard Layden Robinson, also improved pass protection, but the lack of blitz pickup and average run blocking is unacceptable moving forward.
“Make no mistake he is the quarterback for this team. We need to protect him. He is our leader.”
Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s had his questionable play-calling moments, but overall, Fisher relinquishing the play-calling duties is already paying dividends., and will surely continue to improve throughout the rest of the season.
How the team led by Fisher, amid his sixth season, who has yet to live up to the lofty expectations placed on him by the University and the fanbase alike, will once again respond to adversity will not only tell us what the future holds for the football program’s trajectory, but just how long Jimbo Fisher will remain in the driver’s seat.
Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Louisiana Monroe on Saturday, Sept. 16, as the game will air on the SEC Network at 3:00 p.m. CT.
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