Texas A&M vs Missouri Recap
The Ags took care of business on the road and coasted to a 21 point victory over Missouri. Texas A&M 35
Missouri 14
By: The Hammer
Devon Achane had himself a game. Photo by L.G. Patterson, AP Photo
For the second week in a row, Texas A&M looked like a good football team. Was it perfect? No. Was it as good as the Alabama game? No. But that’s football. You won’t find me complaining about a 21 point SEC win on the road. And if you are complaining about that, you are just choosing to be miserable. There are plenty of things to work on, and that kind of game probably doesn’t beat a team like Ole Miss, but we won easily on the road at 11am. Give me that any day of the week.
This was a perfect let down spot. Emotional win over #1 Alabama to play in Columbia, Missouri at 11am against a bad team in front of a weak crowd. But there was no let down. This game was 21-0 in the first quarter. That is how you show up to a road game and put your foot on the opponent's throat. That game was over after 15 minutes and everyone knew it. Good teams take care of business just like that on the road, and that’s exactly what we did.
The main reason for that fast start and easy victory was the run game. We knew Mizzou’s run defense was pitiful and Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane FEASTED. Spiller went for 168 yards and a TD on 20 carries, while Achane finished with 124 yards and two TDs on 16 carries. Awesome performance by these two guys and a decent day by the offensive line. Spiller and Achane consistently made Tiger tacklers miss and were hard to bring down in space all day. Speaking of the offensive line though, they had a decent day. Not quite as good as the Alabama game, but it's hard to be upset when you run for 283 yards as a team and only allow one sack.
Calzada had a much more average performance and it’s clear he is still developing and not quite ready to take that next step. He finished with 148 yards, two touchdowns and 1 interception on 13/25 attempts. He’s shown his potential, so now it's all about consistency. Is he able to play to that Alabama level more consistently? Or close to that level consistently? I believe he is, but we need to see it. Jimbo, this staff and Calzada all know this and I’m confident they’ll be doing everything in their power to get back to that level. I’m rooting hard as hell for the kid and I’m excited to see how he can finish the season. There are plenty more big games for him to show out.
Outside of the run game, the Aggie defense was the other main key. For all of Missouri’s faults, they have a good offense. Bazelak is a talented quarterback and Tyler Badie is a weapon who came into the game as the SEC’s second leading rusher and leads the conference with 13 total touchdowns. The next closest player is Brian Robinson with 10, so no one else is really even close. Well, the Aggie defense shut both of them down. Badie found pay dirt once on a fantastic long touchdown run, but outside of that he got nothing. He finished with 68 yards rushing on 21 carries and 53 yards receiving on 7 receptions. Bazelak also had his worst game of the year. The Aggies picked him off twice and he only threw for 230 yards, finishing with a QBR of 45.1. Even without Peevy, the defensive line played very well and the front seven finished with seven tackles for loss. If the defense plays like that and continues to force turnovers, A&M will have a really good chance at winning out and going 10-2.
Unrelated to the game on Saturday, I’d be remiss if I didn't mention the LSU rumors. Rather than lay out the reasons I don’t see him taking that job, I’ll let Jimbo’s quote from Monday’s press conference do the talking. Jimbo said “I love being here, and this is the job I want. I have a great contract, have an unbelievable chancellor, an unbelievable president, an unbelievable athletic director... I believe we’re in the process of building something great.” Obviously coaches in mid season have to dispel rumors, but that was a pretty emphatic response in my opinion. I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Bottom line is he’s happy in College Station and the 2021 Aggies have a good chance to win out and make a New Year's six bowl game.
5-2.
#BTHOSOUTHCAROLINA
