Demani Richardon's Fumble Recovery Marks Turning Point In Texas A&M's Upset Win
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COLLEGE STATION -- Demani Richardson tries to look at the glass from two angles.
The first angle; his Texas A&M career will end on a sour note. The Aggies won't be going bowling for the first time since 2008. And barring an invite to one of the college all-star games, he likely has donned the marron helmet one more time.
The second angle; Richardson's scoop-and-score in the third quarter over No. 5 LSU was the turning point for the Aggies on Saturday night. And it might have been the reason for the Aggies' 38-23 upset win.
"That just shows how much fight this team has," Richardson said postgame. "We don't give up no matter the circumstances. No matter what, we keep fighting."
Tied at 17, the Tigers (9-3, 6-2 SEC) were ready to march downfield and take the lead for good. Quarterback Jayden Daniels tried to take off running, but immediately was met in the backfield by Edgerrin Cooper for a loss of eight and a fumble.
Richardson has a rule on turnovers. If the ball's on the ground, the defense must score. Full speed 27 yards later, the Aggies (5-7, 2-6 SEC) were back in front by seven.
And with it, momentum shifted in favor of the home crowd.
"Demani's played a lot of ball," Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. "He's a veteran player. He's been around a long time and he knows how to win. He's a great leader."
The Aggies will finish with two wins in conference play for the first time since joining the SEC in 2012. In both instances, Richardson was the catalyst of the outcome. During Week 4's victory over then-No. 10 Arkansas, the senior scored on a 98-yard touchdown to ignite a spark and shift gears for the second half.
In Arlington, the Aggies outscored the Razorbacks 16-7 to pick up the 23-21 victory. On Saturday following Richardson's touchdown, A&M outscored LSU 21-6 to close out the season on a two-game win streak.
"When your leader is playing ball like that, it makes you want to take your game to the next level," safety Antonio Johnson said of Richardson. "That was a key point in the game for us.
"We needed momentum. That fumble recovery gave us it on both sides. We went running from there."
Both Fisher and Richardson said that leading up to Saturday was the same as any other week. While the Aggies won't be playing December football, the team went about business as usual.
In a sense, it's a bittersweet ending for Richardson's time in Aggieland. Four quarters of that type of football in Week 2 against Appalachian State, and Texas A&M would be going bowling.
Four quarters each Saturday, and perhaps Fisher's fifth season with the program would end with a shot for an SEC title instead of an early look at the offseason.
As fans flooded Kyle Field's grass with the clock winding down, Richardson basked in the moment. He stopped for selfies. He took time to dab up a kid or two. Slowly making his way to the locker room, Richardson can look at the glass from two angles.
Richardson's time in Aggieland might not be done yet. With a year of eligibility left on the table, he could elect to run it back one more season, though that's a decision he'll mull over with his family.
If his mind is made up, at least Richardson found a way to impress the 12th Man one more time.
Johnson might not be sold it's all based on skill.
"I told him he's lucky," Johnson said. "He's always running that ball when it's on the ground."
Fisher, however, is certain of Richardson's potential past his time in college.
"He's going to play no matter what," said Fisher. "He's going to hopefully have a great career at the next level."
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