COLLEGE STATION--Like it has been all year, it was back to business over the weekend as Texas A&M turned the page on the Mississippi State game and focused hard in on the next challenge—15th-ranked Auburn this Saturday morning at Kyle Field (11 a.m., ESPN).
The overarching message coming from the Kyle Field Media Center this week was that missed opportunities early—which comes down to lack of execution—in Saturday's loss proved to be the difference. And, when looking at the season as a whole, that issue was an exception—not the norm.
Some highlights from Tuesday's media session:
All season long Kevin Sumlin has reiterated the fact that this team is different. He's said time and again he loves the effort, the attitude and the confidence the team plays with. So when asked what gives him the confidence to know that the finish to this season would be different, he knows what their results have shown on the field this year.
"First of all, I care about what these guys in this building think first, because that attitude comes from there," Sumlin said. "I think they've shown a resiliency before. I think they've shown toughness before. And I think they've shown the ability to finish before. Nobody Saturday night was happy in that locker room. There were some people that were embarrassed by their performances, including me. So as we got back to work yesterday, the attitude and the way guys have approached things all year lead me to believe that is still who we are. Because there's a bigger body of work than there was for Saturday night. Now, certainly Saturday night was not very good at all. That has to be corrected. But the attitude and the history of what's gone on this season gives us the opportunity to move on to this week."
"Me? (The loss is) Past me. I'm moving on," linebacker Cullen Gillaspia said. "I think in years past we've dwelled on it a little too much and it's gone on to affect us. It's football. You lose some, you win some. For me, it's down the toilet, it's gone. I'm focusing on Auburn, ready to go 1-0 this week."
"I think we're in a good spot," lineman Koda Martin said. "The coaching staff has done a good job of helping us see mistakes and fix mistakes…really looking at ourselves and evaluating ourselves, not blaming anyone but just look at yourself in the mirror and what you can do to help this team get better. We've got a good mindset going into this week, 1-0 mentality."
"The loss leaves a bad burden on you," running back Trayveon Williams said. "It leaves a chip on your shoulder, gives you something to go out and play harder for next week. When we were looking at the film it was little things. We didn't play our best ball…but we'll use that as (motivation) and get ready for next week."
Over the last month and a half or so of football, Texas A&M has looked like a very different team than what it showed in the second half of the UCLA game.
Saturday's game started out in similar fashion to the majority of the body of work—defense making a play, offense getting a shot at big plays.
Coach Sumlin has consistently praised the effort his team gives on a weekly basis, and with good reason. The problem this week, he says, was execution. If A&M had executed—especially early—things could have turned out much differently.
"I thought the effort was again excellent," Sumlin said. "I thought the execution was poor, particularly offensively."
For just the second time this year (Alabama), the Aggies lost the turnover battle. Mississippi State scored 21 points off Aggie turnovers. A&M threw three picks, nearly doubling its season total entering the game (4). They were unable to capitalize on an early MSU turnover and missed two deep balls on the first offensive drive that could have easily gone for touchdowns.
"That hasn't been us," Sumlin said. "We've done very well in the turnover battle. We've played close games because of that and been able to finish games because of that. All that being said…the effort's there. I thought from beginning to the end, our execution was extremely poor, particularly offensively."
The numbers back that—A&M ran just 22 plays in the first half and accumulated 169 of its 285 total yards in the fourth quarter.
Texas A&M's receiving corps, which struggled in the loss to UCLA, had taken big steps forward until Saturday. When asked who the results in the loss to the Bulldogs were an indictment of, Sumlin did not hesitate to answer.
"It starts with me. Ultimately I'm responsible for our performance. We have to continue to get better. We were making those steps, and for whatever reason…which we've talked about internally, thoughts about why that happened, and moving forward, how to fix it. So anything that happens like that starts with me.
"We will be put in those situations because of our young quarterback…because the strength of our offense has been our running backs, whether we're throwing it to them or handing it to them. So people are going to load the box, play man-to-man coverage, and we've got to be able to make those competitive plays. Over the course of the last 5-6 weeks, with the exception of Saturday, we've been able to make those plays or make some big plays down the field. We took a step back Saturday."
The team's leader, Christian Kirk, echoed those sentiments less than an hour later.
"It just comes down to taking advantage of our opportunities," Kirk said. "Our first two plays of the game, we could have hit both for touchdowns. Both were off by a couple steps. Whether it was a pass or a catch we were supposed to make, we didn't make them. And that's a big part of our offense, making those explosive plays. We didn't do it. The biggest thing when it comes to opening up the passing game is making those big plays, those explosive plays. Because that's what this offense runs off of. If we can just get back to that…I think we'll be alright."
A&M will have to contend with one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Jarrett Stidham. In his first year at Auburn, he's thrown for over 1,700 yards and has completed nearly two-thirds of his passes.
"Jarrett is a fabulous player," Sumlin said. "He's had a great career and will continue to have a great career."
But ultimately, what makes Auburn's offense so dangerous is its success in the red zone. When they get there, they cash in (virtually) every time. In 36 trips, they've scored 33 times (24 TD, 9 FG), and that 92 percent conversion rate leads the SEC.
"It's a combination of a quarterback that's playing well, a running back that's leading the league in touchdown runs (Kerryon Johnson – 14), and a kicker who's one of the best in the country (Daniel Carlson – 15-19 FGs, 35-35 XP)…that's going to be a huge challenge for us."
Kellen Mond (8-26, 56 yards, 2 INT vs MSU) will remain the starter for the Aggies, despite being lifted for the now healthy Nick Starkel (8-25, 133 yards, TD, INT) after taking a big hit that was penalized in the fourth quarter.
"Not right now," Sumlin said when asked if he would re-open the quarterback competition. "I thought Nick came in in a cold-weather situation with those circumstances and did some good things. But there were also some issues. The situation will remain where it is. He made a couple of mistakes…so there's a little rust on him too right now. As we continue to work on down the road the situation will remain the same."
Auburn's offensive line will face a challenge as Texas A&M's defense leads the SEC with 30 sacks. That total ranks second in the country (Clemson – 32). The Tigers to this point in the year have allowed an average of 2.75 sacks per game.
It's not as simple as pin your ears back and get to the QB, however.
"We do what we do on defense. Our defense has proven that they can do that…but you've got to prove it every week. (This week) It's a little bit more (complicated) than putting your hand on the ground and trying to the passer, because they present some other things to you that if you are running up the field like that, you create some vertical seams.
"There are other issues that come with that, particularly the way that Auburn utilizes the motions, play fakes—not just downhill but perimeter play fakes, things like that. You've got to be aware in the run game and not just run up the field all the time. You've got to be aware in the back end because they force you to have great eye discipline because of the 'eye candy' they present. We've got to have a combination of things in order to defend this offense."
Sumlin was asked about the play of Camron Buckley, who has already made a strong impact at the wide receiver spot despite being a true freshman. Buckley earned the start against Mississippi State and if you look at his recent trend you can see why.
Through the first four games he caught one pass for 12 yards (it was a touchdown, by the way, against Louisiana-Lafayette). Since? He's hauled in five passes for 171 yards and the score Saturday night. Buckley made a fantastic catch in traffic against Alabama that led to A&M's final touchdown of the game and made a remarkable play to get the late touchdown over the weekend against MSU.
"He plays really, really hard. He's got a lot of energy and got a lot of talent. He's made big plays for us this year and he'll continue to do that as he continues to grow…He's got to continue to get better at seeing some different things and adjusting some of his routes to coverages. His attitude's great. He wasn't happy with his performance Saturday, he'd be the first to tell you that. But the upside to Cam Buckley is a big one."
The overarching message coming from the Kyle Field Media Center this week was that missed opportunities early—which comes down to lack of execution—in Saturday's loss proved to be the difference. And, when looking at the season as a whole, that issue was an exception—not the norm.
Some highlights from Tuesday's media session:
"That is still who we are."
All season long Kevin Sumlin has reiterated the fact that this team is different. He's said time and again he loves the effort, the attitude and the confidence the team plays with. So when asked what gives him the confidence to know that the finish to this season would be different, he knows what their results have shown on the field this year.
"First of all, I care about what these guys in this building think first, because that attitude comes from there," Sumlin said. "I think they've shown a resiliency before. I think they've shown toughness before. And I think they've shown the ability to finish before. Nobody Saturday night was happy in that locker room. There were some people that were embarrassed by their performances, including me. So as we got back to work yesterday, the attitude and the way guys have approached things all year lead me to believe that is still who we are. Because there's a bigger body of work than there was for Saturday night. Now, certainly Saturday night was not very good at all. That has to be corrected. But the attitude and the history of what's gone on this season gives us the opportunity to move on to this week."
"Me? (The loss is) Past me. I'm moving on," linebacker Cullen Gillaspia said. "I think in years past we've dwelled on it a little too much and it's gone on to affect us. It's football. You lose some, you win some. For me, it's down the toilet, it's gone. I'm focusing on Auburn, ready to go 1-0 this week."
"I think we're in a good spot," lineman Koda Martin said. "The coaching staff has done a good job of helping us see mistakes and fix mistakes…really looking at ourselves and evaluating ourselves, not blaming anyone but just look at yourself in the mirror and what you can do to help this team get better. We've got a good mindset going into this week, 1-0 mentality."
"The loss leaves a bad burden on you," running back Trayveon Williams said. "It leaves a chip on your shoulder, gives you something to go out and play harder for next week. When we were looking at the film it was little things. We didn't play our best ball…but we'll use that as (motivation) and get ready for next week."
"The effort was excellent…the execution was poor."
Over the last month and a half or so of football, Texas A&M has looked like a very different team than what it showed in the second half of the UCLA game.
Saturday's game started out in similar fashion to the majority of the body of work—defense making a play, offense getting a shot at big plays.
Coach Sumlin has consistently praised the effort his team gives on a weekly basis, and with good reason. The problem this week, he says, was execution. If A&M had executed—especially early—things could have turned out much differently.
"I thought the effort was again excellent," Sumlin said. "I thought the execution was poor, particularly offensively."
For just the second time this year (Alabama), the Aggies lost the turnover battle. Mississippi State scored 21 points off Aggie turnovers. A&M threw three picks, nearly doubling its season total entering the game (4). They were unable to capitalize on an early MSU turnover and missed two deep balls on the first offensive drive that could have easily gone for touchdowns.
"That hasn't been us," Sumlin said. "We've done very well in the turnover battle. We've played close games because of that and been able to finish games because of that. All that being said…the effort's there. I thought from beginning to the end, our execution was extremely poor, particularly offensively."
The numbers back that—A&M ran just 22 plays in the first half and accumulated 169 of its 285 total yards in the fourth quarter.
"It starts with me."
Texas A&M's receiving corps, which struggled in the loss to UCLA, had taken big steps forward until Saturday. When asked who the results in the loss to the Bulldogs were an indictment of, Sumlin did not hesitate to answer.
"It starts with me. Ultimately I'm responsible for our performance. We have to continue to get better. We were making those steps, and for whatever reason…which we've talked about internally, thoughts about why that happened, and moving forward, how to fix it. So anything that happens like that starts with me.
"We will be put in those situations because of our young quarterback…because the strength of our offense has been our running backs, whether we're throwing it to them or handing it to them. So people are going to load the box, play man-to-man coverage, and we've got to be able to make those competitive plays. Over the course of the last 5-6 weeks, with the exception of Saturday, we've been able to make those plays or make some big plays down the field. We took a step back Saturday."
The team's leader, Christian Kirk, echoed those sentiments less than an hour later.
"It just comes down to taking advantage of our opportunities," Kirk said. "Our first two plays of the game, we could have hit both for touchdowns. Both were off by a couple steps. Whether it was a pass or a catch we were supposed to make, we didn't make them. And that's a big part of our offense, making those explosive plays. We didn't do it. The biggest thing when it comes to opening up the passing game is making those big plays, those explosive plays. Because that's what this offense runs off of. If we can just get back to that…I think we'll be alright."
"It's going to be a huge challenge for us."
A&M will have to contend with one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Jarrett Stidham. In his first year at Auburn, he's thrown for over 1,700 yards and has completed nearly two-thirds of his passes.
"Jarrett is a fabulous player," Sumlin said. "He's had a great career and will continue to have a great career."
But ultimately, what makes Auburn's offense so dangerous is its success in the red zone. When they get there, they cash in (virtually) every time. In 36 trips, they've scored 33 times (24 TD, 9 FG), and that 92 percent conversion rate leads the SEC.
"It's a combination of a quarterback that's playing well, a running back that's leading the league in touchdown runs (Kerryon Johnson – 14), and a kicker who's one of the best in the country (Daniel Carlson – 15-19 FGs, 35-35 XP)…that's going to be a huge challenge for us."
"The situation will remain the same."
Kellen Mond (8-26, 56 yards, 2 INT vs MSU) will remain the starter for the Aggies, despite being lifted for the now healthy Nick Starkel (8-25, 133 yards, TD, INT) after taking a big hit that was penalized in the fourth quarter.
"Not right now," Sumlin said when asked if he would re-open the quarterback competition. "I thought Nick came in in a cold-weather situation with those circumstances and did some good things. But there were also some issues. The situation will remain where it is. He made a couple of mistakes…so there's a little rust on him too right now. As we continue to work on down the road the situation will remain the same."
"We do what we do on defense…but you've got to prove it every week."
Auburn's offensive line will face a challenge as Texas A&M's defense leads the SEC with 30 sacks. That total ranks second in the country (Clemson – 32). The Tigers to this point in the year have allowed an average of 2.75 sacks per game.
It's not as simple as pin your ears back and get to the QB, however.
"We do what we do on defense. Our defense has proven that they can do that…but you've got to prove it every week. (This week) It's a little bit more (complicated) than putting your hand on the ground and trying to the passer, because they present some other things to you that if you are running up the field like that, you create some vertical seams.
"There are other issues that come with that, particularly the way that Auburn utilizes the motions, play fakes—not just downhill but perimeter play fakes, things like that. You've got to be aware in the run game and not just run up the field all the time. You've got to be aware in the back end because they force you to have great eye discipline because of the 'eye candy' they present. We've got to have a combination of things in order to defend this offense."
"He's made big plays for us this year."
Sumlin was asked about the play of Camron Buckley, who has already made a strong impact at the wide receiver spot despite being a true freshman. Buckley earned the start against Mississippi State and if you look at his recent trend you can see why.
Through the first four games he caught one pass for 12 yards (it was a touchdown, by the way, against Louisiana-Lafayette). Since? He's hauled in five passes for 171 yards and the score Saturday night. Buckley made a fantastic catch in traffic against Alabama that led to A&M's final touchdown of the game and made a remarkable play to get the late touchdown over the weekend against MSU.
"He plays really, really hard. He's got a lot of energy and got a lot of talent. He's made big plays for us this year and he'll continue to do that as he continues to grow…He's got to continue to get better at seeing some different things and adjusting some of his routes to coverages. His attitude's great. He wasn't happy with his performance Saturday, he'd be the first to tell you that. But the upside to Cam Buckley is a big one."