GAME PREVIEW: Football Faces Tough Road Test at Miami

Sep 08, 2023 | Football

Gameday: Miami

Saturday, Sept. 9 • 2:30 p.m. CT
Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Fla.
Live Stats: Click Here

THE MATCHUP

Texas A&M: 1-0
last: def New Mexico, 52-10
Miami: 1-0
last: def Miami Ohio, 38-3
Game Notes: Click Here

RANKINGS

Texas A&M: 23 (AP), 23 (USAT)
Miami: RV (AP), RV (USAT)

WATCH

TV: ABC
Play-by-Play: Joe Tessitore
Analyst: Jesse Palmer
Sidelines: Katie George

LISTEN

Radio: TAMU Sports Network
1620 AM/94.5 FM (local), SiriusXM 132/192
Play-by-Play: Andrew Monaco
Analyst: Dave Elmendorf
Sidelines: Will Johnson
Listen Live: 12th Man Mobile App

Spanish Broadcast: Click Here
102.7 FM (local)
Play-by-Play: Michel Gonzalez
Analyst: Pedro Luna
Analyst: Alejandra Dorbecker

In one of the key intersectional matchups of the weekend, the 23rd-ranked Aggies head to south Florida to battle the ACC's Miami Hurricanes. The nationally-televised showdown will air on ABC and kick from Hard Rock Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT.

It was a good start to 2023 for the maroon and white, who dominated New Mexico from start to finish in a 52-10 victory. Conner Weigman threw for five touchdowns, three to Noah Thomas, and the defense limited the Lobos to just 222 yards of offense.

Miami enters in much the same way, dominating Miami (Ohio) last Friday at Hard Rock 38-3. The Hurricanes did their damage on the ground, piling up 250 rushing yards while holding the RedHawks to just 51.

The programs met last year when A&M ground out a 17-9 win in front of 107,245 at Kyle Field. The last regular-season matchup on the road came back in 2007 in the old Orange Bowl, a 34-17 'Canes victory.

Saturday's forecast calls for sunny skies but a 50 percent chance of rain, with the high around 90.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Texas A&M will face the Hurricanes in Miami for the first time since 2007 and return to Hard Rock Stadium for the first time since knocking off No. 14 North Carolina, 41-27, in the 2020 Orange Bowl.
Sophomore QB Conner Weigman put on a show in the season opener, matching his career high with four touchdown passes in the first half, a mark he set in his first career stat against No. 15 Ole Miss last season ... He finished the New Mexico game 18-of-23 with 236 yards and five scoring strikes.
Weigman's five touchdown passes are the most in regulation by an Aggie QB since Johnny Manziel (2012-13) threw five touchdown passes against Mississippi State in 2013 and the tally is tied for fifth on A&M's single-game chart.
Sophomore WR Noah Thomas went off in the season opener, catching all six passes that came his way, including three touchdown grabs, and racking up 74 yards on the day ... Thomas' stat line from game one alone topped his season totals from 2022 in every category despite playing in 11 games.
Sophomore WR Evan Stewart ranked as one of the top receivers in the SEC last season and he proved to be on the same path in the season opener after registering the third 100-yard game and first multi-touchdown game of his career after catching eight passes for 115 yards and making two trips to the end zone.
Graduate transfer DB Josh DeBerry filled out the stat sheet in his Maroon & White debut, matching his previous career highs from Boston College with 10 tackles, a solo sack, a QB hurry and an interception.
Graduate DB Sam Mathews was named the 12th Man for the 2023 season, becoming just the fifth student-athlete in program history to hold the season-long honor.

QUICK HITS

Texas A&M's six touchdown passes against New Mexico were one shy of the school record set against Texas Tech in 2002, while the Aggies' 52 points were the most since topping Prairie View A&M on November 20, 2021, and the most in a season opener since 2018 (Northwestern State – 59-7).
The Aggie defense held New Mexico to 91 yards on the ground on 32 carries for a 2.8-yard average ... while also limiting the Lobos to 3-of-13 on third-down conversions, including just 2-of-9 passing for 13 yards in the air.
DB Demani Richardson and WR Ainias Smith embark on their fifth seasons as key role players in Aggieland as Richardson has tallied 43 starts since 2019 and led the team last season with 73 tackles and Smith returns as A&M's most versatile asset on offense and special teams.
Senior DL McKinnley Jackson leads an experienced and deep defensive line after hitting a stride midway through the 2022 season ... He made at least five tackles in five of the eight games he played in, including a 12-takedown performance against Ole Miss ... Jackson filled out the stat sheet at Auburn, posting six tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack and a fumble recovery.
Junior PK Randy Bond is in his second season as A&M's primary kicker and he opened the 2023 season connecting on all seven PAT attempts, while also adding a 39-yard field goal late in the game ... Bond ranked 12th overall in the SEC in scoring last season, connecting on 13-of-17 field goal attempts and all 25 PATs last season to tally 64 points on the year.
Quick starts have been a harbinger of Aggie victories in the Jimbo Fisher era ... The Aggies are 31-4 when scoring first and are 29-1 when leading after the first quarter.

MILESTONES TO WATCH FOR

Graduate WR Ainias Smith aims to continue his climb through the A&M record books in his return to the field after suffering a season-ending injury early last season ... Smith needs just two receiving touchdowns to move into the top five all-time, currently sitting at 17 scoring receptions.
Already among the top 10 in A&M history, Smith looks to pass Jhamon Ausbon (2017-19) on the Aggies' all-time career receptions list as Ausbon totaled 147 in his career and Smith has tallied 130 catches to-date.
Smith is 81 yards away from breaking into the top 10 on the A&M all-time career receiving yards list with 1,624 entering Week 2 ... He is chasing Jamar Taylor's (2001-03) mark of 1,705 career yards.
Smith is 46 punt return yards away from moving into eighth on A&M's all-time career list after entering the top 10 and upping his career total to 604 yards on 66 returns against New Mexico ... He also needs 195 yards to get his name on the career all-purpose yards list, with 2,897 entering the game.
Sophomore QB Conner Weigman is just two touchdown passes away from cracking the top 20 on A&M's all-time career list ... He enters the Miami game with 13 career scoring strikes and aims to match Nick Starkel's (2017-18) career mark of 15 pass TDs.
Junior Moose Muhammad III is on the verge of moving into the top 20 of A&M's all-time career receiving touchdowns list ... He has nine career touchdown receptions and his next will put him in a tie for 18th with six other Aggies.
Senior DB Demani Richardson is just two tackles away from 250 for his career, entering the season with 248.

SWISS ARMY KNIFE

Graduate WR Ainias Smith has been called a "Swiss Army Knife" by head coach Jimbo Fisher because of his do-it-all ability on the field.
Smith has recorded seven multi-touchdown games in his career, catching multiple TD passes in a game five times ... Against Sam Houston last season, Smith hauled in a 63-yard scoring pass to put the Aggies up 17 points at the half and extended the lead in the fourth quarter with a 43-yard TD grab.
Dating back to the 2019 LSU game, Smith has caught a pass in 28 consecutive games.
A true quadruple threat, Smith has gained more than 250 yards as a rusher (384), receiver (1,652), punt returner (604) and kick returner (257) ... Among Aggies already in the 3,000-yard club, only six players even have stats in all four categories and just two -- Dante Hall and Larry Stegent -- had 250+ in all four.

WEIGMAN TAKES OVER AS QB1

Sophomore Conner Weigman was officially named QB1 ahead of the season opener after logging four starts toward the end of the season in 2022.
Weigman put on a show against New Mexico, connecting on five touchdown passes and finishing the opener going 18-of-23 for 236 yards through the air ... His five scoring strikes were the most in regulation by an Aggie QB since Johnny Manziel (2012-13) threw five touchdown passes against Mississippi State in 2013 and the tally is tied for fifth on A&M's single-game chart.
Weigman entered the season as the only SEC quarterback with at least 85 pass attempts that had not thrown a pick. He has attempted 155 career passes and has yet to turn the ball over.
Weigman made his collegiate debut in the fourth quarter at South Carolina, finishing with 91 yards on 8-of-15 passing and made the first start of his first career start against Ole Miss.
Against Ole Miss, Weigman put up 338 yards on 28-of-44 passing and four touchdowns ... His passing yards were the most in a game by a true freshman in program history and his four passing TDs were the most in a game since Kellen Mond (2017-20) threw four against South Carolina in 2020.
The gunslinger recorded his first win as a starting QB against UMass, finishing with 191 yards on 11-of-19 passing with one score and 66 yards on eight rushes.
Weigman was a highly touted prospect out of Bridgeland High School and was rated the No. 1 quarterback by Rivals and ESPN ... He was named a 2022 Under Armour All-American and was a multi-sport athlete that was also rated as one of the top baseball prospects in Texas.

MOOSE STEPPING UP

With the Aggies looking for a spark at wide receiver after the loss of senior leader Ainias Smith to injury last season, junior WR Moose Muhammad III stepped up and consistently produced for the Aggies.
Muhammad put his dependability on display in the season opener, catching all three passes that came his way, including a 12-yard touchdown grab midway through the fourth quarter.
In his second career start last season at Mississippi State, Muhammad led the Aggies with 119 receiving yards on six receptions, also grabbing his first TD catch of the 2022 season.
He registered the second 100-yard game of his career, racking up 112 yards on eight catches, including a 3-yard touchdown reception, against Ole Miss.
On the season, Muhammad's 61.0 receiving yards per game in 2022 were good for 11th among SEC receivers.
He is the son of longtime NFL wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad II, who enjoyed a 14-year professional career with the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears from 1996-2009. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and earned first-team AP All-Pro honors in 2004 when he led the NFL with 1,405 yards and 16 receiving TDs on 93 catches.

STEWART MAKES IMPACT

Sophomore WR Evan Stewart has become a favorite target for Aggie quarterbacks and made an immediate impact in his debut season.
Stewart started his sophomore season in a big way, registering the third 100-yard game and first multi-touchdown game of his career, racking up 115 yards on eight catches and a pair of touchdown receptions.
Stewart ranked eighth among all SEC receivers, averaging 64.9 yards per game last season, which led all FBS freshmen nationally ... He was also tied for 10th overall and led all freshmen in the league with 53 receptions.
As a newcomer, he registered two 100-yard games, catching eight passes for 106 yards at Alabama and eclipsing the century mark with 120 yards on eight receptions against Florida.
Stewart scored the first touchdown of this career on a 10-yard grab to put the Aggies on the board in the win over No. 10 Arkansas.
A highly-touted recruit in A&M's top 2022 signing class, Stewart was an Under Armour All-American that was also a track standout ... He earned top-two finishes at the Texas 5A state championships in the long jump and triple jump, while also helping his 4x400m and 4x200m relay teams to medal finishes.

MAROON GOONS

The Texas A&M offensive line returns great experience from last season ... Led by graduate Layden Robinson, who has been a staple at right guard over the last two seasons, the Aggies return three of five starters from a year ago.
Robinson is in his third year as a starter after helping clear the way for one of the top running back tandems in the nation in 2021 and a 1,000-yard rusher last season ... He was a key reserve in 2020 when A&M became the first school in the last 10 years to lead the SEC in sacks allowed (0.7), tackles for loss allowed (3.8) and yards per carry (5.45) in the same season.
In the season opener, sophomore Bryce Foster made his return at center after missing much of last season due to illness and injury ... Foster had an impressive debut season for the Aggies in 2021, earning the starting job at center.
Robinson and Foster were joined in the starting lineup against New Mexico by sophomore Trey Zuhn III, who missed just one start last season after securing the job at left tackle, sophomore Mark Nabou Jr., who made the second start of his career at left guard, and highly-touted freshman Chase Bisontis at right tackle.
Junior Reuben Fatheree II and sophomore Kam Dewberry add great experience on the line for the Aggies as Fatheree has stated 21 games through his first two seasons in Aggieland and Dewberry logged five starts in seven appearances as a freshman.
In 2022, the Maroon Goons cleared the way for current Miami Dolphin, De'Von Achane, who racked up 1,000 yards on the ground in his final season and rushed for over 100 yards five times on the year, including a 215-yard, two-touchdown game in the win over No. 6 LSU.

SEASONED SECONDARY

A&M boasts a seasoned secondary that returns great experience from a year ago, led by fifth-year starter Demani Richardson who has started a team-best 44 games ... Juniors Jardin Gilbert and Tyreek Chappell each made double-digit starts in 2022.
Graduate transfer Josh DeBerry burst on the scene in the season opener, filling out the stat sheet and leading the way in his first game in the Maroon & White ... DeBerry matched his single-game career highs from Boston College with 10 tackles, a solo sack, a pick and a hurry.
The A&M defense finished the 2022 season with the No. 1 passing defense in the nation as it gave up just 156.2 yards through the air, including an average of 5.7 yards per pass which ranked fourth nationally ... The Aggies also boasted a top-25 scoring defense, which was fourth among SEC teams, allowing 21.2 points per game.
Richardson, who led the Maroon & White with 73 total tackles, was tied for 11th in the SEC with 49 solo takedowns last season, while Gilbert was tied for eighth in the SEC with a pair of picks and Chappell's eight pass breakups tied him for 10th among league players.
Richardson and Chappell teamed up against Arkansas for the Aggies' first defensive touchdown of the season after Chappell scooped up a loose fumble and later handed it off to Richardson, who took it 82 yards to the house.
Under Coach Fisher, the Aggies have limited their opponent to less that 100 passing yards on eight occasions with three of those coming in 2022 ... A&M started the season giving up just 91 yards through the air as it shut out Sam Houston and later allowed just 60 yards at Auburn and 55 against UMass.

DEPTH ON THE D-LINE

After entering the 2022 season with little experience but an abundance of talent on the defensive line, the group has remained intact for the 2023 season and has a full season of experience together under its belt.
Senior McKinnley Jackson and juniors Fadil Diggs and Shemar Turner were all in their first year as starters last season ... The trio of upperclassmen combined to total 15.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as each started at least eight games to help A&M boast the No. 1 passing defense in the nation and a top-25 scoring defense.
Jackson came into his own last season, having a breakout game against Ole Miss as he racked up 12 tackles, including a solo sack for a loss of 9 yards.
Diggs' season was cut short due to injury, but he made the most of the time he had on the field ... Diggs showed out at Alabama making six tackles, 3.0 for loss, while taking down the quarterback on two occasions and forcing two fumbles.
In their debut seasons in 2022, Shemar Stewart, LT Overton and Walter Nolen made an immediate impact as each Aggie appeared in at least 11 of the team's 12 games and made the start on three-or-more occasions.

FAMILY TIES

Sophomore QB Max Johnson and sophomore TE Jake Johnson arrived in Aggieland together in January of 2022 .... Max transferred to A&M after two seasons at LSU, one as QB1, while Jake was a top-rated tight end in A&M's historic 2022 signing class ... They are the sons of Brad Johnson, a 17-year NFL veteran and two-time Pro Bowler that helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII ... They are also the nephews of former Georgia and Miami head coach Mark Richt.
Junior WR Moose Muhammad III is the son of two-time Pro Bowler and 14-year NFL veteran Muhsin Muhammad II, who was selected in the second round of the 1996 draft by the Carolina Panthers, where he spent the first nine years of his career.
Sophomore DL LT Overton, who reclassified and graduated high school early to join the 2022 signing class, is joined on the team by his brother graduate DL Micaiah Overton, who transferred from Liberty ahead of the 2022 season ... Their father, Milton Overton, spent seven years at Texas A&M as an associate athletics director overseeing the Aggies' technology growth and services and currently serves as the AD at Kennesaw State.
Freshman DL Cody Polk is the son of former Texas A&M linebacker Scott Polk (1980, 81, 82, 83, 84), who is best remembered for his drama scoop-and-(nearly) score in the Aggies' 37-12 win over Texas in 1984.
Offensive line coach Steve Addazio is in his second year in Aggieland and is joined by his son and former player Louie Addazio, who spent the final three years of his playing career at Boston College before joining the coaching ranks.