Texas A&M Wins the Most Ridiculous Game Ever
Right when it appeared they were going to do that thing again, they saved themselves with a rally against South Carolina that was unthinkable.
The following is an essay I did not plan on writing about a game I did not expect to be very interesting. The fact is that this week the Georgia-Texas game was going to be my feature college football review for this week(and I might still find time for it soon), but I realized that I had better change my plans on Saturday because I was watching a game that was quite obviously going to be noteworthy either way. Either Texas A&M was going to lose a game in historically significant fashion and ruin their season or they were going to win a game in a historically amazing comeback and stay on track. There could be no in between by 11:45 am.
One of my favorite sportisms is that the best thing about falling way behind by 27 at halftime is that at least you have the entire 2nd half to come back. But, falling behind by 27 at home to a team that you are favored to beat by nearly three touchdowns is tough to fathom. Yet, it was easy to fathom because the Aggies could not have possibly played a worse 30 minutes of football. They were dreadful.
And yet, there was a halftime to reset and have your head coach – he of the new contract extension that was leaked just hours before the game – address the team. I suppose we over-rate halftime speeches, but I would give a few dollars to hear what Mike Elko said to his team that just laid the stinkiest egg imaginable in this early start where the Aggies had everything on the line and had fallen behind by four touchdowns.
What do you say? What do you throw? How embarrassed are you on contract day? This was the very brink of the edge of disaster. I cannot imagine a more perilous cliff than down 30-3 at halftime.
It was so bad that Shane Beamer, the coach of South Carolina, left the field like the man who had won the war by halftime. I am not sure I have ever seen a coach leave the field quite like this at the end of a 2nd Quarter.
It was so bad that a Texas State Trooper thought he would try to take matters into his own hands (and shoulders) and try to start something in the tunnel after South Carolina’s final touchdown. Nyck Harbor does not need help to take care of himself, but that officer probably won’t have to worry about how to act on the field in future games. I would think he will never get that assignment again after that embarrassing temper tantrum. What a horrible way to remember a horrible 1st half.
But, there were plenty of people looking for someone to shove as the hole kept going deeper and deeper in a 1st half that had more mistakes than could be counted. A&M did not appear terribly prepared to play this game as the self-inflicted wounds were piling on top of each-other.
They couldn’t do anything right. The receivers could not catch, the defense couldn’t tackle. The kicker couldn’t kick and the offense couldn’t run the ball. But, more than anything, Marcel Reed appeared to have turned into a pumpkin.
And that is where I will start with My Three Thoughts:
– Reed had a 1st half to forget and much of the offense’s problems seemed to be specifically his fault. His judgement, timing, accuracy, and composure were all way off in that half and honestly, it just got worse and worse as the thing went along. But, for him to stop the bleeding and rally in the 2nd half with massive plays and huge moments, he really demonstrated what he can be when he is doing his thing. He did something very few guys can do which is turn his worst day into his best day in the course of a few hours.