Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics
After Math: Western Carolina
Nov 16, 2015 | Football
Each Monday, 12th Man Productions' Will Johnson goes inside the numbers of the latest football game with "After Math".
Saturday didn't bring anything out of the ordinary to Kyle Field.
Texas A&M is expected to handle an FCS opponent with ease. And for the most part, the Aggies did.
But, in the first quarter, a valuable football lesson was learned.
The Aggies were up 14-0, and well in control. Then one big Catamount play, followed by a takeaway, tied the game.
Never put it on cruise control in this game. Football will see to a change in direction – with the snap of a finger.
The Aggies allowed Western Carolina's Detrez Newsome to run 65 yards and, after a touchdown on the next play, Christian Kirk fumbled the kickoff. The Catamounts' Avery Worsham scooped and scored.
Snap! New game.
"We had a meeting at halftime, and said 'what's happened, happened'," Kevin Sumlin recounts. "Those are two freak plays and we'll be alright."
The Aggies recovered fine, and didn't have much trouble the rest of the way.
They moved the ball well, but haven't necessarily finished drives.
Senior Taylor Bertolet is having a good year as placekicker. But Kevin Sumlin would like to trot him out for more extra points…not lengthy field goals.
"We've kicked more field goals this year than any other year I've been here," says Sumlin. "Probably more than any other year I've been a head coach. To have 300 yards in the first half, and only 21 points…we need more points than that."
In Sumlin's first year here the Aggies tried 22 field goals (all by Bertolet). They've attempted 22 this year (again, all Bertolet), still with three games to play. In 2013, just 13 field goal tries. Last year, only 15.
Give Bertolet credit. He's nailed five kicks from 50-plus yards this season. Sumlin described him as a 'weapon' from long range.
A quick note on another senior before moving on. Tra Carson played his final game on Kyle Field Saturday, rushing for 109 yards. Quietly, Carson could notch a 1,000-yards in his final year. He needs 136 more in the closing three games to get there.
What does it all add up to?
The near future.
Even in a victorious post-game locker room, Kevin Sumlin quickly turned the page to next week's contest at Vanderbilt.
The Commodores can flat out play defense.
"It's going to be a very tough challenge," states offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. "They're one of the top defenses in the league, and they take a lot of pride in that. They're an offense that's going to try and ball control so you don't know how many opportunities you're going to have. When we do have the opportunities we better finish."
"We've got our work cut out for us," Says Sumlin. "We've got to play our best football because they've been red hot defensively."
First things first. Texas A&M must play cleaner offensively to win.
The Aggies have turned the ball over 13 times in their last five games. This comes after issuing 6 giveaways in the opening five contests. A&M has doubled the rate at which they're losing the football.
It's alarming. It has to change.
"I say it every week and people get tired of it. Turnover ratio is the biggest stat in college football," Sumlin unapologetically reiterates. "The teams that are plus are the teams that are winning championships. The teams that are minus are milling around in the middle."
Play clean and you always have a chance to win. If you don't, your record will take a blemish.
On Saturday in Nashville, the Aggies had better be polished up.
Players Mentioned
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