Each Monday in After "Math", we'll take a look inside the numbers from the weekend's football game, and we'll do it through the words of the Aggie coaching staff.
For more insight on each football game, make sure to tune in to "The Pulse: Texas A&M Football" (Wednesdays, 4:00 PM CT on FOX Sports Southwest and 6:30 PM CT on KBTX-TV).
AFTER MATH: OLE MISS
by Will Johnson '01
12th Man Productions
Ole Miss refers to its defense as the 'Land Sharks'.
Well, these big fish entered hostile waters on Saturday night in College Station. A sea of 12th Man Towels waited on them. An SEC record 110,633 at Kyle Field hoped to conjure up a raging squall that no foe could escape.
But, these sharks sure didn't sink. They swam away with fins high.
The heralded Rebel defense was as good as advertised, and maybe even better. They came in having allowed three touchdowns to opposing offenses in 2014. Despite allowing three to the Aggies, they essentially got two of those back, scoring twice themselves on an interception and fumble return.
“A highly rated defensive front caused a lot of havoc,” Kevin Sumlin said. “They played a lot of football on our side of the line of scrimmage.”
Prior to Saturday, the Aggies had allowed two opposing defenses to score on them in the entire Sumlin era. In 2012, Louisiana Tech's Shakeil Lucas pick-sixed Johnny Manziel. Last year, Alabama's Vinny Sunseri did the same.
The Rebels' Cody Prewitt (75-yard interception return) and Keith Lewis (21-yard fumble return) matched that in one night, both finding the end zone on takeaways.
“Turnovers can kill you, but turnovers for scores will get you beat just about every time. Particularly if you give up two,” Sumlin said. “Quite frankly, it ended up being the difference in the ballgame.”
Even when the Aggies got something going offensively, they had to earn every bit of it.
In their three previous SEC games, A&M averaged 6.6 plays per touchdown drive. To finally get on the board against the Rebels, it took the Ags 14 plays to march 58 yards (most plays in a scoring drive this season).
It was tough sledding last week at Mississippi State, as the now No. 1 Bulldogs allowed A&M only 9.9 yards per completion, and 5.7 yards per play—both then season-low figures. Ole Miss bested those numbers. The Ags went for 9.5 per completion and 5.2 per play vs. the Rebels.
“They have a tremendous front,” Sumlin recalled. “Because of that, they can be a little more patient on the back end, and not give you as many big plays.”
As far as the Aggies are concerned on defense, they seemed to improve as the night went on. Ole Miss rang up 171 first quarter yards and 14 points. In the remaining three quarters combined, the Rebels gained 167 yards and notched just 7 more points.
“It was evident the defense made enough stops for us to get back in the game,” said Sumlin. “They forced eight punts, and we had more total yardage.”
It was just a little too late. Ole Miss went 99 yards to a touchdown on their third offensive drive. When they scored to cap it, A&M found themselves down 14-0 to start a game for the first time in the Sumlin era. The Prewitt interception return early in the second quarter made the hole too deep to climb out of.
What does it all add up to?
The math stays the same. This is still the SEC West.
LSU defeated Florida, in Gainesville, on Saturday night, 30-27. This division is now 26-0 against anyone who resides outside of it.
“I do think the SEC West deserves two in the playoff,” Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said following the game at Kyle Field.
It's becoming hard to argue against that statement.
But, we can start to debate whether the West can actually pull off perfection. Can the division actually win every game against outside competition? Probably not. Making it to this point without defeat is incredible enough.
There are tests this weekend. Arkansas gets a visit from 10th-ranked Georgia. LSU hosts an improved Kentucky team. And, Ole Miss tangles with Tennessee in Oxford.
The Volunteers are getting closer and closer to contender status in the East. However, they venture into those rugged waters of the West Saturday evening.
Tennessee must wade carefully. They can ask recent Rebel victims Alabama and A&M about this. The Crimson Tide and Aggies, who meet themselves Saturday in Tuscaloosa, know very well what lurks under the surface.
They know that when you jump into the SEC West pool…
You're swimming with sharks.