Texas A&M's 48-33 loss to Miami was certainly deflating, but the Aggies are looking to avoid the flop that followed a week 2 letdown last year. Seniors Ainias Smith and McKinnley Jackson seem intend on not enduring a repeat performance.
“Coach ( Jimbo Fisher) always talks about how we are still a 5-7 team until we change it. So my whole thing to the team is, 'Let’s not be stuck. Let’s move forward. We have to get past this.' It all starts today," Smith said.
Jackson didn't mince words about the feeling of losing another non-conference game where the Aggies were favored -- their seventh straight loss on the road. Still, he said it was much too early to give up on the season.
“We feel hurt. We like to fight for each other against another team. That’s a devasting feeling," he said. "We have a long season, but why not win them all? As a defense, we have to come together.”
Smith said that making comparisons to 2022 would be a mistake, because the team is different -- not just in terms of personnel, but in terms of approach. After a great deal of negativity last year, the senior wideout said things are far more positive in 2023.
"I believe each season is a new season. This year is definitely different than any season I’ve been a part of. It’s a mindset," he said.
Smith pointed out another week 2 loss endured by the Aggies that, instead of destroying a season, helped the Aggies find an identity that led to an Orange Bowl victory and a top-4 finish in the Associated Press poll.
"Let’s go back to 2020 when we took that loss to Alabama in the second game of the season. We weren’t expecting to lose. We came in expecting to win. We put in the work and fell short. At the same time, we knew we still had to work," he said. "With this team, in order for us to bounce back, you have to change your mindset. You can’t be stuck."
Like it was after the loss to Alabama, Smith said that there is a new feeling in the locker room. Instead of depression and disappointment, there's anger and motivation.
“The guys that are on this team, we definitely have some dogs and guys with the mentality to get better. You can see it already in the locker room. The guys in the locker room don’t want to feel this feeling again," he said. "I’m pretty sure that a lot of guys are taking it as personally as I am, if not everybody, and I’m going to make sure that we don’t let it happen again."
The Aggies will get their first chance to ensure that it does not happen again this afternoon against Louisiana-Monroe (3 p.m. central time, SEC Network). The bigger obstacles begin next week, with conference play opening with a home matchup against Auburn.
