Post-Game Review: Auburn 45, Texas A&M 41

A furious fourth quarter rally came up just short and Texas A&M joined a dubious list of upset victims on Saturday in a 45-41 loss to Auburn at Kyle Field.

Sophomore receiver Mike Evans had another record-setting performance and QB Johnny Manziel came back from an injury to give the Aggies a chance to pull out a second straight last-second victory.

But the defense struggled in the fourth quarter and could not stop the Tigers when it mattered most.

Here’s a look at the highlights and lowlights of Saturday’s game:

Rising: Evans' Biletnikoff Award candidacy took a huge leap with the best performance of his young, but stellar career. The sophomore receiver caught 11 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns to post the second 200-yard output of the season. He had seven catches for 279 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Alabama last month. Evans is the only A&M player to ever have two games with 200 receiving yards in a career.

Falling: The Aggies’ status in the polls and hopes to play in a BCS bowl game sustained major damage. A&M, which was ranked seventh in both major polls, is in danger of dropping out of the top 10. It would be a certainty if not for several other upsets this week.

Also, the Aggies’ outside hopes of getting back into the national championship picture and their top consolation prize of landing in the Sugar Bowl were crippled.

A second loss ends the championship aspirations; the Sugar Bowl is probably unlikely, too, especially with road trips to dangerous LSU and Missouri remaining on the schedule. The Aggies may have to aim for another trip to the Cotton Bowl.

Best hit: Malcome Kennedy made an excellent block on a receiver screen pass to spring Evans for a 64-yard touchdown that gave the Aggies a 14-10 lead midway through the first quarter.

Best hands: Did we mention Evans?

Turning point: The outcome was in doubt to the very end when the Aggies moved to the Auburn 18-yard line. But A&M was finally finished off when Auburn defensive end Dee Ford sacked Manziel for a 22-yard loss on fourth down. Ford had two sacks in the Aggies’ last three plays.

Standing 'O': Manziel couldn’t overcome his own defense’s deficiencies, but he came back from a shoulder injury suffered early in the fourth quarter and almost led the Aggies to another come-from-behind victory. He did score a touchdown to give A&M a lead with just a few minutes remaining, but the Aggie defense couldn’t protect it. Though often betrayed by his offensive line, Manziel still passed for 454 yards and four touchdowns.