Every Miami Hurricane football fan remembers last year’s Texas A&M game.
Miami was cast as the home underdog against a ranked team; A&M was cast as the big bad bully from out west with a backfield full of All-Americans. It was a game in front of a national audience.
There was legitimate electricity running through the fan base.
It was nothing compared to what was running through the Hurricane football team.
Miami went out and smashed the Aggies before a raucous home crowd. It was the last time the team really looked like they belonged at The U.
Now fast forward to this year. The roles have been reversed. Miami just showed, in front of a national audience, that they can hang with the big boys. The Aggies, on the other hand, have shown nothing but an inability to stop the run and adapt to a new offense – so far.
The game will be played in the middle of the afternoon. It will only be shown on ABC’s regional coverage package (predominantly in the Houston and Miami areas).
The trap is set.
The Aggies will be looking to make a statement. For two weeks, all they have heard about are their weaknesses. Their defensive front has left much to be desired, and their adjustment to new head coach Mike Sherman has been slower than expected.
In football-crazy Texas, their results have been unacceptable. For the Aggies, it is a make-or-break type of game.
The Aggies will be up for this game.
Sherman does not care about what happened last year. All he will see is a young Hurricane squad coming off of a loss.
Typically, a trap game is at home against a weak opponent, and it comes when a team is looking forward to a big opponent that is waiting around the corner rather than at the present.
This week, Miami could fall into a trap on the road against an underachieving opponent with lots of talent and a famously hostile crowd.
On the 27th, the Canes will open their home conference schedule against North Carolina. This game has taken on an increased relevance for Canes fans since the Tar Heels hired former Hurricane coach Butch Davis. It does not help that the Tar Heels manhandled the Canes last season and are a chic pick to win the ACC.
The fan base is pumped for the game; many think it is a battle for the early lead in the race to the ACC title game.
Everyone seems to be overlooking the Aggies this week.
An opponent to be feared is one that is wounded and cornered. The Aggies are both. They are not only playing below their talent level, but they are also getting fried for it.
It sounds an awful lot like last season to me, only reversed.
Hurricane Nation remembers that Thursday night.
The Aggies stepped in to a well-laid trap.
The Canes would be wise to learn from history.