Credit to Rachel Perreault | Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
MIAMI – The Texas A&M Aggies were unable to weather a Miami surge in a 48-33 loss to the Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Aggies led 17-7 two minutes into the second quarter, but Miami outscored the Maroon & White 41-16 the rest of the way.
Texas A&M capitalized on great field position in the opening series with a blocked punt by Jahdae Walker before Conner Weigman punched it in from the 1-yard line for his first career rushing touchdown. Texas A&M extended the early first quarter lead to 10-0 following a 24-yard field goal by Randy Bond.
The Aggies’ special teams took advantage of a Miami muffed punt as Edgerrin Cooper recovered his second career fumble on the Miami 9-yard line. Amari Daniels scored his second career touchdown with a 9-yard rush to make it 17-7 to begin the second quarter.
Texas A&M trailed, 21-17, heading into the break following 14 unanswered points by Miami.
After Bond nailed his second field goal of the game from 28 yards out to bring Texas A&M within one, 21-20, two second-half turnovers and a special teams miscue hindered the Aggies’ comeback efforts.
Miami’s Isaiah Horton returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
On Texas A&M’s next drive, Weigman had his career-starting string of 179 consecutive pass attempts without an interception snapped midway through the third quarter when Ainias Smith slipped on a route. The Hurricanes cashed in with a field goal to go up 31-20 at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter.
Earnest Crownover recorded his first career touchdown with a 19-yard reception to make it 31-26 with 2:29 left in the third quarter.
After a quick 3-and-out, Texas A&M took possession in the waning moments of the third quarter, but Miami recovered a Daniels fumble on the last play of the period to take over at the Aggies’ 31-yard line. Five players later the Hurricanes scored on Tyler Van Dyke’s fourth touchdown pass of the game.
Texas A&M cut the Miami advantage to 41-33 with 5:02 remaining in the game on a 9-yard scoring pass from Weigman to Noah Thomas, but the Hurricanes answered back with a score on Van Dyke’s fifth scoring toss of the game at the 2:36 mark.
Weigman ended the game connecting on 31-of-53 for 336 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Evan Stewart registered career highs with 11 receptions for 142 yards, for his second consecutive 100-yard game and the fourth of his career.
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Texas A&M Football Post Game Notes
Miami 48, No. 23 Texas A&M 33
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Team Notes
- The Texas A&M defense limited the Hurricanes to just 77 yards on the ground, keeping their opponent under 100-yards on the ground for the second straight game.
- The Aggies limited Miami to just 3-of-9 on third-down conversions in the game.
- A&M punted three times in the game for an average of 42.7 yards per punt, landing two of the three kicks inside the 20.
- Today’s captains at Miami were OL Layden Robinson, DL McKinnley Jackson, DB Demani Richardson and WR Ainias Smith.
Individual Notes
- Sophomore QB Conner Weigman scored the first rushing touchdown of his career on a 1-yard lunge into the end zone to put the Aggies on the board first.
- Weigman finished with a career-high 31 completions on 54 attempts and was just 2 yards shy of his career-best with 336 yards.
- Junior RB Amari Daniels scored his first touchdown of the season and the second of his career on a 9-yard dash into the end zone to extend the A&M lead in the second quarter. He finished the game with a career-best 18 rushes for 62 yards.
- Sophomore WR Evan Stewart finished the game with 11 catches for 142 yards, both new career marks as he logged his second 100-yard game of the season and the third of his career.
- Graduate RB Earnest Crownover scored the first touchdown of his career when he hauled in a 19-yard pass late in the third quarter.
- Graduate WR Ainias Smith made it 29 straight games with a reception, a streak that dates back to the 2019 season.
- Freshman LB Taurean York led the Aggie defense with a career-best seven tackles.
- Junior LB Edgerrin Cooper recovered a fumble for the second time in his career, both of which led to a touchdown, after landing on a muffed punt on the Miami 9-yard line to set up A&M’s second TD of the first half.
- Junior transfer WR Jahdae Walker marked the first blocked punt for the Aggies since Fadil Diggs blocked a punt against Prairie View in 2021 when he got a hand on Miami’s first punt of the game to give A&M ball on the Miami 15 and set up an Aggie touchdown.