The Texas AM Aggies can’t get back on the field soon enough after getting upset at home by Appalachian State last week. At least they didn’t wait until later in the season to disappoint their fan base. The Aggies will look to get back in the win column with a Week 3 matchup against the undefeated Miami Hurricanes laying 5.5-points on the opening college football betting line. The Canes are getting a lot of attention but we don’t really know much about them after outscoring Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss 100-20. This will be their first real test of the season.
Miami Hurricanes vs Texas AM Aggies Date/Time
The Week 3 college football game between the Miami Hurricanes and Texas AM Aggies will take place at Kyle Field in College Station, TX at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 17, 2022 and will be televised on ESPN.
Miami Hurricanes vs Texas AM Aggies Odds
Miami Hurricanes +5.5
Texas AM Aggies -5.5
Over/Under 48.5
Odds Analysis
We usually see a tight spread in a top-25 matchup and that’s what we have. And the line tightened after the Aggies’ upset home loss to App State. Originally a 7.5-point favorite, the betting public hit the Canes hard dropping the line two points to Texas AM -5.5. An 18-point favorite on the closing line last week, the Aggies dropped to 0-2 ATS in the 17-14 setback. The Canes took care of business beating Southern Miss 30-7 but failed to cover the 27.5-point line. Playing as a dog four times last season the Canes went 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS. They closed last season with payouts in six of their last nine games. The total hit the board at 48.5 and has remained steady in early betting.
Miami Hurricanes
We’ll get a better idea of how good the Canes are this week. They opened the season with an expected trouncing of Bethune-Cookman and struggled through the first half of last week’s win over Southern Miss. A four-touchdown favorite over the Golden Eagles, the Canes led just 10-7 at halftime struggling to run the football. They made some adjustments scoring 20 points after the break and finished with 173 yards on the ground. However, they averaged just 3.5 yards per pop. This game was a step up from the opener but still a lesser opponent for a team nationally ranked. If the Canes play the same way they will struggle against a tough AM defense.
Tyler Van Dyke has been efficient in the passing game completing over 73 percent of his passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Known for its explosiveness and big plays those things have been lacking despite the offense scoring 100 points. Again, you have to take into consideration the level of opponent and the Canes haven’t been threatened. At least the defense stepped up holding the Eagles to 33 rushing yards and 240 total yards. The unit also forced three turnovers helping put the game away.
Texas AM Aggies
This is a matchup of top-25 teams though it doesn’t really seem like it. They aren’t as overrated as Notre Dame, but Texas AM is sure giving the Irish a run for the moniker. Once again with bloated expectations the Aggies came crashing down with last week’s 17-14 upset loss to the Mountaineers. And things don’t get easier with a pair of ranked opponents in the next two weeks followed by the grueling SEC schedule. The App State game was one the Aggies had a W next to and therein sits the problem. They just aren’t good enough to beat fringe teams with an offense that needs a solution at quarterback.
The loss to the Mountaineers was bad, how the Aggies lost was even worse. Against a team that was riddled by North Carolina in the opener, AM did little offensively with Haynes King throwing for 97 yards and the Aggies making nine first downs and 186 total yards. For a team that was supposedly built to handle the rigors of the SEC, the Aggies were manhandled by App State. They had just 38 offensive plays and possessed the football for fewer than 19 minutes. It was a defeat that has Jimbo Fisher evaluating everything about his program.
Miami vs Texas AM Predictions
One game doesn’t make or break a season. We could still see the Aggies find their offense and go on a run in the SEC. It just doesn’t seem likely after getting thoroughly beaten by a G5 opponent. That’s just not supposed to happen. I do expect the Aggies to play much better, especially on offense, and not knowing a lot about the Canes leaves me in limbo. It’s a mistake to overreact, so I won’t. I’ll back the Aggies minus the points at home in a bounce back game.
Prediction: Texas AM Aggies -5.5 / OVER 48.5
