Texas A&M loses to Auburn, but still has postseason life

AUBURN, Ala. (KBTX) – Since 1998, the last time the Texas A&M football team played for a conference title, the Aggies have suffered from rebound after rebound that went the wrong way – or so fans will tell you. This causes symptoms of pessimistic syndrome, which prevents fans from believing that anything good will happen.

On Saturday, when the 15th-ranked Aggies lost to Auburn in a wild four-overtime thriller that handed A&M its second conference loss, it looks like 2024 will be another reason to give up any hope for the Aggies football program.

Edgey might want to Venmo his favorite Oklahoma alum for $20 off drinks tonight. The Sooners gave the Aggies one of those rebounds they had been chasing for decades.

After Oklahoma routed No. 7 Alabama 24-3 on Saturday, Georgia clinched a spot in the Southeastern Conference title game. Conference tiebreakers then leave the No. 2 seed to the winner of next Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup between the Aggies and No. 3 Texas.

“Coach (Mike) Elko talked to us about it in the locker room right after the game and, you know, we still know there are things we need to take care of,” defensive end Marcel Reed said. “And just because we lost today doesn’t mean we’re not going to get back to work this week and try to get ready to beat Texas this weekend and then maybe that will help us get into the championship and we can play on.” and further.” make the playoffs and do all this.”

Essentially, the only thing Saturday’s loss on the Plains did was end any chance the Aggies had of earning an at-large bid to the College Football Playoff, an outcome that was unlikely even before Saturday’s loss. But the Aggies will still have a lot of solidifying to do this week if they want to get their first ticket to the SEC Championship.

Here’s a summary of the game:

Why did A&M lose? Early in the game, the Aggies’ secondary struggled to contain Auburn’s deep passing game. Auburn led 21-0 entering the second quarter, with freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman having a pair of scores and over 100 receiving yards.

“Obviously, you can’t come out and lose 21-0,” head coach Mike Elko said after the game. “You can’t let the ball go over your head on the road and expect to succeed. I’m really disappointed with the way we started the game defensively.”

The Aggies fought back thanks to a pair of Noah Thomas touchdowns. The A&M coaching staff also added a shot of freshman athlete Terry Bussey running down the field, leading to a one-yard touchdown rush from the Wildcat formation.

“We didn’t think it would be right for him to move him to running back, but obviously he’s a kid who is really good with the ball in his hands, so we felt like there were some opportunities for the receiver to move him and we tried to do this is tonight and I think we were able to get him a lot more touches than we have in some other games,” Elko said of Bussey.

Auburn gifted the Aggies three drives that started on the Tiger side at the 50-yard line, but A&M was only able to score three points on those possessions.

In the final two minutes of the game, Auburn drove 75 yards on 15 plays and kicked the game-tying field goal. In the fourth overtime, needing a two-point conversion in the end zone to extend the game, the Aggies went back to Bussey in the Wildcat. Reed’s reverse turned into a pass, but he couldn’t connect with Amari Daniels in the end zone.

Who stood out? Auburn freshman Coleman, once of A&M, was completely unstoppable in the first half. The Aggie defense managed to slow down its production a bit in the second half, but he finished with a game-high 128 yards on seven catches and two scores.

For the Aggies, Thomas had 124 yards on five catches and two touchdowns of his own, the second 100-yard game of his career.

Reed posted 66 yards on 21 carries, second only to Daniels’ 90 yards and one touchdown. The quarterback completed 22 of 35 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns, but threw one costly interception in the first half.

What was the key indicator? The Tigers’ 43 points marked the first time they scored more than 28 points against a Power 4 opponent since November 2023 against Arkansas.

Which game was important? Twice Auburn punter Oscar Chapman kicked punts to give the Aggies a lead that started at the Tiger side of the 50. However, A&M failed to score on either break.

Also, add an Aggie interception by B.J. Mays that gave the offense a ball at the Auburn 15 that only turned into three points.

What does it mean to move forward? The game everyone has been waiting for for over a decade is finally out, and there’s still a lot on the line.

“We’re focused on Texas now,” Reed said after the game.

Position breakdown

Violation

Offensive Line: B+

• There’s nothing to complain about here other than a few running lanes for Daniels to hit. The pocket remained mostly clean for Reed in the passing game.

Defender: B+

• The Aggie offense would have been impossible without the paddle several times in this game if it weren’t for Reed’s legs. However, he threw an early interception and missed several receivers in key moments.

Receivers: C+

• Two big falls in third could have changed the game.

Running Backs: C+

• Daniels averaged 3.3 yards per carry. A&M will need more information from him next week.

Defense

Line of defense: C

• Auburn posted 168 yards on the ground, and their fast run game led to defensive struggles. Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne had a mostly clean game throughout the game, with the exception of a few defensive blitzes.

Midfielders: B-

• It was too easy for Auburn to rush things sometimes. Thorin York did lead the Aggies in tackles with 10, and Scooby Williams had an interception for Auburn in the second half.

Average: D

• Too many yards out of bounds and poor tackling resulted in extra yards on the play.

Special teams: A-

• Player Tyler White was great again. In fact, the only kick was Randy Bond’s 54-yard field goal miss early in the game.

Coaching: B

• The offensive game was solid, but with some new nuances. Fines were kept to a minimum.

What’s next? The rivalry is renewed. A&M and Texas will face each other again for the first time since 2011. The game at Kyle Field will begin at 6:30 and will be shown on ABC. The Longhorns (10-1, 6-1) dispatched Kentucky 31-14 on Saturday.

Copyright 2024 KBTX. All rights reserved.