Miami – For one night, everything worked for the Miami Hurricanes, who finally got that signature win the program has craved for a couple of years.
Kyle Wright threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, Graig Cooper scored twice and the Hurricanes stymied No. 20 Texas A&M’s high-powered offense in a 34-17 victory Thursday night.
The win was only Miami’s second in its past nine games against a ranked opponent dating to the end of the 2005 season.
And it was never in doubt.
The Hurricanes (3-1) held the Aggies (3-1) to 38 yards in the first half yards in taking a 24-0 lead, ensuring their final Thursday night game at the venerable Orange Bowl would be a memorable one.
“It was a Thursday night game, prime time, so the nation got to come out and see what we really have as a University of Miami football team,” Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon said. “I’m pleased with the victory, but I just said in the locker room … we’ll come back Sunday and get ready for our next opponent, which is Duke.”
Wright completed 21-of-26 passes, finding Cooper with one scoring throw and Chris Zellner with another late in the third quarter to push the lead to 31-0. Sam Shields had six catches for 117 yards for Miami, which had three scoring drives take a combined one minute, nine seconds.
Stephen McGee had a 1-yard touchdown run with 8:03 left for Texas A&M, and backup quarterback Jerrod Johnson threw a 33-yard scoring pass to tight end Martellus Bennett with five seconds left.
The Aggies entered averaging 46.3 points, scoring at least 38 in every game. Those numbers plummeted against the Hurricanes, who said a spotlight national TV game like this represented the perfect chance to make a statement.
It came through loud and clear.
Texas A&M’s three leading rushers – McGee, Mike Goodson and Jorvorskie Lane – came into the game averaging a combined 235 yards, a big reason why the Aggies’ were ranked fifth nationally in rushing offense with nearly 300 yards per outing as a team.
That trio rushed for 21 first-half yards and 69 for the game.
Lane had no carries in the first half, and the Aggies didn’t get on the board until Matt Szymanski’s 32-yard field goal with 11:40 left.
By then, the outcome was decided, and the Miami mood was so joyous that university president Donna Shalala was posing for photos with smiling guests on the sideline as the clock ticked down.
“We just got beat, got beat by a better team,” Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione said.
Miami scored 10 points off three Texas A&M turnovers in the final 3:40 of the half for the Hurricanes, who have won their last 10 Thursday games in the Orange Bowl.
