Miami Football: 3 takeaways from win against No. 23 Texas A&M
By Dante Pryor
2. Miami football’s defense buckled down in the second half
The Hurricanes buckled down in the second half, allowing 16 points. Miami forced three turnovers and two drives of fewer than five plays, which allowed Miami’s offense to pull away. Miami did a tremendous job of flying to the football and getting Texas A&M players on the ground, not allowing them to break tackles.
Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry did an excellent job of disguising coverages pre-snap, not allowing Connor Wegman to know what they were doing. Gudiry mixed pressures and forced Wegman to scramble for extra time to throw the football. Miami’s defensive line moved A&M’s offensive line at the point of attack.
As a result, Texas A&M struggled to run the football and push the ball down the field.
The A&M defense was solid on a down-to-down basis. The Hurricanes had just 17 first downs and were 3-9 on third downs. However, the Aggies were susceptible to the big play. Miami completed passes of 64, 52, 48, and 32 yards. Miami wide receivers averaged 17.8 yards per reception, and Van Dyke averaged 12.5 yards per pass attempt.
A&M did an excellent job against the run, allowing only 77 yards on the ground. Miami averaged 2.4 yards per rush against the Aggies defense. It was the big plays that were the Aggies’ demise.