'When Will It Click?': Can Texas A&M Get Back On Track Following Loss To Appalachian State?
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COLLEGE STATION -- When will it click for Texas A&M?
Will it come against Arkansas two weeks from now in Arlington? How about when the Aggies travel to face Nick Saban and No. 1 Alabama in what could be the rematch of the year?
Seriously, when will it click for the No. 6 Aggies? Better yet, can it? As evident in a 17-14 loss to unranked Appalachian State, A&M (1-1) has yet to show why its looks like a top 10 team this season.
And with No. 15 Miami coming to town in a week, the flaws seem to be multiplying instead of diminishing.
"We knew they were good a football team and they played like it," Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said postgame. "They played like an experienced group."
It would be easy to simply blame quarterback Haynes King for the miscues Saturday at Kyle Field. After struggling to work the middle of the field in a 31-0 win over Sam Houston, one would imagine the offensive woes were in large part due to his struggles.
King was far from consistent, but his supporting cast did little to help. The Aggies' offensive line allowed pressures left and right, forcing King to leave his comfort zone. Passes were dropped by receivers on the regular. Throws were either overthrown or underthrown like clockwork.
Outside of a few big runs, A&M's offense was obsolete. Running back Devon Achane's 26-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the second-longest play from scrimmage. The longest — a 31-yard scamper from King on third down — also marked the only positive play from the quarterback all afternoon.
If there ever was offensive momentum, a negative play hampered the outcome several moments later. King connected with Ainias Smith for a gain of six in the third quarter. Three plays later, A&M would punt near mid-field. King found receiver Evan Stewart for a first down, only to watch him fumble it on when trying to gain a few more yards after contact.
King, who finished 13-of-20 passing for 97 yards, averaged 4.9 yards per throw. Outside of Achane's breakaway run, he averaged 4.4 yards on the day. Five receivers were targeted on passing plays. Only Stewart and Smith recorded more than two catches.
With just over eight minutes in the fourth quarter, A&M had run two plays in Appalachian State's territory. That wasn't in the half, either, but rather the entire game.
The Aggies only had six first downs before King's final drive. Even then, A&M fans could only groan as they watched kicker Caden Davis shank a 47-yard attempt that would've tied the game with a little under four minutes left.
"We'll evaluate everything," Fisher said. "It's not just on the offensive line. Everybody kind of took a turn. And when you only have eight possessions, that can happen [to you]."
Should one be mad at the defense? Despite holding the quick-tempo Mountaineers (1-1) to a season-low in points, the Aggies gave up far too many free yards. A pair of facemask calls led to a 4-yard touchdown run from App State's Ahmani Marshall. A pass interference call against defensive back Antonio Johnson led to a 29-yard field goal by Michael Hughes.
The Mountaineers picked up 22 first downs compared to A&M's nine. They outgained the Aggies 315 to 186. They ran 45 more plays than A&M and owned the time of possession (41:30-18:30).
A&M finished with four fumbles and two turnovers. Appalachian State never lost the football. The Aggies' longest drive lasted just over four minutes. The Mountaineers had four drives that lasted over six.
"We hurt ourselves," Johnson said. "We had penalties and a list of miscommunications and missed assignments. It was just on us, honestly."
Stats will tell one side of the story. The eyes of the A&M faithful will tell another. The Aggies were lost for most of the game offensively. They were undisciplined on defense. And if not for a few breaks in favor of the home team, A&M would've likely lost by double-digits.
Achane scored on a 95-yard kickoff return with minutes remaining in the third quarter. Had the Mountaineers wrapped him up at the 25-yard line as expected, who knows if A&M would have crossed the 50 on the ensuing drive?
"We still have a chance to have a very good football team," Fisher said. "We need to be face down, locked in and coach the heck of [our players] and get them to play well."
As the Aggies left the field, the boos grew louder. Several fans in the front row chanted "We want [Max] Johnson," in hopes that Fisher would listen and consider calling upon the LSU transfer next week. One fan screamed at freshman quarterback Conner Weigman "Tell Jimbo you need to start next week!"
Players were visibly upset. One chucked his helmet on the side of the tunnel wall, watching it bounce a few yards down the slope. Another screamed "They suck. How'd we lose?" while a third bellowed "how does this s*%t keep happening every year!"
Fans can blame the quarterback, the offensive line, or the play-caller. They can ask for a switch at one position, hoping things will change with a fresh face leading the charge.
There's no I in "team" as the saying goes. There isn't one in "loss" either. It was a collective effort. And as much as Fisher will take the fall as the head of the team, he wasn't alone in the embarrassment that occurred at home in front of 92,00-plus disappointed fans.
Miami scored over 100 points in two games. Arkansas posted 30-plus points in back-to-back weeks. Alabama, who narrowly escaped the upset of the decade against the "other" Texas-based program, can turn on the jets any given Saturday.
These teams are next on the docket for Texas A&M. They're not slowing down waiting for the Aggies play catch up for better ratings. Not when a shot for the College Football Playoffs is on the line.
At some point, teams either rise to the occasion or sink to the bottom with no light in sight. What will be Texas A&M's outcome?
More importantly, when will it finally click?
"We're about to see if we really want to play football or not," Achane said. "Starting tomorrow, we better be locked in ... we still have a whole lot of football left in the season. It's time to see how we respond."
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