Texas A&M football: Loss to Auburn makes path that much harder

Courtesy Texas A&M athletics

Share or Save for Later

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Save to Favorites

COLLEGE STATION -- Before the season, Texas A&M fans had four games circled on the calendar: at No. 1 Clemson, vs. No. 2 Alabama, at No. 3 Georgia, at No. 4 LSU. 

All the talk during the offseason was about those four games. It was the hardest schedule in America heading into the year. No one really thought about Auburn messing around becoming one of the top 10 teams in America. 

But in the home conference opener, No. 8 Auburn walked into Kyle Field and won a 28-20 game that wasn’t as close as the final score. But now, the Aggies are a .500 team and still have three of the top four teams in the nation left on their schedule. 

The Aggies don’t believe they overlooked this opponent, despite giving up a touchdown in the first two minutes of the game and trailing 14-3 at the half. 

“We’ve just got to play better,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “I thought Auburn was as good as any of those teams and I said that going in...to me, it’s not about focus. We’ve got to learn to play better and learn to rise to those situations. I have to do better as a head coach.” 

Thanks to a trick play, Auburn went down the field for their first field goal in just four plays. After an Aggie missed field goal and a pair of punts, the Tigers flew 46 yards for another touchdown in just six plays. In all reality, Auburn was able to coast from there. 

The A&M offensive line had major issues protecting against an elite Auburn defensive front. The running backs averaged a paltry 2.5 yards per carry. The defense fought, but Auburn was still able to have its way despite barely revealing any new wrinkles. 

Freshman Auburn quarterback Bo Nix only had to throw 20 passes to win the game. The Tigers only needed 63 offensive plays to do it. Even though the final score was only a one-score game, the game was never, ever in doubt. Auburn outclassed Texas A&M across the board. 

“It’s very frustrating when you game plan all week and you see what you want in terms of matchups and you can’t convert,” Texas A&M receiver Jhamon Ausbon said. 

There were critical losses for the Aggies heading into the season. None shines brighter now than Trayveon Williams, who singlehandedly gave Texas A&M an elite run game last season. This line could desperately use an Erik McCoy. A run gap filler like Kingsley Keke or Daylon Mack would be astonishingly useful now. The young talent just wasn't ready for what they've faced against Auburn and Clemson. Almost all of the pressure has fallen onto the shoulders of Kellen Mond.

In many ways, the Aggies needed this game to stay relevant in the SEC. Texas A&M finished second in the SEC West a season ago. Suddenly, 4-4 and No. 4 in the division seems like a ceiling instead of a floor. The chance of moving into that top group is likely gone. Their time in the AP Top 25 will probably be over for the rest of the year. Unless something major changes, the biggest things Aggies have to hope for this season is growth. 

Suddenly a matchup with Mississippi State becomes critical. Beating South Carolina once again is mandatory. A slip-up against Ole Miss is unacceptable. If not, making a bowl game will be in question. The context doesn’t matter a whole lot – if Texas A&M finishes bottom third of the SEC and misses a bowl game, the optimism around this program will fade quickly. 

That said, the Aggies are doing a good job of staying locked in instead of overreacting to what should hopefully be short-term issues. That's what players have to do. But if two losses becomes three, four, five or more, that will be put to the test. 

“Every week playing against Clemson and lamar and Auburn, they’re some good football teams,” defensive back Keldrick Carper said. “Getting to play in that high-level atmosphere, it’s going to help us down the road.”

Building a championship program is a long-term mission. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s not supposed to be done by Week 4 – or even Year 2. Fans want instant satisfaction, but it's just not going to happen like that. 

And hey, the flipside of all of this? Texas A&M has three remaining opportunities to pick up earth-shattering wins. Just one would be a game-changing moment for the program. Just remember what beating LSU did last season, and double it. 

There will be a small respite. As of publication, Arkansas is about to lose to San Jose State. The Aggies should be able to build some momentum. Then, it’s the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide. Texas A&M has to grow up quickly; it doesn’t get any easier from here.

This article is available to our Digital Subscribers.
Click "Subscribe Now" to see a list of subscription offers.
Already a Subscriber? Sign In to access this content.

Sign In
Don't Miss Any Exclusive Coverage!

We've been the Bible of Texas football fans for 64 years. By joining the DCTF family you'll gain access to all of our exclusive content and have our magazines mailed to you!