Jimbo Fisher shares initial impressions of Miami

This week, the Texas A&M Aggies are traveling to South Florida to take on the Miami Hurricanes in what should be one of the most interesting non-conference games of the 2023 season. Ahead of that meeting, Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher shared his initial thoughts on Miami.

“We’ve got a really good opponent coming this week, Miami, and Mario Cristobal is a very good coach,” Jimbo Fisher said. “Their offensive line is a big, physical group. They ran the football extremely well in the game against Miami of Ohio.”

In 2022, the offensive line was a major issue for Miami. Head coach Mario Cristobal has worked hard to correct that, using the transfer portal to add multiple starters. In the opener, it seemed like the unit had improved, rushing for 250 yards in their opener.

“Receivers, they’ve got big guys. Guy in the slot, seven [Xavier Restrepo] can really play, gets open. Big guy can really make plays down the field. They’ve got speed. The quarterback [Tyler Van Dyke] is an experienced guy, been around a long time. I mean, he was a frontrunner for the Heisman a year ago coming into the season. Can throw the ball, do all the things you need to do.”

Jimbo Fisher is also impressed with the defensive side of the ball for Miami, in particular with the athletic ability of several players.

“Defensive line, Leonard Taylor is as good as anybody up front. Kam Kinchens at safety. Their backer [Francisco Mauigoa] is a transfer backer, they got him from Washington State…can run and make plays, along with what they already have. [Jahfari] Harvey’s already up front. They got a great transfer from Purdue,” Fisher said.

“Defensive tackle is electric and twitchy, can make plays. Secondary, they bring different looks, pressures. Transfer corners that come in there, [Daryl] Porter and [Davonte] Brown, those guys they’re coming in there. Of course, you know, they got [James] Williams in the secondary too and there was a five-star guy that’s a really good player.”

Las Vegas likes Texas A&M on the road this week. In an early point spread from FanDuel, the Aggies are listed as a 4.5-point favorite.

“Punter [Dylan Joyce] is an excellent punter. Hits it deep. I think 43-44 yard average. Returner [Brashard Smith] was second in the country in kickoff return average a year ago. Same guy is back in that way. So, special teams.”

Miami and Texas A&M met last season in College Station. That was a win for the Aggies but after both teams had difficult seasons, and as a result, both made major changes in the offseason. Jimbo Fisher has a ton of respect for the Hurricanes and knows this is going to be a challenging game.

“They’re a great team. We’ll have to play them well on the road. It’s going to be a great challenge and we have to have a great week of practice to get ready.”