Texas A&M
7-2 , 4-2
Auburn
6-3 , 3-2
Defense Dominates the Day, Aggies Top Auburn
Nov 06, 2021 | Football
BRYAN-COLLEGE Station, Texas -- A balanced effort on both sides of the ball for the No. 13 Maroon & White helped the Aggies complete the Alabama sweep, downing the No. 12 Auburn Tigers, 20-3, Saturday afternoon inside an electric-filled Kyle Field.
Auburn received the opening kickoff, but failed to get anything going and was forced to punt. The Aggies responded with a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ended with the first of Seth Small’s four made field goals on the day, nailing it through the uprights from 21 yards. Auburn answered on the following drive, but the Aggies limited the damage to a field goal, knotting the game at 3-3 with 20 seconds left in the first quarter.
A&M forced five punts and held the Tigers to 108 total yards in the first half. Auburn would finish with 226 total yards, the fewest they have recorded in a game this season.
The Aggies struck first in the third quarter after Zach Calzada went 5-for-6, hitting Caleb Chapman on a 49-yard bomb and 10-yard pass to begin the drive. With momentum rolling, Calzada hit Ainias Smith for 18 yards to the put the ball on the Tigers’ 4-yardline, but a trio of penalties set the Aggies back to the Auburn 23, forcing the Maroon & White to boot a 29-yard field goal.
After a quick five-play drive by Auburn, A&M went on a nine-play, 58-yard three-minute drive that stalled, resulting in a Small 47-yard field goal nearing the 13:40 mark of the fourth to give the Aggies a 9-3 lead.
Just three plays into the next drive, Kyle Field erupted as Jayden Peevy forced a Bo Nix fumble and Micheal Clemons scooped it up on the right side and took it 24 yards to the house to extend the A&M lead to 17-3. The Maroon & White tacked on another field goal from 37-yards out to halt the scoring for the game and give the Aggies their first home win against Auburn.
109,835.
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 6, 2021
The second largest crowd in Aggie history. #GigEm pic.twitter.com/r5UeSQZ7KK
State Champions of Alabama ??
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 6, 2021
AGGIES WIN! #GigEm pic.twitter.com/mRrHyHrPNb
Hope your Saturday was as fun as ours. ??????#GigEm pic.twitter.com/OlNCna79pc
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 8, 2021
Gallery: Football vs. Auburn, 11/6
Team Notes
- Texas A&M scored on all three trips to the red zone and have now scored on 19 of its last 20 trips to the red zone, dating back to the New Mexico game.
- This was the first time Aggies held a top-25 team without a touchdown since Nov. 20, 2010 when they topped a No. 9 Nebraska squad 9-6.
- The 2010 Nebraska game was also the last time A&M won a game without scoring an offensive touchdown.
- The Aggies logged 4.0 sacks in the win, marking their fourth game of the season with 4.0 or more sacks.
- This was the second consecutive game the Aggies held an opponent without a touchdown through the first three quarters.
- The Aggies have held their last two opponents to 7-for-29 (24.1%) on 3rd down conversions and 1-for-4 (25.0%) on 4th down conversions.
- With 409 yards of total offense, Texas A&M hit the 400-yard mark in the category for the third consecutive game and the fifth time in 2021.
- With 217 yards on the ground, the Aggies hit the 200-yard mark in rushing for the third consecutive game and the fourth time in 2021.
- A&M held Auburn to 226 total yards, which is fewest amount the Tigers have gained this season.
- The Aggies held Auburn to three points, the fewest amount the Tigers have scored since they played Alabama in 2012.
- The victory over Auburn marked the first time A&M has topped the Tigers at home, while the Aggies also became just the fifth team in the last 14 years to beat both Alabama and Auburn in the same season.
- Announced attendance against Auburn was 109,835 which ranks second all-time at Kyle Field and is the most since the stadium was renovated in 2015.
- Today’s captains against Auburn were WR Ainias Smith, RB Isaiah Spiller, DL DeMarvin Leal and OL Kenyon Green.
Individual Notes
- Junior RB Isaiah Spiller moved into the top 10 on A&M’s all-time career rushing yards list, upping his total to 2,855 after tallying 112 yards on 21 carries against the Tigers. He passed Bubba Bean (2,846 – 1972-75), Dante Hall (2,818 – 1996-99) and Christine Michael (2,791 – 2009-12) to end the day No. 8 on the career rushing chart.
- Spiller also moved into 13th place on A&M's career rush attempts list, passing Jorvorskie Lane with 506 with 21 carries on the day.
- Spiller registered his 16th career 100-yard game, the most 100-yard games for an Aggie since A&M made the move to the Big 12 in 1996.
- Spiller logged 115 all-purpose yards in the game, to push his career tally to 3,433. The total moves him into 12th on Texas A&M’s all-time list, passing Dick Todd (3,384 – 1936-38), Trey Williams (3,357 – 2012-14) and Christine Michael (3,331 – 2009-12).
- Sophomore RB Devon Achane eclipsed the 1,000 career rushing yards mark with 98 yards on 10 carries against Auburn to raise his mark to 1,070.
- Junior TE Jalen Wydermyer extended his string of games with a reception to 32, dating back to his first game in Maroon & White.
- Wydermyer finished the day with five receptions for 53 yards. He moved into 14th place on the Aggies’ career list for receptions with 108 and passed Martellus Bennett (105 – 2005-07) for most career catches by an Aggie tight end. He moved into 21st on the career list for receiving yards with 1,359.
- Senior DL Tyree Johnson made it four straight games with at least 1.0 sack after taking down the Auburn quarterback early in the first quarter. He now has three games with 2.0 sacks or more this season, the most since Landis Durham in 2017.
- After recording just 1.0 sack through A&M’s first five games of the season, Johnson has tallied 7.0 sacks over the last four games.
- Sophomore DB Jaylon Jones registered four tackles and two PBU, closing out the game with a 4th quarter interception, his second of the season and the third of his career.
- Graduate DL Micheal Clemons recorded the first fumble recovery of his career and returned the ball 24 yards for the first touchdown of his career. It was the first fumble recovery for a touchdown since Buddy Johnson did so at Ole Miss in 2019, returning it 62 yards to score.
- Junior LB Andre White Jr. set a new career high with nine tackles in the game.
- Graduate LB Aaron Hansford also had nine tackles to share A&M’s game high. It marked the fourth time this season he has led A&M in tackles.
- Senior PK Seth Small sailed a 28-yard field goal through the uprights midway through the first quarter for the 64th made field goal of his career, passing 2011 Lou Groza award winner Randy Bullock (2008-11) for the all-time career record at A&M.
- Small ended the game going 4-for-5 on field goals. His 68 career made field goals thrust him into the top 10 on the SEC’s career list, ending the day at No. 7. His four made field goals matched his career high, previously set at South Carolina in 2018.
- Small scored 12 points on the day bringing his career tally to 355. The mark ties him for 13th place on the SEC’s career list for kicker points. He also moved with 10 points of Randy Bullock (365 – 2008-11) on A&M’s career scoring list.
Press Conference Quotes: Jimbo Fisher
COACH FISHER: All right. First of all, I'll say that was a heck of a football game. Auburn is a very good football team, very physical. Played very well, coached very well. But it was a good football team in that locker room over there, too, right there in Texas A&M. Those guys, that was a heck of a win. That was a lot of guts. That was physicality. That was toughness. That was competitiveness, which it took in this game to do the things we had to do. I can't be more proud of those guys. The guys at the line of scrimmage, our defense, is absolutely outstanding. Controlling the lines of scrimmage and doing it with discipline. We tackle well in space. We knocked balls down. We covered well. We rushed well.
Bo [Nix] is one heck of a football player, and you can't let him get out of the pocket. We created things and we rushed and collapsed the pocket, made the ball come out. And when it did, it wasn't for big, big gains. [Tank] Bigsby is a heck of a player, their tailback. We tackled him well, but he's a hard runner. He was fighting through there. Our defense was outstanding. Getting scores off defenses, that's super. I thought our kicking game, we missed one field goal which was critical. We didn't need to do that, but they missed one. But Seth [Small] hit four of them. That was big, especially getting us up three scores at the end, doing what he did there in that regard.
Punter was good, what we did there. Offensively, left too many chances on the board. Had five dropped balls in the first half, critical. Third-down drops. Had some drops in the first half, which uncharacteristic by some great players. But they didn't hang their head. They went back and kept playing. That happens sometimes in games. They made plays at the end of the game that made a difference in the game. So I was very proud of those guys there. I thought our offensive line started really pounding and pounding and pounding. We started to keep that running game and almost had two backs with 100 again, 112 and 98. We got that going. Thought [Isaiah] Spiller was outstanding. [Devon] Achane was really good, had the one bad play we fumbled. That's uncharacteristic. Keep giving it to him, those things right there.
And your quarterback (Zach Calzada), I'm going to tell you what. He ain't always perfect, but I'm going to tell you what, that's a competitor, man. That guy's got arm talent. He can throw the football. He can make plays. He's a competitor. He's a tough guy. The injuries and the pain he's banged through this year and the things that are happening, I wish he would slide. We have to get some of the Astros up here, get Dusty Baker up here and teach him how to slide and get down. Him to get off the mat like that and come back in the game and then make plays -- I mean, to get back and do what he did, unbelievable respect for that young man and how he competes.
And our team, just our team, how they compete. We've got to clean some things up on offense. We had chances to put them away. Had that fumble right there at the end. We had a missed assignment where we could have got another first down even before we kicked the last field goal and ate a lot more clock off.
When you play those games right there, things happen. There's going to be good and bad. Nothing is ever perfect. Sometimes when you play those -- I call them slobber-knocker games, those games that are really competitive. It happened. It's a tough football team in that locker room. It's got a lot to play for. We have to put this one behind us and get ready because we've got a heck of a team to play next week in Ole Miss.
Q. Jimbo, you mentioned the sliding part. Is that just instinctual, or is there a way you can coach them into doing that?
COACH FISHER: We coach them to do it. And we do it, and we talk about it. I think the competitive nature took over. You know what I'm saying? We had a couple of penalties right there. One at the touchdown, that was the last guy calling the draw before we come out. And I think his instincts just took over, and I would rather his instincts not because right now our situation there, just got to get down. But you respect him for what he did and how he did it. But at the same time, you have got to be smart. We talked about it. He knew it when he came over.
Q. Coach, what was the kind of initial prognosis? And how surprised or not surprised were you that Zach [Calzada] was able to come back in?
COACH FISHER: Sometimes your shoulder pops out or you get a little sprain right there. You can test -- we wouldn't have put him in if there wasn't no strength or anything in it to be able to function. He still had all of his strength. Sometimes it happens like that. So he was good.
Q. When you were in the tent, how much pain did he appear to be in?
COACH FISHER: It was more on the field when they popped it back in, I think, when they popped it back in. Listen, that's ball, man. I don't mean that in any disrespect. I mean it in pure respect. That's football. This game is a physical, tough game. When that leader is tough, the rest of them play tough, too.
Q. Jimbo, you had spoken after Colorado and Missouri that Texas A&M had trouble with both of those teams, especially on the road. Obviously, the Aggies having trouble with Auburn here at home. I know you said that wasn't necessarily a talking point. But does it feel good to finally get a win against an SEC opponent like that?
COACH FISHER: Well, I mean, played Alabama here, played Auburn. I think any great team to get a win on. Streaks and things like that happen. They get broken. That's all ball, man. What happens next year doesn't have anything to do with this year. You have got different teams, different people. You've got to make your own way through the world. Hey, that's part of it.
Q. How big was that completion to Caleb Chapman to kind of help loosen things up? How nice is it to have him back?
COACH FISHER: It was great to get that post back. And then we had some other routes in there. Zach [Calzada] seeing that read and making it over the top, making that throw was big-time, buddy. Opened it up and got it down there.
Q. What I wanted to ask you about is, first of all, what level of frustration you had having to settle for field goals and then --
COACH FISHER: I didn't have frustration. I don't. I had disappointment that we did it. But I don't have frustration. Frustration leads to bad decisions. Listen, when you play good teams, big games, you're not going to get everything you want. You got to play the next play. You don't get frustrated. You figure out why. You get disappointed, why it happened, and then you figure it out, because frustration clouds your thinking. It's like revenge clouds your thinking. You don't play that. You play the next play and you play the situation. You can't think like that.
Q. When you look up and you see Micheal Clemons picking up that ball with the way things had gone offensively to get that defensive touchdown --
COACH FISHER: That was huge in the game. Huge in the game. I tell you what we did offensively, which I was proud of, we moved the ball because we were backed up so much. The first four possessions we were inside the 15-yard line. First drive was 85 yards. The next two were inside the 10. And you still weren't giving up field position. They had a couple of punt returns. we got a couple on them. That's part of it. Great teams.
Q. Jimbo, with four wins in a row and you're top 15 in the CFP, have a tiebreaker over Alabama, how big are you dreaming for the rest of this season, what's possible?
COACH FISHER: I'm dreaming playing Ole Miss. I always say this, just play it out and see what happens. A lot of ball left in this season, man. You look at the types of teams. There's a lot more parity than there's ever been in college football right now, what's going on. So let's play them one at a time and see what happens at the end, just like we did last year. Let's find out what it is. But right now, we better focus on getting ready to play up at Ole Miss. That's a tough place to play. It's a Saturday night game up there, tough. They have a heck of a football team. Lane's [Kiffin] a good coach, a really good coach.
Q. Coach, you already mentioned 217 yards rushing, no sacks allowed. The offensive line has played so well last month. What in the world has changed since the Mississippi State game?
COACH FISHER: Experience. You've got time, man. You got two freshmen in there playing. You have got guys that moved in different positions. You have had stability playing in the same place. You got a quarterback now who understands protections and can slide things and make the run calls and put you in the right things. He's had more saddle time. Just takes experience.
We had a ton of guys, receivers -- getting some receivers back to play ball. Ball coming out of the hands, so the routes are getting open. Sometimes the sacks -- the routes and where they are, the spacing of it and how that happens, we got so many guys banged up early -- I keep saying it -- offensively, it was a bad time. It was just everything at once. You had skill guys, you had quarterback, the offensive line. Only thing you didn't have hurt was tight ends and running backs.
So when you getting that, it just takes time and those things are starting to gel together. They're getting better. I tell you what, our coaches are doing a really good job with them, really good job with them.
Q. Coach, if I told you before today you guys wouldn't find the end zone on offense and still find a way to win by 17, would you have believed it? And what does it say about this team?
COACH FISHER: I would have. I knew it was going to be a different type game. I really would have. Maybe not by 17, but it wouldn't have shocked me a little bit.
Q. We saw a strong performance from Tyree Johnson tonight with his two sacks and one forced in resulting in his fumble. How did you feel about his contribution to the defense's momentum?
COACH FISHER: That guy is playing lights out right now, sacks and plays. He was SEC player of the week, what, two weeks ago, one week ago, whatever it was. South Carolina game. He's making a difference and impact in the way he's playing. Him, [DeMarvin] Leal, Michael [Clemons], McKinley [Jackson], [Jayden] Peevy. You name it, they're all playing really well.
Q. Jimbo, you didn't mention -- like, all those defensive linemen, but another name you didn't mention Edgerrin Cooper, the way he's kind of immersed --
COACH FISHER: I don't like him.
Q. I figured that was the reason why. (laughter)
COACH FISHER: No, that guy is going to be one heck of a player. And he is one heck of a player. You can talk about can pull the pin and run and hit and play and loves ball. Can play special teams, can cover, can run. I mean, I love everything about him. I really do. He's a heck of a football player, man. Heck of a football player.
Q. Coach, another player has got to make plays on defense. What did you make of the game that [Mike] Elko called? It seems like he was really dialing it up today.
COACH FISHER: We dialed them up. We had the fronts. We were controlling them. We were gap sound. The coverages were mixed in right and we were doing a great job. Mike is as good a defensive coordinator as there is in this country. I have said it all along.
Q. First of all, we're talking about defense. There in the first half, can you talk about your thoughts on Auburn had the ball in really good field position. I think they started a couple drives at midfield and weren't able to get anywhere.
COACH FISHER: No, they did. We held them back because we scored the first drive. We had the ball on the 15, drove 85 yards. Then when they scored, we got tagged on the kickoff inside the 9. Then we didn't get the first down and they punted and they held them. Then the next time we hit it, we held them. Then they punted us back down there. Then we dropped the third-down conversion, which would have got us out of there. And then punted it back, and they held them again. Then the fourth time we got it, we at least changed field position and took a couple hit balls and took it down the field. They did a great job. Played midfield and got to that red zone, tight zone, just like they did. And we hunkered down and got points.
Q. What kind of impact on recruiting do you think a win like this can have?
COACH FISHER: Just watch.
?? @MichealClemonss ????#GigEm pic.twitter.com/O2Prrj5p6k
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 6, 2021
Press Conference Quotes: Jayden Peevy
Jayden, can you talk a little bit about the performance of your defense as a whole today holding these guys to three points?
We play defense out here in College Station, too, man. I feel like we one of the slipped-on defenses in the nation. We have got a lot of guys that do their role and do their part, and we're thankful for them.
Jayden, can you just tell us from your perspective what happened on that Bo Nix fumble that Michael [Clemons] picked up and turned into a touchdown?
Mike Elko drew up a great play for me. Had me outside contained. Bo [Nix] He's a great quarterback and like to scramble a lot. I just took my shot on him. And touchdown.
Jayden, in practice, you get to go up against Isaiah [Spiller] and Devon [Achane] all the time. Did that give you help to go up against Tank (Cartavious Bigsby) and Jarquez [Hunter] when you were faced up against them since they run a similar style?
Of course. We go good on good on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A lot of teams don't do that. Coach [Jimbo] Fisher makes us get prepared for things like this.
Jimbo [Fisher] kind of mentioned that the defensive line is playing great, but Edgerrin Cooper, feels like every other play, you're seeing 45 make a play. What have you seen in his development the last three weeks?
His speed. Attacking the line of scrimmage like a linebacker should. He's a great player, and he will be in the future.
Yeah, Jayden, with what y'all were able -- what he was able to do, how much pain did it look like Zach [Calzada] was in on the sidelines when you were around him after he suffered that --
He's a soldier, man. I seen it in his eyes. Everybody on the sideline was tapping him. Hey, we need you, we need you. He's like, hey, I got you. That was something that was big for the whole team, him saying, I got you. And everybody knew we had him the whole game.
How much of a boost was it when he did come out of that tent and run back on the field?
It was a blessing. Everybody was praying. I'm thankful for Zach [Calzada] to come out and finish the game.
Oh, and how impressed were you with open field tackling? I know it's something maybe y'all didn't do great early in the season. What made the push there, and how impressed were you --
It starts in practice for us. We started tackling again, trudging up in practice. So that's a big deal for us.
Hey, Jayden, in a game like this where it's all so defensively heavy, how big of a deal is field position? Especially when you look at the numbers. Y'all's field position average is a 52% compared to Auburn's 23.
That's big. Field position, we talk about it a lot on special teams. It starts with special teams. And Nik [Constantinou] was putting the ball in the right places for us where we could have great field position.
Hi, Jayden. Tyree [Johnson] obviously helped you all out a lot today accumulating half the sacks y'all recorded. How do you think he contributed to the momentum?
It was big. He came in on third downs. And he rushed the passers, like he always does. He's been that guy for us this whole season. So he played a big role today.
Jayden, what kind of statement has this team made in this four-game winning streak? And what goals are still out for y'all?
The goals are still ahead of us. The statement has been from the start of the season to be one of the best defenses in the country. That's what we want to do, and that's our goal.
And the team?
Team goal. Same thing, we want to win. 1-0 each week.
Jayden, it was a little hard to tell, how much of the ball or how much of [Bo] Nix did you get or both on that fumble? Or did he drop it right before you got to him?
Just made a play. Thank God it happened for me. Thank God Mike [Clemons] scooped and scored it. It was a big play, turning point of the game. And we needed it.
Jayden, did you get a good view of Michael's, I guess, twist or 360 into the end zone?
Yes, I did. Shout out to Antonio Johnson for the block to make the whole thing happen. But as soon as Mike [Clemons] did the little twist, I ran straight into the stands and dabbed everybody in the stands. It was an amazing feeling. Kyle Field was lit today.
Was it a little bit of relief? It had been so tense, nobody had scored a touchdown to that point. How much of a breather was it for you guys to kind of get that play at that moment?
We were calling it on the sideline before it even happened. We were like, hey, we about to get a touchdown right here. God was with us, and we got a touchdown.
How you doing, Jayden? You mentioned the crowd. 109,000-plus, second largest crowd in Kyle Field history. How much of a boost? What does the energy from the crowd do for you guys in a game like this?
You know they're going to be loud. You know they're going to be standing up the whole game. And I appreciate them for that. This is my lest SEC game here. It's been a blessing to see the growth of this program. And thank you to them.
Jayden, did you have any idea that you would be able to hold an Auburn offense that was pretty good to just three points today? And how were you able to do that?
I was up till like 3:00 last night just watching film of the offensive line. I knew we was capable of stopping this offense. Shout out to Mike Elko for the game plan. But the D-line, linebackers, safeties, we all played our ass off today.
Jayden, kind of piggybacking on the turnaround in this season, obviously you coming back for another year, big things were expected of the team and you. So kind of the highs and lows, obviously. Some lows after a two-game losing streak. But now the highs that you're at. How great does that feel to be able to kind of start an upward trajectory, I guess?
Jimbo [Fisher] always talk about this being one team -- like we're a team for one year. We just have to pick back up and just get everything together. We have leaders on the team like Michael Clemons telling us every day, hey, 1-0. That's our mindset. Up and down. 1-0. That's our mindset. So that's it.
Q. DeMarvin, what were you guys doing well on the defensive line in order to keep Bo Nix contained, especially in the run game, not being able to pull it down and run with it?
DEMARVIN LEAL: Nothing special. Just our job. We've gone throughout the week just doing exactly what we're supposed to do and just doing our job.
Q. Hi, DeMarvin. Prior to today's game, Auburn had nine sacks against them. Now they have four. Y'all matched number one Georgia's amount of sacks against them. What do you think that shows about this defense?
DEMARVIN LEAL: It just shows that we're capable of doing anything that we want to do, you know? Just being able to go out there, do our job and very violent. That's all it shows.
Q. Hey, DeMarvin, how challenging was Bo Nix's mobility, his ability to move? And how did you guys do such a good job of containing him?
DEMARVIN LEAL: Bo Nix is a phenomenal player. He can make a lot of plays with his feet and get people open just by running around. We definitely came into this game saying we've got to keep him in the pocket. We've got to keep him from running around the field and just doing whatever he wants. I feel like we definitely did our job and was able to lock that down tonight. Today.
Q. A month ago, y'all were 0-2 to start SEC play. What's been the biggest difference in the time since to get to this point where you're very much in the division race?
DEMARVIN LEAL: I'd just say we came out, came together. Those two losses definitely showed a lot. And they showed how we weren't playing as a team, you know. And we talked about it. We came together in practice. And just each week we get better.
Q. DeMarvin, what do you think it says about this team and this program that you guys were able to win a game despite not finding the end zone on offense?
DEMARVIN LEAL: I would say that, you know, this is what the game is supposed to be like. Sometimes offense has the defense's back, the defense has the offense's back. It just shows that we're here to play as a team. We came out And did what we were supposed to do.
Q. DeMarvin, Jimbo [Fisher] mentioned you and Jayden and a couple of other players by name. Bit took us to get Edgerrin Cooper's name out there. What do you see from him the past four games?
DEMARVIN LEAL: He attacks. He's extremely fast if you watch. He's there one second, gone the next. Just him being able to plug those holes and just run through there with bad intentions. That's definitely something he's worked on throughout practice, and it's just shown in the game.
Q. And you only allowed three points. You got a defensive touchdown. You get an interception. Are you finally allowed to announce the name of what you're calling your defense this year?
DEMARVIN LEAL: Nah, not yet.
Q. Hey, DeMarvin, I know you guys have got to make the plays out there, right? Your defensive coordinator, Mike Elko, seemed like he was about to blitz at the right time today. The Demani [Richardson] sack really is what sticks out to me. What do you think of what [Mike] Elko dialed up today for you guys?
DEMARVIN LEAL: [Mike] Elko is scary smart. And it just shows. We're going out there and just going with the game plan and just doing our jobs. It just shows that everything he puts together works. You just have to do it with your best intentions and 100%.
Q. Between the two teams tonight, you guys had six appearances in the red zone. Four made field goals, a missed field goal, and a fumble. No touchdowns across six red zone appearances. What were both teams doing right to really keep this a defense-oriented game even in those crunch-time moments?
DEMARVIN LEAL: I would just say being able to do the little things right that both defenses were able to do. And our offense, we always got their back just like they always got ours. It just so happens this was one of those days.
Q. Hey, Ainias, how would you describe Isaiah Spiller's ability to change direction and make something out of nothing?
AINIAS SMITH: I don't even know. It's crazy. I tell him all the time. We'll be watching film, practice, in the game. Shoot, he's phenomenal. You know what I'm saying? And the way he can just pick his knees up, stick, stop, go, you know, he can do it all. He's pretty cool for that.
Q. Hey, Ainias. On that two-point conversion from at least my angle, looked like the window Zach [Calzada] threw the ball in was quite small. From your angle, are you surprised that pass made it through the defender and got to you? Or is that just what Zach does?
AINIAS SMITH: I really wasn't surprised. That's definitely something we would call a "Zach" thing. He tries to fit passes inside a tight window. And to be honest, I really didn't even know, like, the DB was jumping over until I seen his hand. So I really wasn't even worried about the DB at that point. I was really just worrying about making the catch. You know what I'm saying? But it was a great throw, great catch.
Q. You just said that's a "Zach" [Calzada] thing. Is another Zach thing showing off his mental and physical toughness to be able to come back in the game?
AINIAS SMITH: Yes, definitely. Zach is definitely a very, very tough human being, not even just a football player, but just, like, a human being.
Throughout the first half of the season, going through a lot of diversity. You know what I'm saying? And for him to even come off a two-loss and go and beat the number one in the nation and then come and do this after he got hurt, what else can you say about him?
Q. And then you guys have been building chemistry throughout the past couple of weeks with Zach [Calzada]. But the other people, there's also the offensive line giving him time to block. What do are seeing from the young guys: Reuben [Fatheree II], Layden [Robinson], Bryce [Foster]? What are you seeing from their development, especially in practice?
AINIAS SMITH: Really just growth and confidence, just being able to get adjusted to the speed of the game. You can definitely see the game slowing down for those guys and really just -- shoot, now I feel like they are starting to realize who they are and what conference they're in. You know what I'm saying? Because in the SEC, you have to play big-boy ball; and I feel like they're starting to understand that.
Q. With how Zach [Calzada] came off the field, were you at all surprised when he came back on? What kind of boost did that provide?
AINIAS SMITH: I wasn't surprised. I had a feeling that he was going to come back. I was totally prepared for him not to come back. But, shoot, I was definitely excited when he did come back. And, shoot, the crowd was, too.
Q. I know a little bit of struggles on third down. Is there anything that you can pinpoint to kind of what went wrong on some of those plays that kind of stopped some drives?
AINIAS SMITH: Really just got to execute. You know what I'm saying? Especially down the field. Just got to catch the ball, let the ball in, focus on the little thing and don't let the game get too big for you really.
Q. Ainias, after the 0-2 start, what kept y'all together to get to this point to still be in the division race with a couple of games left?
AINIAS SMITH: I would say it was faith. We really wasn't worrying about really the end goal. Each week, we have focus. Our coach (Jimbo Fisher) tells us all the time, This is a new season. Each week is its own season.
So we worry about trying to maximize those weeks in practice, film studies, school, everything. We try to focus on staying together as a team and believing that we can really stick together and do whatever we want. And it just so happened that we had a lot of faith going into the Bama (Alabama) game. And we were the underdogs, so we believed that we will win, especially at home. So that's really what it is for me.
Q. Ainias, the last four games y'all have won, scored over 40 twice, 35 once. Now you win without an offensive touchdown. Are y'all one of the most complete teams in college football, do you think?
AINIAS SMITH: You can say that, I mean, if you want. But shoot, I feel like we still have a lot of room to grow. We're definitely not complete at all, you know what I'm saying? We have a lot of athletes, a lot of talent. But at the same time, we have a lot of potential, which I feel like isn't good. Definitely something that we need to work on is executing, finishing drives on defense, making sure that we get their offensive off the field, everything. So we're nowhere near where we need to be.
Q. Ainias, on the one punt return, you elected not to call a fair catch right when the defender was on you. And then later on, you did call fair catch and ended up getting a penalty for them. So was there any kind of thought process into that? Kind of lulling them into thinking maybe you may call fair catch, you might not? So that was by design?
AINIAS SMITH: It's definitely strategy, definitely strategy. The first one, the first punt return I had, I had saw the ball was still sailing, and I looked down and both gunners were actually coming to balance like they were about to make the tackle, but they weren't about to just close in, you know what I'm saying? So they was just waiting, waiting, waiting. So I was like okay, I'm not going to fair catch. I'm going to go in here and try to make a move and see what happens. But then the second one, I was like oh, yeah, we backed up on the 6. I'm not going to take this one out, I'm just going to go ahead and fair catch. And then boom.
Q. Have you got hit that soon before on a punt return? Not here, but in high school?
AINIAS SMITH: I got hit after a punt. I was a punter, and I punted the ball and then I got boomed, yeah. For sure.
Q. Ainias, can you address how impressed you were with how the defense played today against an Auburn offense that has at times been pretty potent?
AINIAS SMITH: To be honest, I fully expected that out of our defense. I feel like we have the number one defense in the nation. So just for them to be able to come out and prove to themselves that they can do that, to hold Auburn's offense to three points, that said a lot. And then really just -- for them to just come out and play hard, you know what I'm saying? We had some games in the past to where we would start fast and then don't finish strong. But like this game, I feel like they were on point the entire game.
Q. Ainias, in the first half, there were a few drops out there. I'm curious, is that a mental thing or is there something technical that you guys can do to correct that?
AINIAS SMITH: It's both. I feel like mentally, you shouldn't think about dropping the ball or making the catch. I feel like you should make the catch. That's what you should be thinking about. And then technically, you just got to train your eyes to look the ball all the way to the tuck, and then eventually it's just going to come second nature. And shoot, you're going to get the result that you want. But definitely some that was aggravating in the first half. So had to just come out second half here and shake it off here and just forget about it.
Q. Isaiah, you guys started off a little slow running the ball and then things started to click. At what point did you think, Okay, yeah, we're going to be able to run the ball on these guys?
ISAIAH SPILLER: I had no doubt in my mind coming into the game we was going to be able to run. They had a great defense. We just had to settle in. Coach [Jimbo] Fisher called the right plays, and we executed. So I'm grateful for the O-line. They did a great job today. Going to keep it going.
Q. On the sidelines after Zach [Calzada] took that hit, how much pain did it seem like he was in to be able to come back from that? How impressive was that?
ISAIAH SPILLER: That was really impressive. I thought he was out. But we didn't want to get down. So for him to come back, it really just shows how tough he is. And with somebody like that leading the team -- and he's tough -- it's good for everybody. It encourages everybody and encourages us and we kept fighting. We came out with the win today.
Q. Planning on teaching him technique on how to lower the shoulder a little bit?
ISAIAH SPILLER: Yeah, for sure, for sure.
Q. Isaiah, it looked like some words were exchanged after you got that first down at the end of the game. Did anything happen there?
ISAIAH SPILLER: No. I think they was just mad. I can't really explain. We didn't say nothing. He just kind of stared at me. I mean, I got the first down at the end of the game, so I see why he was mad. But he didn't say nothing.
Q. Isaiah, can you talk a little bit about how frustrating it was to be down there. I think it was maybe late in the third quarter, you guys were down there. It looked like you were ready to score. You're on the 6. You get those two penalties. Coach [Jimbo] Fisher was not pleased with the slapping, and you guys were jumping offsides.
Can you talk about how frustrating that was at that point in time and how you guys were still able to kind of compose and still pull it off?
ISAIAH SPILLER: It was pretty frustrating just knowing that they didn't do anything to stop us. It was our own mistakes. We definitely have to fix that up for next week. I feel like executing in the red zone is going to be very important. So just focusing on that in practice is really important.
And we're always taught to keep our composure and move on to the next play. That last play didn't matter, so I feel like that was just a common thing on the team. Yet, we didn't let that affect us and we just kept playing.
Q. Isaiah, now that the CFP rankings are out, do you feel like this was a statement win for this A&M program?
ISAIAH SPILLER: For sure. That's why you come to A&M and play games like this, packed stadium. 12th Man was great. It's just kind of a statement.
I don't feel like it's a statement win. I feel like, you know, we came here planning to win, so we are just going to keep moving forward.
Q. How often do you think y'all can win when your defense has to score your only touchdown? So if you'll talk about the defensive effort from the offense's perspective. And then your evaluation of Michael Clemons as ball carrier.
ISAIAH SPILLER: Michael Clemons, I asked him why he jumped in the end zone, he said he was saving it for the game.
So I'm really proud of the defense. They did a great job today. Almost had a shutout. So, you know, that's really beneficial and really relieving just knowing those guys are going out there, giving their full effort, scoring touchdowns, helping us out. So, you know, they're one of the best defenses in the nation, if not the best, I think.
Q. Did they save the game, though?
ISAIAH SPILLER: They scored a touchdown, but we -- they didn't save the game for us. I feel like it was a well-rounded team win, so yeah.
Q. Isaiah, when you think back when you all lost to Mississippi State, 3-2. Do you remember that feeling? What's the biggest reason for this change of winning four in a row?
ISAIAH SPILLER: I feel like it's just us focusing and believing. I feel like after that loss, we really just looked at ourselves in the mirror and just came together. We didn't point fingers. Just believing in each other.
And I feel like coming together and just knowing that we still had a season to play, and we still have something to play for. So I feel like we're doing that now, and we're realizing what position we're in. And we're just going to keep moving forward.
Q. I know there's some struggles on third down. How frustrating is that? And is there any generality of what was making you all struggle a little bit on third down up until the end of the game?
ISAIAH SPILLER: I don't think it was anything. I think it was just our execution, not focusing on certain plays. So it was just kind of an "us" thing. And we've got to work on that. Goes back to practice. So I think we're going to be fine.
Q. Isaiah, three straight 100-yard rushing games for you. What's that testament to your own agility and your own ability to work and what you're seeing vision-wise?
ISAIAH SPILLER: It's really just a testament to my O-line. Grateful for those guys. Kenyon [Green] leading those guys. My roommate, Layden [Robinson], Deuce [Harmon], Bryce [Foster], Jahmir [Johnson]. Just reading those guys' blocks, they're making it clear for me. It's really easy, so I'm grateful for them.
Q. Hey, Isaiah, obviously four wins in a row, there's momentum building here. How confident is this team, even on a day like this? It didn't go your way, but you kept fighting and just kind of trudging through, so to speak. Is that something that you saw building on this team?
ISAIAH SPILLER: Yeah. I saw no quit in our team, even from the beginning of the season. We don't quit no matter what. And I think that's a testament to what happened today. Just believing in each other and focusing on the next play is the reason why I think we're on the stretch we're on right now.
Q. Kenyon, what do you continue to see from the young guys like Reuben [Fatheree II] and Bryce [Foster] in their pass protection, especially on their run side? You've now had three straight weeks of Isaiah going over 100 yards.
KENYON GREEN: Just seeing confidence, really. In practice, too. They're doing a great job in practice, making sure detailed things with their hands, asking questions, just being more vocal and more fluent in their game play. Great job by all of them.
Q. When Zach [Calzada] squatted down right after that play he hit the shoulder, and the trainer started to come out, how much pain did it look like he was in? And at that moment, did you think he might not be able to come back?
KENYON GREEN: I could tell he was in a lot of pain. Just trying to encourage him to keep going and everything. I understand he had to go out and everything, and I respect that. He came back. Tough, very tough.
Did the same thing with Alabama. Got hit in the knee, came back even stronger. That's the type of quarterback I want to play for and protect. So it was great. I can see that he would come back in and fight for us.
Q. Hey, Kenyon, this particular offensive line combination you guys have been working with for a few weeks now, what is it about this particular group that has worked well and gelled?
KENYON GREEN: Just mentality, really. Just making sure everybody is locked in, focused on their details. Making as a unit we're working and gelling together.
I feel like this unit gelled together. We had some mistakes at the beginning of the season; but we're picking up, making sure everybody is being accountable of everything. That's the main thing.
Q. And on Isaiah [Spiller], do you feel like he's a little bit underappreciated for what he does out there sometimes?
KENYON GREEN: He do a lot. All the running backs do a lot. You can put Ainias [Smith] back there. [Devon] Achane, all of them, they do a great job, pass protecting, passing the ball, rushing. You know, they're doing a great job. I'm just happy that we can throw some people back there and they get busy.
Q. Kenyon, in the first half, it seemed like rushing yards were hard to come by. In the second half, more holes started to open. What changed there? Was it a testament to y'all's conditioning up front, or what was the reason for that?
KENYON GREEN: We were blending some runs in. Just keep pounding them, keep the wear and tear. We started opening up more. Make sure we just open up holes. And Isaiah [Spiller], Devon Achane, Ainias [Smith] was hitting them.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about just the fact that -- I know you guys didn't put the ball in the end zone, but you didn't have to as it played out, just because how well your defense played today. Six was good enough.
KENYON GREEN: Well, our defense played great, you know? Just got to keep going. I'm just proud of us finishing our drive, and our defense played extremely well.
Q. Hey, Kenyon, I asked Jayden Peevy a similar question, but I just want to get your views as an offensive player.
Y'all's field position between you guys and Auburn was so completely different tonight. What does that mean for you guys as an offensive line, just to have that play and just start moving immediately?
KENYON GREEN: It's great, especially when our defense is holding them negative, not getting past our 50 and making sure that we have good field position. That's great. And us just keep pounding them and keep enforcing our will on them, we did a great job with that.
Q. Yeah, Kenyon, do you feel like a spot in the SEC championship game is still within sight? And do and your teammates talk about that possibility?
KENYON GREEN: Well, we just taking it game by game, you know. We've got to focus on Ole Miss. They're a great team. We're going to them. It's going to be a hostile environment. We've got to be prepared all throughout the week. Just really focusing game by game. You can't look that far, you can't see it. All we see right now is Ole Miss.
Team Stats
Aub 0, TAM 3
TAM - Small,Seth 21 yd field goal 14 plays, 80 yards, TOP 05:21
Aub 3, TAM 3
Aub - Carlson,Anders 32 yd field goal 14 plays, 60 yards, TOP 06:52
Aub 3, TAM 6
TAM - Small,Seth 29 yd field goal 10 plays, 68 yards, TOP 05:37
Aub 3, TAM 9
TAM - Small,Seth 47 yd field goal 9 plays, 58 yards, TOP 03:18
Aub 3, TAM 17
TAM - Clemons,Micheal 24 yd fumble recovery (Smith,Ainias pass)
Aub 3, TAM 20
TAM - Small,Seth 37 yd field goal 7 plays, 26 yards, TOP 03:35
