Miami Hurricanes show Cristobal’s potential in upset of Jimbo’s Aggies

MIAMI — If the Miami Hurricanes faced something like they faced Saturday — an early two-score deficit against No. 23 Texas A&M — quarterback Tyler Van Dyke knows what would have happened.

“I think we would have quit, honestly,” Van Dyke said. “We’re a totally different team.”

That’s clear after second-year coach Mario Cristobal earned the first win over a ranked opponent in his tenure with Saturday’s 48-33 upset of Jimbo Fisher’s Aggies. This Miami team is different than the one that looked lifeless in a 14-point loss to Middle Tennessee last year. It’s definitely different than the one Florida State crushed by 42 points in November.

This team, for the first time in Cristobal’s 14 games, makes you think he can get the Hurricanes back to where they’re supposed to be.

“We are working our way there,” Cristobal said. “We’re nowhere near where we want to be. ... But all in all, just a massive step for the program.”

It was a massive step because of how poorly the ‘Canes started. Miami had a poor kickoff return, went three-and-out on offense, had a blocked punt and allowed a touchdown on defense … and that was just the first 2-1/2 minutes. When a muffed punt allowed the Aggies (1-1) to take a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter, the old Miami would have caved.

Not this one.

Van Dyke and the offense responded with a 52-yard pass to Isaiah Horton for one of Van Dyke’s career-high five passing touchdowns, then scored on four of the next six drives, too. That’s due largely to first-year offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who schemed players like Jacolby George (three touchdowns) and Xavier Restrepo (career-high 126 yards) open.

The defense delivered, too, with an interception, fumble recovery, three-and-out and turnover on downs in the Aggies’ last six drives.

Even the special teams came through, recovering from the atrocious start with Brashard Smith scoring on a 98-yard kickoff return and Andres Borregales nailing a 50-yard field goal.

But Saturday’s showing was also a massive step forward because of everything that preceded it.

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Cristobal’s 5-7 first season was the program’s worst since 2007, with the Middle Tennessee humiliation serving as rock bottom. The effort lagged, and Cristobal wasn’t subtle about heaping blame on the situation he inherited from Manny Diaz. Regardless of whether you consider that an explanation, an excuse or somewhere in the middle, little about the start to the Cristobal era inspired much confidence.

“When you change regimes and you change cultures, you have a choice to make,” Cristobal said. “You could stick with what you believe in, and sometimes it’s ugly. Last year was.”

An ugly loss Saturday would have added angst to a fan base that has experienced plenty of it over the last two decades. Cristobal would have looked more like a massively overpaid coach who rewarded his program’s increased financial commitment and facilities upgrades by wasting high-end talent during another season of underachievement.

He would have looked like Fisher.

Since winning 29 games in a row and the 2013 national title at Florida State, Fisher’s ceiling has been a pair of trips here for the Orange Bowl (one with the Seminoles and one with the Aggies). Since finishing No. 4 nationally in the 2020 COVID season, Fisher is 14-12. His Aggies will drop out of the rankings (again) as message boards continue discussing the feasibility of a buyout hovering around $77 million.

Cristobal pointed out all the “massive dudes” and five-star recruits Fisher has signed. Massive dudes and five-star recruits whom Cristobal thumped while scoring the sixth-most points Fisher has ever allowed.

There were plenty of blue-chip prospects watching Saturday, too, as Miami handed Fisher his first loss in eight trips to Hard Rock Stadium. What those recruits and the rest of the announced crowd of 48,792 saw wasn’t, to answer the semi-regular question around this program, a declaration that The U is finally back.

But after 13 unimpressive games, Cristobal finally has a proof-of-concept performance — one that, for the first time, inspires confidence he can get the ‘Canes there eventually.

Kamren Kinchens injury update

All-America safety Kamren Kinchens was strapped onto a board and carted off the field in the game’s closing minutes. Cristobal said the initial reports showed everything was “relatively normal” with Kinchens, but he did not provide any details. Kinchens had an interception and fumble recovery before his injury.

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