Post Game Review: No. 16 Texas A&M 62, Lamar 3
The No. 16 Aggies did what they needed to do on Saturday night, downing Lamar, 62-3, at Kyle Field. Kellen Mond led a diverse offense that saw seven different players score touchdowns on the evening. The junior signal-caller finished the night 20-of-28 for 317 yards and two touchdowns in just under three quarters of action.
The Aggies (2-1) scored on each of their five drives in the first half, outgaining Lamar 312 to 72 before the intermission. Mond was the catalyst behind the offensive effort and marched the Aggies into the red zone four times.
A&M scored a trio of rushing touchdowns in the half with Jacob Kibodi (2-yard TD run), Isaiah Spiller (1-yard TD run) and Kellen Mond (11-yard TD run) all punching the ball in the end zone. Texas A&M held Lamar to just five first downs and 72 total yards and held a 27-0 lead at the half.
Kellen Mond was picked off on the opening drive of the second half on an errant throw into double coverage. The Aggies quickly got the ball back via a three-and-out and rattled off touchdowns on their next three drives. Spiller spearheaded one drive and Mond another, and both found the end zone with rushing scores.
Freshman quarterback Zach Calzada then entered the game and connected with Jalen Wydermyer on a 25-yard touchdown score on his first pass. The Aggies tacked on two 13-yard touchdowns late in the game (one Ainias Smith reception and one Cordarrian Richardson run) to supplement the A&M lead en route to A&M’s second win of the season.
RUMBLED: Isaiah Spiller was the bell cow running back on Saturday night, racking up 114 rushing yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. The true freshman didn’t start the game due to a team rules violation but will likely be the feature running back going forward with Jashaun Corbin sidelined for the season with a hamstring injury. The 220-pound back looked powerful in between the tackles and was able to penetrate gaps, breaking free for two chunk plays: a 38-yard run and a 34-yard run. Freshman Ainias Smith had a bit of a coming-out party, making his presence known late in the third quarter and throughout the fourth quarter. The speedy slot receiver was a focal point of the offense late in the game and finished the evening with six receptions for 66 yards and his first career touchdown.
STUMBLED: A week removed from last week’s game against Clemson, when dropped passes plagued the A&M passing game, the unit didn’t necessarily look sharp, totaling five drops. Perhaps the most notable drop came with 11 seconds remaining in the first half when Kellen Mond threw a near-perfect pass to a stopped Kendrick Rogers. The ball slipped through the hands of Rogers, virtually ruining any chance of a late-first half score. Three weeks into the season, the receiving corps, presumed to be a team strength, has been a problem for the A&M offense.
UNSUNG HERO: In his first game back after serving a two-game suspension for a violation of team rules, Debione Renfro came out with a lot to prove, and he did exactly that. The hard-hitting cover man flew to the football and finished the game with a team-high five tackles and two tackles for a loss. Renfro also narrowly missed an interception diving to get a ball that was tipped multiple times before hitting the ground. The cornerback was an integral part of the A&M pass defense holding Lamar to just 75 yards in the air. Roshaaud Paul was also very good in the return game, averaging 27 yards per return.
KEY STAT: After an abysmal offensive showing at Clemson, the Aggie offense needed a stark turnaround against a very overmatched Lamar squad. A&M amassed 633 yards of total offense on Saturday night, the second-most during Jimbo Fisher’s tenure at A&M. Kellen Mond and Isaiah Spiller combined for 433 yards of that total, but several offensive skill players showed encouraging improvement as well.
Scoring summary
First quarter:
A&M: 10:26 — 21-yard FG by Seth Small. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards. TOP: 4:34. A&M 3, Lamar 0.
A&M: 3:33 — Two-yard touchdown run by Jacob Kibodi (Seth Small kick). Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards. TOP: 3:43. A&M 10, Lamar 0.
A&M: 0:00 — 31-yard FG by Seth Small. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards. TOP: 1:38. A&M 13, Lamar 0.
Second quarter:
A&M: 5:02 — 1-yard rushing touchdown by Isaiah Spiller (Seth Small kick). Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards. TOP: 5:36. A&M 20, Lamar 0.
A&M: 1:45 — 12-yard rushing touchdown by Kellen Mond (Seth Small kick). Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards. TOP: 2:02. A&M 27, Lamar 0.
Third quarter:
A&M: 7:39 — 34-yard rushing touchdown by Isaiah Spiller (Seth Small kick). Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards. TOP: 1:18. A&M 34, Lamar 0.
LU: Bailey Giffen 32-yard FG. Drive: 6plays, 61 yards. TOP: 1:53. A&M 34, Lamar 3.
A&M: 1:09 — Kellen Mond connects with Jhamon Ausbon for a 10-yard touchdown reception (Seth Small kick). Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards. TOP: 4:37. A&M 41, Lamar 3.
A&M: 0:02 — Zach Calzada finds Jalen Wydermyer for a 25-yard touchdown reception. Drive: 1 play, 25 yards. TOP: 0:06. A&M 48, Lamar 3.
Fourth quarter:
A&M: 7:19 — Zach Calzada connects with Ainias Smith for a 13-yard touchdown reception. Drive: 1 play, 13 yards. TOP: 0:09. A&M 55, Lamar 3.
A&M: 1:51 — Cordarrian Richardson scored on a 13-yard touchdown run. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards. TOP: 3:23. A&M 62, Lamar 3.