Aggies Win, But Too Many Questions Left Unanswered
What went wrong for Texas A&M? Maybe the better question is what went right.
The No. 5 Aggies entered Saturday at Empower Field with a chance to prove their 9-1 season of 2020 wasn't a fluke. Sure, A Pac-12 Colorado roster is going to give a strong fight compared to Kent State, but how strong could it actually be.
This is the SEC Aggies, remember? Not the ones that saw their season ruined in 1995.
If this was a boxing match, the Aggies were whipped for the first nine rounds. It was the Buffaloes stamina that gave out late, allowing A&M to give the knockout punch that sealed a victory.
Zach Calzada's 18-yard touchdown pass to running back Isaiah Spiller helped A&M improve to 2-0. That only helps the record. It doesn't help the status of them being a legitimate contender for a College Football Playoff run.
The Buffaloes were the more consistent team. The Aggies were lucky thanks to Mike Elko's defensive front and a throw that will be remembered for years to come.
"We didn't always play well, but we played hard, we played tough, we stayed together," A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. "We never gave up, we kept making the plays we had to do and so you have to learn to do those things. You have to learn to fight through on days like today."
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It would be fair to say that Calzada wasn't expecting to play quarterback early when the Haynes King and A&M's offense took the field in the first quarter. Depending on who close the game was in the fourth quarter, maybe he'd see action like he did at Kyle Field.
A third-down run from King not only ended the second drive but also his afternoon. The freshman quarterback barely could limp off the field towards A&M's sideline. He needed help to into the locker room and onto a set of crutches.
Fisher said all offseason that battle for QB1 could have gone either way. It was time to see if Calzada came as advertised.
He did not. Then again, maybe he did?
A&M didn't pick up a first down until the final drive of the first half. Calzada was inconsistent with his throw across the field. Some would sail too high while others fell at the foot of a receiver.
Thank goodness for a 41-yard field goal from Seth Small to make it 7-3 before the half.
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An offense based on running was all but negated in the first half. Spiller, who entered the 2,000-yard class in Week 1, had five yards in the first half. Devon Achane, whose home run speed could terrify any defense, had 22 and only one over 10 yards during that span.
Calzada had 44 passing yards in the first half. Known for their success on third down, A&M converted just once in the first 30 minutes.
Not everything can be blamed on Calzada alone. The offensive line took a step back, allowing consistent pressure up the middle. Maybe the atmosphere played a factor in setting up the formation. Three times Fisher had to call a timeout instead of taking the penalty.
A false start by Ainias Smith negated the fourth one in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
"His job is for the other guys around him to take care while he grows in what he has to do," Fisher said. "Now. he'll do his job, but they have to grow. We have to play really well around him."
If fans can take anything away from Calzada's day, it's that he's more than a pocket passer. He finished second in carries (seven) and rushing yards (29), turning plays that should have gone for negative yards into something.
A 13-yard keeper from Calzada in the fourth quarter gave A&M a 10-3 lead, but after review, the ball came loose just before breaking the plane. If that wasn't enough, a facemask called gave Colorado the ball at their own 35-yard line.
One drive later, Calzada made up for it, eating up over five minutes of time and connecting with Spiller in the end zone.
"He made the plays on the drives when it mattered right there at the end on both drives," Fisher said. "We'll build on that, we'll fix the other things and move on."
A&M won in the moment. Did they win in the big picture?
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Calzada could be the starter moving forward. King's injury could have him out a week or perhaps the season altogether. Fisher said there wasn't a final say before heading back to College Station.
Was Saturday's game to show what will be or what was? First game jitters are a thing. They can't be in two weeks against Arkansas.
Defensively, A&M looks to be a top 10 team in the country. Offensively, Saturday won't ease the voters into making the Aggies a top-four team in the polls next week.
Ohio State will fall out of the CFP race for now after a loss to No. 12 Oregon. Would the voters move a one-loss Clemson up after their 30-plus victory over South Carolina State?
One game won't define A&M's season, but national championship contenders don't need a last-second prayer to prove they belong in the conversation. Alabama proved that last week against Miami and didn't blink on the way to a win.
"We found out that we have fight and heart, but we have to find out if we can get execution and precision," Fisher said. "We got to understand how to do it coming out of the bat and practice that way."
Yes, the Aggies walk away with a win, but they walk away with plenty of questions too. And a game against the Lobos certainly won't answer them either before a matchup against Arkansas at AT&T Stadium.
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