Aggies Fall at Clemson, 24-10

Saturday, September 7

Clemson, S.C.

2:30 PM

Texas A&M

1-1

Clemson

2-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Texas A&M

Clemson

Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics

Sep 07, 2019 | Football

Box Score Final Stats Photos Exposure: Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) -- Trevor Lawrence threw for one touchdown and ran for another and No. 1 Clemson won its record-tying 17th straight game with a dominating 24-10 victory over No. 12 Texas A&M on Saturday.

The Aggies (1-1) talked of an upset all week and figured to be the sternest test left for the defending national champions. Instead, the Tigers (2-0) methodically made plays, stretched out drives and pressured A&M junior quarterback Kellen Mond into an awful showing.

The decisive win tied Clemson's best-ever run of success that spanned the 2014 and 2015 seasons. It also left a major question in college football: Who can stop these guys?

The Tigers will be double-digit favorites the rest of the regular season in their try for a fifth straight Atlantic Coast Conference title and College Football Playoff berth.

Texas A&M came in filled with confidence. The Aggies vowed they wouldn't let their near-miss, 28-26 loss to Clemson happen this time. They shrugged off the Death Valley crowd with all their own experience in loud Southeastern Conference venues. Offensive lineman Jared Hocker even predicted the upset.

Instead, it was A&M shaking its head about what went wrong as Clemson relentlessly wore down the Aggies with its collection of fast, talented playmakers.

It began with Lawrence, who scrambled out of pressure as Justyn Ross broke behind defenders for a way-too-easy, 30-yard TD catch to put Clemson up for good.

Then safety Nolan Turner jarred Mond on what would have been a first-down run to cause a fumble that linebacker James Skalski pounced on to blunt an Aggies' drive.

With the half running out, Clemson receiver Tee Higgins reached behind him to snag Lawrence's throw at the A&M 2. Two plays later, Lawrence had a 1-yard scoring run to send Clemson up 17-3 at the break.

The Aggies could not respond.

Lawrence went 24 of 35 passing for 268 yards.

Texas A&M's offense and Mond struggled against the rebuilt Tiger D. Gone were the swarming front four led by All-Americans -- and first round NFL draft picks -- Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins. But the new group, led by sophomore defensive end Xavier Thomas, was just as potent. Thomas had a sack and the Tigers held Texas A&M to 92 yards in the opening half.

Mond, who threw for 430 yards against Clemson a season ago, finished with 236 yards passing -- only 115 of those the first three quarters -- with an interception and a fumble. His lone TD pass came with 6 seconds remaining in the game, a 2-yard lob to Jalen Wydermeyer.

Texas A&M Football Post Game Notes
No. 1 Clemson 24, No. 12 Texas A&M 10
Memorial Stadium (Clemson, S.C)

Team Notes

Sophomore Seth Small sailed a 32-yarder through the uprights to cap off a 16-play, 7:33 scoring drive, A&M's longest scoring drive by plays and time in the Jimbo Fisher era (15 games).
Today's captains against Clemson were WR Jhamon Ausbon, DB Keldrick Carper, LB Buddy Johnson and OL Colton Prater.
Clemson won the toss and deferred.

Individual Notes

Freshman TE Jalen Wydermyer and junior transfer DB Elijah Blades made their first career starts.
Freshman S Demani Richardson led the Aggies with eight tackles.
Sophomore DL Tyree Johnson set new career marks with seven tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss.
Senior DB Roney Elam made it back-to-back games with an interception after picking off a pass in the fourth quarter. He had never intercepted a pass prior to his final season.
Junior WR Jhamon Ausbon's seven receptions in the game upped his career total to 94.
Sophomore RB Jashaun Corbin eclipsed the 1,000 career all-purpose yards mark as he added 34 yards on the day to put him at 1,021 yards in his young career.
Wydermyer scored A&M's only touchdown of the game, the first of his career.
Senior Braden Mann, who set the record for 60-plus yard punts in a season in 2018, punted the ball 60 yards in the second quarter, marking the 15^th time in his career he has boomed a 60-yarder.

TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH JIMBO FISHER

Opening Statement

"Congratulations to Clemson. They played a very good football game. [They're a] very physical, good football team. [They] made the critical plays when they had to make the critical plays. Our guys, I thought we played hard. I didn't think we played particularly well at times. I thought they did a good job mixing and matching some things, we made adjustments, and had opportunities to make plays. I mean, you gotta make critical plays at critical moments to keep pressure going back and forth in the game. Early, we had kind of… we had a couple… we had a drop on the first play, we had a miss on the second play. In the second, we're up 3-0, we get a good drive, they drive back and score, and then we're moving it again and create a turnover. Our defense did a good job. Transition defense gave up a field goal and unfortunately, we gave up a 90-yard drive right there before half, which was critical. But then [we] came out and played well defensively and offensively. We got a couple first downs on some things and then just didn't get it going. Then, we had a really good drive and we missed a block on the backside. [We] had a chance to score with 10 minutes to go, get it to a two-score [game], 20-14, you're still in the ballgame. But then, I give our kids credit. We kept playing, we played hard. They're a good football team. We have a good football team but we have to play better and I have to coach better and that's on me to get them in the right positions at the right time and make sure they know what's going on and play better, because we have a good team. Like I said, they're a good team, and so, we just didn't play well enough today and didn't do what we needed to do."

On QB Kellen Mond

"Well, I thought he started off… you know, he had a couple throws early that… he couldn't get in a groove. We dropped one off the bat and then we missed one. And you know, just a hair high here. And then, he started getting in a groove and then we lacked some protection, but he kept battling and playing well. I didn't think he was in sync early, just a hair off. When he was in sync, we were dropping the ball, or as an offense, we were out of sync and he kept battling and played hard."

On if defense played well enough to win

"We didn't win so there ain't no offense, defense, one side good enough. Texas A&M didn't play well enough to win the game. As a team, you do whatever you have to do. I thought we played really well at times on defense. We played well, we played physical. Then, we gave up some big plays at times on a big drive, but I thought they had their moments; the offense had their moments. We gotta play better as a team."

On if cramps were a problem

"No."

On halftime adjustments

"We made a lot of adjustments, our blocking scheme. We moved the ball for over 200 yards in the second half. Defensively, we held them to one touchdown. The other plays that they made, we had a guy come out of coverage on a scramble and if he stays back, I don't know if we make it, but that's what good players do. Their players made good plays. There were a lot of adjustments on how we schemed, on how we blocked, on how we moved it, and then we just couldn't finish drives."