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By LORI DANN
ldann@star-telegram.com
Game 3 rewind: Miami 41, Texas A&M 23
The good news: Aggies fans got a glimpse at the playmaking ability of quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who was given numerous opportunities to prove he could make something out of nothing while running for his life against an aggressive Hurricanes defense. The 6-foot-5 sophomore threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, including two to tailback Mike Goodson, in his first start. ... A&M's offense finally turned in its first true explosive play of the season, opening the game with a 62-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Goodson. ... Also a long time coming was senior Richie Bean's first career field goal, a 38-yarder in the first quarter. ... It was an encouraging day for the Aggies receivers, who had no drops. Freshman Jeff Fuller and Terrence McCoy led the way with five catches each. ... Coaches said they saw more physical play on defense and were particularly pleased with the play of defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cyril Obiozor. Linebacker Von Miller was the top tackler with a career-high nine stops, including two for losses, in his first start.
The bad news: Jerrod Johnson's good plays were offset by two critical third-quarter mistakes deep in A&M territory in a one-minute span that helped Miami pull away with two quick touchdowns. It took the Hurricanes one play to score after his interception at the 15, then they increased their lead to 41-10 on the Aggies' ensuing possession when Glenn Cook scooped up Johnson's fumble at the 2 and ran into the end zone. ... As long as quarterback Robert Marve was in the game, Miami seemed to move the ball at will. Through three quarters the Hurricanes had 41 points and 357 yards while averaging almost 8 yards per play. Six of their plays went for 25 yards or more. ... The Aggies were penalized seven times for 71 yards, and several flags proved to be costly. ... Special teams were also an issue. Miami had a 44-yard punt return and a 41-yard kickoff return. ... Perhaps most alarming were the injuries to two offensive linemen and the shoulder sprain suffered by Johnson in the second quarter. Tackle Travis Schneider, the team's most experienced lineman, sprained his left ankle and missed the entire second half. Guard Lee Grimes went down with a left knee injury in the fourth quarter.
What they said: "I thought we played harder than we've played all year. We showed a lot of toughness out there. We really got after those guys. I think the thing that really cost us was we had a lot of mental mistakes -- 70 yards in penalties and putting the ball on the ground a few times. When you're going against a team like MIami or someone in the Big 12, you're not going to come away with a W when you do that kind of stuff to yourself. We've got to stop beating ourselves and keep improving, and I think things will start turning in our favor." -- Senior offensive tackle Travis Schneider
This week's matchup
Army (0-3) at Texas A&M (1-2)When: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Kyle Field, College Station
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