COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Robert Marve threw two touchdown passes and Graig Cooper ran for career-high 128 yards and two scores as Miami picked apart Texas A&M's defense in a 41-23 rout Saturday.
Marve, a redshirt freshman making his second career start, completed 16 of 22 passes for 212 yards. The Hurricanes (2-1) piled up 398 yards on 57 plays -- an average of 6.98 yards per offensive snap -- and handed A&M its worst nonconference defeat at Kyle Field since a 30-10 loss to Alabama in 1988.
The Hurricanes gained 261 yards in the first half on Saturday, nearly doubling what they had in a full game against Florida two weeks ago. The Hurricanes had 12 first downs on 28 plays in the first half and led 24-10 at the break.
Jerrod Johnson threw three touchdown passes for Texas A&M, but two came after the Hurricanes led 41-10 in the third quarter.
The Aggies (1-2) have lost consecutive nonconference home games at Kyle Field in the same season for the first time after losing coach Mike Sherman's debut 18-14 to Arkansas State.
Johnson started in place of Stephen McGee, who sprained his shoulder against New Mexico on Sept. 6. McGee had started A&M's last 29 games.
On the game's first snap, Mike Goodson took a short pass from Johnson, broke four tackles and outran another Miami defender for a 62-yard touchdown.
The Hurricanes took less than two minutes to answer. Marve threw a 29-yard pass to Kayne Farquharson on Miami's first offensive play and three snaps later, Cooper scored on a 19-yard run.
Miami's next possession was more of the same. After Marve threw an 11-yard pass to Sam Shields, Cooper ran untouched for a 51-yard touchdown. Miami gained 121 yards on its first six plays.
Freshman Richie Bean kicked a 38-yard field goal to pull Texas A&M to 14-10 late in the first quarter.
Derron Thomas started Miami's next drive with a 34-yard run. Marve took a hard hit from A&M linebacker Von Miller and left the game after throwing a pass to Farquharson. Freshman Jacory Harris replaced Marve and Matt Bosher kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 17-10 lead.
Miami's Travis Benjamin returned a punt 44 yards to the Aggies' 41 in the final minute of the half. Marve returned and found Thearon Collier wide open in the end zone with 20 seconds remaining.
Early in the third quarter, Marve threw a 36-yard pass to Dedrick Epps as the Aggies continued to blow coverages and miss tackles. The pass set up another short field goal by Bosher that put Miami up 27-10.
Defensive lineman Eric Moncur made a one-handed interception on Johnson's next pass at the Texas A&M 15.
Marve immediately threw a touchdown pass to Farquharson with 6:36 left in the third quarter to make it 34-10.
On the second play of A&M's next possession, Miami linebacker Glenn Cook swatted the ball out of Johnson's hands as he was being sacked, recovered the fumble and trotted into the end zone to make it 41-10.
