Momentum Shifts: The big play that sparked the comeback in Arlington
Another week and another Saturday night game against a top-15 opponent on national TV for Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies. For the second straight week in a row, the Texas A&M football team found themselves playing an opponent that was coming in with a lot of momentum, and the foe was actually more talented and experienced than the previous opponent just one week earlier.
Arkansas was a team that just one year ago took the fight to the Maroon & White and got a win against them for the first time in ten years. The Sam Pittman-led Razorbacks jumped on the Aggies fast, and before anyone could really even think, the Hogs built a big lead and looked to be the more hungry and more determined football team.
Coming off an emotional win against Miami but with plenty of the football world still writing them off and doubting them, how would the Fightin’ Texas Aggies respond Saturday night in Jerry World against a familiar foe and rival in what everyone considered to be another must-win game for this program?
For the first quarter, the response was not what the Aggies were hoping for, and in all honesty, it felt like watching a re-run of the matchup from 2021.
Less than seven minutes into the game, the Razorbacks had all of the momentum, and they were off to a 14-0 lead. On and off the field, Aggies were looking shell-shocked, and they were on the brink of another disappointing and painful loss.
The first four drives for the Aggie offense produced a total of 13 yards on 12 plays. Absolutely nothing was going right, and they could not move the football at all. As the Razorbacks extended their lead to 14 and were seizing more momentum, they also had the ball for twice as many plays and had the A&M defense on the field for a very long time.
And then it happened…
Not the play that everyone is thinking about, and not the play that, without a doubt, changed the game. This week’s Momentum shift was not the 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown, one of the more wild momentum-changing plays I have seen in a game in a long time.
Nope. The momentum-changing moment for me started just a few minutes into the second quarter.
The Aggie defense stepped up and forced an Arkansas punt, and the Hogs proceeded to pin Max Johnson and the offense down on the A&M 7-yard line. The offense had shown zero signs of life up that point, and the Aggies were desperate for a response and needed some points.
And then it happened.
The big boys up front created some space for our best playmaker and gave the fastest player in the country, Devon Achane, an opportunity to utilize his game-breaking speed.
Sixth-three yards later, the 12th Man was into the game and fired up. The next play, now on the Arkansas 30, another five yards for #6. Then another 10 yards down to the Arkansas 15. Two plays later, the Aggie offense responded in a big way to make it a game and bring the score to 14-7.
Why would I pick that series of plays instead of the HUGE play by Chris Russell, Tyreek Chappell and the defensive leader in Demani Richardson?
Because this Jimbo Fisher offense had yet to have a game in 2022 where the run offense got into a great rhythm and could bring that balance that makes this offense tick. The offensive line was still trying to get into a rhythm and determine who their unit would be. On that first scoring drive against Arkansas, I believe the offensive line started to settle in, and they seemed to develop some confidence to run the football effectively. This, in turn, allows Jimbo and this offense to start to be more effective.
Against Miami, the Aggies averaged 3.9 yards per carry on 32 attempts. They lost the time of possession battle by just under 10 minutes. Against Appalachian State, the Aggies rushed for under 100 yards on just 18 carries. They lost the time of possession battle by 23 minutes. Against Sam Houston, the Aggies averaged 3.4 yards per carry on 32 rushing attempts, with Achane only running for 42 yards.
With a young but talented defense, I believe it is important for this football team to be able to run the football and keep the time of possession battle close to equal (or win it) each week. It gives the defense more time to rest. It gives the defensive staff more time to coach and adjust. But, most importantly, it allows Jimbo Fisher to call a better game and have more balance.
The Aggies ended up averaging over 5.6 yards per carry against a veteran Razorback defense. Achane had his best game of the season up to this point, and Johnson led this football team to his second win in just as many starts against a top-15 football team in another must-win game for this program.
These players and this staff could have hung it all up and folded after another slow start and being down to a top-10 team by two possessions.
Instead, they kept fighting. They kept believing in each other. They kept playing one play at a time.
The result ended up being another huge win in back-to-back weeks, and along the way, the Aggies developed more and more confidence as a team as they head to Mississippi State to play Mike Leach and the pass-happy Bulldogs.
This will be a game where running the football effectively and keeping your defense off of the field is critical. Since Jimbo Fisher has been in Aggieland, our football team has been at its best when we have been able to run the football.
That scoring drive in the second quarter — with all momentum on the side of the Razorbacks and an offense that seemed to have the same amount of life as the guy off of “Weekend at Bernie’s” — was HUGE. Running the football well and running when we need to will prove to be very important as this football team continues to grow and mature each week. As you all know, life in the SEC West does not leave much room for error or much time to develop. The time to figure it out and execute is now.
I am so freaking proud of this football team, and I am so excited for them to have two big wins like that in a row. They showed Toughness. Effort. Discipline. Pride…and GRIT.
My new definition of GRIT for this team in 2022 is going to be this….GET THE RUN-GAME INVOLVED…..Time of Possession. I think if that offensive line can continue to build its confidence, keep gelling after the return of Bryce Foster and start to create more space for Achane and his teammates, I think they can continue to go and win big football games.
Here is to them doing just that this Saturday in Starkville.
BTHOmississippistate
