A&M 17, Miami 9: Postgame Notes and Quotes
Sep 18, 2022 | Football
Texas A&M's postgame notes from the 17-9 win over No. 13 Miami at Kyle Field:
Team Notes
- The Aggies improved to 28-4 under Jimbo Fisher when scoring first and 26-0 when leading after the first quarter.
- Texas A&M moved to 23-5 at Kyle Field under Jimbo Fisher.
- The Aggies are now 14-2 against non-conference opponents in the Jimbo Fisher era.
- Jimbo Fisher improved to 8-1 all-time against Miami.
- After recording just six pass breakups in the first two games, the Maroon & White defense tallied eight against Miami, including two each from sophomores DB Tyreek Chappell, DB Jardin Gilbert and LB Edgerrin Cooper.
- The A&M defense did not allow Miami to score a touchdown in four trips into the red zone, forcing the Hurricanes to attempt four field goals, making three.
- The Aggies recorded their seventh win against an AP top 15 team under Jimbo Fisher.
- Saturday’s effort marked the second consecutive season the Aggie defense has held an AP top 25 opponent without a touchdown – topping No. 12 Auburn, 20-3, last November.
- The Aggies held Miami to single-digit scoring, marking the first time the Hurricanes had been held to under 10 points since the 2019 Walk On’s Independence Bowl, when the Hurricanes were shutout versus Louisiana Tech.
- There were 107,245 fans in attendance, marking the third-largest crowd in Kyle Field history and largest in a non-conference game.
- Tonight’s captains against Miami were WR Ainias Smith, DL Fadil Diggs, DB Demani Richardson and DL Isaiah Raikes.
Individual Notes
- Senior WR Ainias Smith extended his receptions streak to 26 games and moved up A&M’s all-time charts into 10th with 126 career catches and also sits in 12th with 1,580 receiving career yards.
- Junior RB Devon Achane has scored at least one touchdown in each of the Aggies’ first three games this season after extending the A&M lead in the third quarter with a 25-yard TD reception. The Missouri City, Texas, native has now scored a rushing, receiving and a special teams touchdown this season.
- Freshman RB LJ Johnson Jr. scored the first touchdown of his young career on a 1-yard push into the end zone near the end of the first quarter.
- Junior QB Max Johnson made his first Aggie start, passing for 140 yards and one TD. He also rushed for 23 yards on seven carries.
- Junior DB Jaylon Jones made his season debut against the Hurricanes and tallied a career-high nine tackles, including eight solo stops.
- After batting down a pass on 3rd-down, freshman DL Albert Regis blocked Miami’s 36-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter for A&M’s first blocked field goal since Justin Madubuike got his hand on one at Ole Miss in 2019.
- Senior DB Demani Richardson forced a fumble for the second consecutive game, knocking the ball loose on an early Miami punt return to set up an A&M touchdown.
- Entering the game with two tackles on the year, freshman DB Bryce Anderson recorded eight tackles.
- Sophomore PLK Randy Bond registered his first career points with a 26-yard field goal early in the first quarter.
- Graduate P Nik Constantinou boomed six punts for 266 yards (44.3 ypp), hitting a long of 57 and landing punts at Miami 9, 8 and 1-yard lines. It marked the sixth time in his career that Constantinou pinned the opponent inside the 20-yard line three-or-more times.
Postgame Transcript: Jimbo Fisher
Very proud of our team. Thought we showed a lot of guts, a lot of heart. I thought we played really well. Very good football team we played. They came in with a lot of momentum, things going on. Our kids stood out. I think we fought, had a good week of practice, battled back, did things we had to do. Thought we played very opportunistic to get with each side. Again, I thought offense moved the ball well early, scored points. Even when we didn't, we were still at the 50 a couple times. Had a couple drives stall midfield 40s, which could have picked up a third down but we didn't. We pinned them back. I think we started them inside the 10 three, four, five times. A couple of times back on the 1 or 2.
Defense, we did a good job. Giving up the nine points, excellent in what we did. They had still 12, 12 and 16 play drives, three long drives with what we did. Wish we could have held them backed up or inside the 10. We pinned them back to be able to get the field position back and get points. Still very opportunistic. We got a critical turnover in special teams. Demani [Richardson] did a good job. And we had some very critical penalties on defense that and offsides, a couple targetings that kept drives alive and kept things going for them. We had them pinned back a couple times. Just got to make sure we're seeing what we get. We don't want to lose those guys. And plus, you don't want to get guys hurt in that regards. We'll get that cleaned up .
I thought [Devon] Achane did a heck of a job in the game catching and running with the football. Made some really nice plays. I thought Max [Johnson] was under a lot of pressure. They had a good rush, did some really good things. He didn't turn the football over, didn't force it, didn't do anything crazy. Picked up some critical third downs when he had to. Listen, we're nowhere close to being perfect, but I'm very proud of this team. We got better and played a really good football team and won. Now we got to get better and keep going.
Q. What was it about Max's [Johnson] week this week that separated himself to earn the starting job?
Just played with very good consistency. Knowing what we were doing and what we were doing in the game plan. He played very good and was accurate with the ball. Made good decisions.
Q. How difficult is it as a coach to make that kind of a call?
It was very difficult. Quarterbacks take all the glory and all the blame. I'm telling you right now by far Haynes [King] had some things he could have done better and played better, and I've said that before. But it was not all him what's going on. The guys around him could have made some plays at times and blocked and did things, too. We still got to get a heck of a lot better on offense. I thought that's what's best for us to win the game, and that's what we did. Haynes [King] is still very much in our thinking and what's going on. Practiced very well, and so Max [Johnson] and so did Connor [Choate].
Q. And from what you did see, the right side of your line seemed like they were really opening some holes for [Devon] Achane. How much was those two guys and how much was…
I'll go back and look at the film. We did have hit success on that side of the ball. We got up there a couple of times in the 40 yard line, that gray zone, just ready to get some points and get over. We got stopped there is a couple times. Got to see what happened there. Still got better. We'll look at it and see.
Q. Jimbo [Fisher], obviously had some issues getting some completions down field. How much do you think not having the guys…
I don't. I don't. I think it don't matter. If you're not protecting, you can have Jerry Rice running down through there. We've got to do a better job protecting the pocket and some of those things. The guys that played did a heck of a job.
Q. Jimbo [Fisher], in a game in which you guys are outgained by 130 yards, how pivotal was that turnover
Knowing how to win. Playing opportunistic. Playing situational football. We did a really good job in those regards. The field goal block was huge. They missed a field goal. Our special teams did a good job. That's what good teams do. They find ways to scratch it out. We found a way to do it.
Q. On the Demani Richardson targeting call, did it not only look like a targeting, but is it a little bit frustrating when you know you're a little bit down in the defensive backfield to lose a guy like that?
I hate to lose him anytime. He's a great senior. I couldn't see the play really good. I guess it was a target. He said it was. If it was, it was. We got to clean that up and make sure that doesn't happen. Had two of them. That's two critical guys. They had a lot of bodies. But our guys got it out and figured out ways to win. We're always going to do what's right in this program.
Q. When you look at the versatility of a guy liked Antonio Johnson play back and Bryce [Foster] to be able to come in and step in at the nickel, how pleased were
That's another one. Bryce Anderson stood in and got significant playing time. Some really good young players and things going on.
Q. Two things. One, looked like left guard, you guys had [Jordan Spasojevic ] Moko and Aki [Ogunbiyi] kind of rotating. Was that kind of the plan coming in?
Yeah, it was.
Q. And secondly, when you look at you said you could get better offensively. Do you look at
We can get better offensively, defensively, and special teams. We can get better in all three phases.
Q. Do you look at a night like tonight and obviously as much trouble as you guys had last week, do you look at it as maybe with the defense carrying it is the way you're going to have to win for a little while?
You got to understand, when you're pinning guys back on the 1, 2 yard line, it makes it easy for a defense to win, too. I'm not taking anything away from our defense. They're doing a great job. But I thought we played very opportunistic and won the field position battle in the game. That's what we did very well. They gained yards. But they started how many drives inside the 10? 3? A couple of them at the 1? That is still moving the ball, our special teams, all that is characteristic of what you're doing and how we're doing it.
Q. After what happened last week, what do you think was a key for your team to be able to bounce back and not let that linger?
Block out all the clutter, move on. Go the next play, go the next day. Don't listen to anybody. Move on. Control what happens to you and live in your own little cubby hole, live in your own world and block everything out.
Q. Can you also talk about the suspensions and how disappointing it was to have to do something like that when you're already trying to get back on track?
It was. They just had a violation of team rules. We'll move on. And we handled it the way we needed to handle it.
Q. Jimbo, you already touched on being short handed at corner. With all that, how impressed were you with Jaylon Jones' performance coming back, first time playing?
It's great to have Jaylon back. Jaylon is a high listen, not only a great player, he's a high quality person. He's a tremendous human being. Came out there and he hit it right on and getting back in time. It really worked out good for us because if he had been hurt, we could have been in trouble. I thought he played a really good game.
Q. We talked a lot about the other guys, but Albert Regis knocks down a pass and then blocks a field goal. Just his contribution tonight? He's a guy we don't know a whole lot about.
Good player. He played really good. Played good all year. He almost got two last week. If you look at last week, he was inches from blocking two field goals last week. Just inches from blocking them. Did a good job. And Albert has been playing really good football for us for a while. I love the kid. He's a hard working, genuine, really good kid and got a great future.
Q. Coach, can you talk about the shot in the arm that this gives you going into conference play next week?
Well, yeah, you had to win this game. It was a tough game coming off a tough loss. It doesn't get any easier. It's a shot we needed. We didn't need another shot the other way. We've got to keep getting better and just go saw wood and see what Arkansas is like. We play a great Arkansas team and play them very well.
Q. Holding Miami to field goals down there. The defense did a heck of a job in the red zone. I don't know if all the stops were in the red zone, but inside the 30 at least. What do you say about the defense?
They did a good job. We worked on it hard. They did a good job on those things. And like I say, if we had to give up a couple thirds and a couple things, they could have been almost scoreless. They did a good job. Miami is a good football team. I give them credit. Coached well. Mario [Cristobal] does a great job with those guys. But to give up nine points is outstanding.
Q. Did you ever say "an ugly win"? Is that such a thing in your mind?
No. It's because Ugly? How's it ugly? When you play complementary football, you do the right thing, you don't turn the football over, you make the plays you got to make, that's what winning football does.
Q. Going off of Justin's question a little bit, Miami averaged two yards a play inside the red zone. What specifically were you guys able to
They ran the ball well in the field. Condense it. Your safeties are down there. It's tighter, quicker, faster. That's just the way the red zone is. People act like they need to get down there and run the ball. You don't do anything different. All those bodies, there's nowhere to go. They're all just stuck in there together. It becomes a lot more physical and a lot more tougher to run the football. That's grown man ball when it does that.
Q. You leave Kyle Field for a month. What do you feel like you've learned about your team after three?
That we have guts and that we'll fight and play hard. We just got to learn to play better in all the things we're doing. But we've got a good group of kids who work and dedicate themselves and do everything we ask them to do and stick together. I was really proud the way they stuck together and didn't let things separate them and do the things they needed to do this week. That's part of the game. That's part of winning at this level, too. You've got to learn that. You've got to learn that.
Q. Coach, I was wondering if you could go into a little bit more detail about what you saw out of Max [Johnson] tonight at quarterback. And how confident are you with him moving forward?
I'm very confident with him. Again, thought he played some really nice I can't way to see the film to see. He got some pressures. He had some really good reads. We got pressures on some plow passes. We've got to see where that's coming from and where it's at and what we can do. We'll look at that. I thought he played an outstanding game, made the plays. He had a touchdown throw. He had no turnovers, managed the game well, managed the clocks, snaps, got plays in and out, controlled the line of scrimmage with a snap count. Thought he did a nice job.
Q. Miami seemed to be really a lot of times putting eight, nine guys within five or six yards of the line of scrimmage. Seemed like they weren't worried about you guys
That's not true. They were playing normal defense.
Q. They play that many guys every game? Okay, well, I would assume then that that was since they had some success what everybody is going to do. What do you guys have to do to
We'll look at it and evaluate and make a game plan and go.
Postgame Transcript: Max Johnson
Q. Max, I guess the basic stupid question, how does it feel to get a win in your first start as the Aggies' quarterback?
MAX JOHNSON: It's freaking awesome. I love playing with these guys. Going to practice every day. Coming out here, getting a win over a top 15 team is pretty incredible. Shout out to the O line and to the defense for playing great tonight.
Q. Max, when did you know sometime this week that the quarterback position would back open? And what do you feel like you did to earn that spot for this game?
MAX JOHNSON: I feel like I've been doing what I've been doing since fall camp and spring. Coming to work every day with a great attitude. And Coach [Jimbo] Fisher has the ultimate decision. I just came to work every day and tried to push people to be the best version of themselves.
Q. What do you feel like the offensive line did different today to help push the run game a little bit?
MAX JOHNSON: I think they just had a great week of practice, great week of preparation. They focused really hard on all the run blocking. They did a great job on the pass game, too. Shout out to those guys, and I'm glad we came out with a win.
Q. Max, when you look back at the opening drive, just how comfortable were you moving the ball, especially with guys like Ainias [Smith] and Devon [Achane]?
MAX JOHNSON: I think having those two guys and everyone else around me, if I can get the ball to them, they make the spectacular plays. I think Coach [Jimbo] Fisher did a great job of down and up for the first couple of drives.
I feel like we stalled out going right into halftime, but I think so we came out pretty explosive. It was pretty special.
Q. Talk about explosivity, you can move actually pretty well for a guy not known for his mobility. Have you always been able to have that kind of agility? Is that something you started picking up when you got here?
MAX JOHNSON: I think the rumor was I couldn't run last year. I got to run a little bit in the spring game, which was kind of fun just to change the perception, I guess. But I think having the ability when the play breaks down and being able to escape is a big part of my game.
Q. Max, after it was announced that Haynes [King] would be the starter for the season, what was going through your mind at that point? And did you not necessarily envision something like this, but, I mean, knowing that your number could be called at any time and then now having it called?
MAX JOHNSON: I think just being ready at all times was kind of my mindset. I've been through the situation multiple times at LSU, whether it was starting or not playing at first and then getting my chance. I came ready to work every day, and being around those guys makes it fun.
Q. Max, I know you mentioned you guys got it going early and then kind of stalled out. How much of a difference is it when I know obviously early in the game you guys script and looks really good. Then the adjustments come after that. How much of a challenge is that kind of cat and mouse game after?
MAX JOHNSON: I think Coach [Jimbo] Fisher is one of the best at coming out after halftime and making the adjustments. Our guys came pretty prepared on what we were doing throughout the game. And Coach Fisher made some great play calls in the run game and pass game, and our playmakers made it happen.
Q. I know it's your first year in the offense, but tight ends have been a really big part of this group. I know you guys got a lot of young ones right now. But how do you envision being able to get them more into the passing game, involved?
MAX JOHNSON: I think some of our guys are kind of banged up right now. But we got into 12 personnel a little bit tonight. And I think being able to get some defenses in base, defense when we go 12. But I think everyone is a big part of our game: Tight ends, running backs, receivers as you saw tonight.
Q. I heard you mention you really needed to work on your running, scrambling in the offseason. How does a quarterback go about doing that? What are some of the things you did?
MAX JOHNSON: I don't think it was crazy work of, you know, just becoming faster. I think when a pass play breaks down or being able to pull off a defensive end and leave squeezes, I guess that's a big part of my game, I would say. Yeah, I don't think I looked into it too deep.
Q. Is it pretty wild to you to beat Texas A&M in the last game of the season and then now start for the Aggies? And what went into that decision for you?
MAX JOHNSON: I'm super blessed to be here. I enjoyed my time at LSU, but that time is gone. I love playing with these guys. And the main part was it was just a business decision. And I wanted to be surrounded by great players and a chance to win, and A&M is the best place to be.
Q. I know you certainly had a lot of experience before you even came here. But what do you think was the key to being able to come here tonight, get your first start in front of 100,000 people on a national night game and be able to have success and lead the team to a victory, especially after I know you weren't part of what happened last week.
MAX JOHNSON: Yeah, I think just the players around me, they made a lot of great plays, I think. The O line did a great job of protecting me. [Devon] Achane and all the running backs did a great job of running the ball. I'm not sure for how many yards we rushed.
Shout out to everyone, shout out to the defense for doing a great job and holding them to nine points and they didn't score a touchdown. I think it was just overall a great team win.
Q. It's hard to win college games or any games with 17 points. Do you feel like you're going to have to produce more in the future as an offense? Or can you allow your defense to play this well every week?
MAX JOHNSON: I totally agree. I think we should have put up more points. And Miami had a really good defense, a really good team. I think our guys have to come ready to work with a great mindset next week. I do feel like we need to put up more points. Our defense has been playing lights out all year.
Q. Kind of going off of Zach's question earlier, once the season gets going and offense is having a tough time king of getting going, what's kind of the give and take for you in your previous position during games and practice sort of saying, I'm here if you need me but also just being a supportive teammate? And then kind of obviously transitioning through this past week of practice, becoming the guy and then kind of changing that part of your preparation.
MAX JOHNSON: I really don't think I changed any of my preparation. I don't think anybody really did. I don't think that decision affected how we went about practice, how we went about our mindset. Our guys came ready to work this week. We're all hungry, and it showed tonight.
Q. Hey, Max, curious, how many shot plays Jimbo [Fisher] called roughly? And a lot of your completions were underneath. Was that by design? Did you check it down? Talk us through that.
MAX JOHNSON: Yes and no. There were a couple not shot called plays, but I did have the ability a couple of times to throw some shots. The covers out there running didn't allow for that to happen, so I ended up chucking it down.
Q. And then how did you feel comfortable wise in Jimbo's [Fisher] offense tonight and going through your reads and progressions?
MAX JOHNSON: I felt very comfortable. This whole offseason I got here in January and I was able to meet with the coaches and understand the offense and what they want to establish.
Jimbo did a great of Coach Fisher did a great job of calling plays and building around our playmakers.
Q. You probably played in some raucous environments at night at LSU. But how did this one compare to the ones you've had before?
MAX JOHNSON: Yeah, it's pretty special. All the students stand up the whole game. I don't know if anyone else does that. They're into it the whole game, all the chants. It's pretty special. I'm glad we came out with a win. I get to celebrate with these guys.
Q. And then you talked about it briefly, but how much easier does it help make your life as a quarterback when you have a defense that holds Miami to nine points all game?
MAX JOHNSON: It's pretty incredible. We go back and forth every day in practice. We're all competitive. And we have some great guys on that side of the ball, some great leaders and they played very well tonight.
Q. Max, I've got a couple of questions for you. First off, can you just kind of talk about the touchdown pass to Devon [Achane] tonight.
MAX JOHNSON: Yeah, it was a little swing pass to the right. And I hit it about eight yards deep, and he ended up doing the rest, which is kind of cool. We don't really see that a lot from a bunch of running backs. So it was kind of special. We line him up at receiver, line him up in the backfield. He kind of does it all. He's very special.
Q. And I didn't know if you knew, but in the north end zone tonight, Coach O (Ed Orgeron) was standing there. Did you get a chance to visit him at all? What was it like to have him here?
MAX JOHNSON: I know his son the coach's son in on the staff at Miami. But I didn't end up seeing him or talking to him. I'm sure him and his family are doing very well.
Q. Max, I was just wondering if you could elaborate a little bit more about how much it helps to have a guy like Devon [Achane] in the backfield with you to make plays, not only on the ground but like we saw through the air?
MAX JOHNSON: Yeah, I agree. I think he does it all. I think he reads all the running holes very well. I think he does a great job in the pass game.
But he really you know he couldn't do it at all without the O line. I think those guys did a great job of understanding where their blocks were in those critical situations. And, yeah, I mean, everyone lines up in the backfield. Ainias [Smith], [Devon] Achane, all the different types of running backs. They all did very well.
Q. Max, I'm sure the transition this week may be a little weird, but what were the conversations with you and Haynes [King] like knowing that you guys still wanted to win a football game today?
MAX JOHNSON: I mean, we're friends. Nothing changed between me and him. We've been tight ever since I got here. He's one of my good buddies. I was helping him out when he was playing. He's been helping me out when I was playing. So our friendship is very solid. We push each other every day.
Postgame Transcript: Layden Robinson
Q. How do you ever the offensive line played?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: I feel like the offensive line, we played pretty well. We still didn't play to our highest standard. We wasn't very clean up front some of the time, but we still got the job done. We just showed improvement. We was coming off the ball. We was feeling confident. And we just took the preparation that we had in practice and just brought it to the field. And that was a positive.
We've got to clean up some things, which everybody does. And then we've got to get ready for Arkansas next week.
Q. Layden, not to try to compare and contrast, but what have you noticed about Max [Johnson] running the offense versus what you saw from Haynes [King]?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: I really don't notice anything. I'm just doing my job and that's blocking for them and making sure my quarterback don't get hit. I really don't notice a difference. All I know is we won the game and both guys help the team tremendously.
Q. And when you look at Devon Achane getting over a hundred yards this season total offense, how much does that help elevate your offense, especially when it comes to the passing attack and the short yard situation?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: That helps tremendously. That means we're getting the ball ran more. And that means that we're doing our job up front which is moving the downs. And that's our ultimate goal. We struggled that the first two weeks. But just the positive seeing it going forward. We're setting building blocks each and every week, and we're just hitting them and hitting them. I'm very happy about that.
Q. It seemed like when y'all ran the ball to the right, to y'all's side between you and Reuben [Fatheree], y'all were able to open up some holes, get some space for Devon [Achane]. What was the difference maybe between last week and this week that you felt elevated you to that?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: I feel like we got movement on both sides of the ball, to be honest, the left side and the right side. I feel like we were solid on both. It was particular, like one did better than the other. I feel like we all did good. That's the offensive line as a whole. You can't have one side being off and one side being on. You didn't play good as a whole if that happens. So it just opened the lane for [Devon] Achane, and I'm happy I got my guy rolling.
Q. Layden, it seemed like, especially the opening drive and the touchdown drive, you guys had some spurts there where you really got into a rhythm for a substantial amount of time. And just the rest of the game, what did you feel like in those moments y'all were doing better and moving forward going to have to correct to make that more consistent?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: That first half, we were just executing our job, and we were just doing what we had to do sometimes. And like you said, later on, kind of went up and down a little bit. That's because we was making mistakes.
That happens in the game. But I see it as how we bounce back from those mistakes during the game. I feel like we did a good with it. But we're going to go back, and we're going to watch the film. We're going to evaluate our play. And we're going to go off whatever the coaches say, and we're just going to get better in practice.
Q. How would you describe Max [Johnson] in the huddle to someone who's never met him?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: We met him before. That was last year when we played against him against LSU. And we met him when he came in the spring. They were also rotating in reps. Max is a great guy in general. You know, he just came in, took control of the offense, and was just giving us that confidence that we needed to, to go out and play. And we won the game. So he did a great job tonight.
Q. Layden, I know the answer to this, but I'm going to ask you anyway. How much better is the feeling right now than it was last week at this time?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: It's a great feeling. But at the end of the day, we can't get too high on ourselves. We've still got another game to play and that's the Arkansas Razorbacks. My mind is there right now. This was a great win. Miami was a great team. I'm blessed that we got to play that team after what happened last week. This is a great chance for us to come back and test ourselves when we're down.
So I'm focused on Arkansas Razorbacks.
Q. I was just wondering after that game last week, what was the big thing that y'all talked about to correct on the offensive line moving forward?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: Just communication and getting our job done. That was the big thing last week, communicating and getting across down the line. We did a better job of that this week, and we're going to just keep building on it.
Q. How much did it help having Bryce [Foster] tonight?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: Oh, it helped. We had a guy back that was a very impactful person on our offense. And it just helped us tremendously at the end of the day. It was always good to have guys come back and just be there for you whenever you're seeing rough times. It was great. It was a great feeling to have him back out there and him just playing the sport that he loves to play.
Q. Kind of going off Devon's [Achane] performance, how critical is it for this offense to run the ball in order to succeed?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: It's very critical. That's what we pride ourselves on is to move the downs. Our coach, Coach [Steve] Addazio, is a very old school coach. He wants to move the downs, and he wants to show our dominance up front on the line. As a line, we take pride in that. We've got to show the grit every day to get better. I feel like we took a step in the right direction today moving the downs. That leads to more improvement. So that means we've got to keep going.
Q. Layden, every win is important, but for you guys to have a win in front of the home crowd before going away for a month from Kyle Field and start of conference play, how important is it for you especially to know what this offense can do?
LAYDEN ROBINSON: You know, it's great. It's great to get a win in front of fans, to make the fans proud. That's very important for us because our fans support us through dark times and good times, as you can see tonight. This stadium was packed out. Thank you to the Aggie fans. Appreciate you so much for your support.
And it's just great. That's giving us the confidence to go on the road. And we're going to see a month on the road. And that's just playing the road game is tough. But knowing that we have our fans behind us, that just gives us more motivation. And seeing what we did tonight, that just gives us more motivation.
Postgame Transcript: Jaylon Jones
Q. Jaylon, your first game back, you end up having to get out there maybe more than was expected. You end up playing a whole lot and then bat that pass away at the end. How did you feel at the end of the game the way things had gone for you, dealing with injuries, the struggles from last year, and then tonight?
JAYLON JONES: I just feel blessed. I couldn't do this without God. I couldn't do this without my teammate, my coaches, and everybody around me. So I feel very blessed being in this position.
Q. Jaylon, Tyler Van Dyke says he's going to be a first round draft choice, put up a lot of numbers last year. How did you guys keep him under wraps tonight?
JAYLON JONES: Just in practice with preparation, great defensive scheme, guys executing their assignment, things like that. So came out here and do what we're supposed to do.
Q. Jaylon, you guys had a little bit of a bend but don't break I think at times. Miami was able to put up 400 yards. Whenever they got into the red zone is when y'all really tightened down. So what was the difference inside the 20 for y'all?
JAYLON JONES: One thing we hone on is finish. Don't look at past plays, don't live in the past. Move on to the next play and finish. That's our motto. That's how we go about ourselves.
Q. You lose two guys in the secondary to targeting in the first quarter. Then you play that last drive without Antonio Johnson. How did you guys as a unit come together and have that good of a performance?
JAYLON JONES: Just bring all the guys together, you know, whoever came in. We believe in everybody. Everybody's a great player out there. So we told them boys that came in, just calm down, you know what I'm saying? Follow the execution, follow the plan. We're going to be okay.
Q. Jaylon, just getting this win and getting past last week, what do you think this does for the locker room?
JAYLON JONES: Like what happened last week, one thing about us, we wasn't letting that define us. We said we was going to finish the season the way we wanted to and that's what our plan was.
Q. Between you, Bryce Anderson, Antonio Johnson, Tyreek Chappell, and Jardin Gilbert, the top five leading tacklers for A&M or the defensive backs, was that sort of the game plan for Miami trying to spread the ball out wide and test y'all? And how did y'all do on executing that?
JAYLON JONES: We knew they were going to try to attack us on the perimeter, things like that. So we said we got to show our physical tackle and wrap up, and that's what we did.
Q. Jaylon, just how does this help you guys prepare for Arkansas now?
JAYLON JONES: It brings things to the team. But we got to keep stacking; stack weeks, stack days, and go about preparation next week and get the job done next Saturday.
Q. Jaylon, as one of the more veterans on this team, especially on this defense, what do you want to see from these younger guys moving forward, especially when it comes to consistency and also when it comes to leadership on and off the field?
JAYLON JONES: It starts with the vets. We take everything on us, because as being leaders on the team, we try to make sure everybody coming to the line, everybody doing what they're supposed to do, things like that.
These young guys, they're great. They came here ready to work, ready to play, things like that. So we're trying to get them boys on the right path, that's what we're doing.
