Daniel LaCamera has made 10-of-12 field goals with a long of 52, which came last week against Alabama. He’s also perfect on 24 extra point attempts.
But no performance has been as clutch as the night he put together in the Swamp on Saturday. LaCamera was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, including a 32-yard game-winner with just under a minute to play, to help seal a hard-fought 19-17 road win. It was the Aggies’ first victory in the state of Florida since 1944.
Other players deserve some accolades, including Christian Kirk, whose punt return helped set up the Aggies' final drive. Freshman QB Kellen Mond deserves credit for turning his performance around after a rough first half, helping push that final drive down the field and well within LaCamera's range. And finally, the Texas A&M defense found a way to keep things close, and won the turnover battle.
But college kickers are so notoriously unreliable that #collegekickers is a trending topic nearly every Saturday, and a meme year-round. LaCamera's been a steady weapon for the Aggies, the kind of luxury a struggling program can lean on when things get tough. Everyone knew Texas A&M would need a special effort to win on the road at such a storied venue in the middle of a trying season, but you never plan on the kicker being the star. You never really want it to come to that, either. But credit where it's due. LaCamera came up huge.
The Aggies are 5-2. You wouldn’t know that based on the talk around the team or the speculation about Kevin Sumlin’s job security, but the Aggies just keep finding ways to win. With Mississippi State, Auburn and LSU still on the schedule, it doesn't get any easier, but at least they know they've got a guy if they need a big kick or two. Can all of those teams say the same?
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