Texas A&M Game Review

Nov 9, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver De

Offense

Good

• After A&M’s first score we respond quick: 51 yard touchdown run by Josh Robinson on the first play of the drive. We used the Diamond Formation.
• Josh Robinson is a solid back, 6 carries for 73 yards. Shumpert could be a stud back, 2 carries for 16 yards. We need more of these two.
• Excellent game for D’Runnya Wilson: 7 catches for 75 yards and 2 TDs including catching the jump pass from Dak. He made some really nice catches – I’m really excited about his future.
• Fred Brown came back from an extended absence and made some nice plays, 3 catches for 47 yards.
• How about the toughness of Dak Prescott? He played great. Coming off an incredibly rough week and a bad game last week he was a force in this game running and throwing for over 150 yards.
• The offensive line had a good game. They should have because A&M’s D-line isn’t very good. They’ve done a good job of improving throughout the year.
• The reverse pass from Jameon Lewis works again! That’s a great play and on this one it was a great throw from Jameon. He’s 3 for 3 with 3 TDs this year.

Bad

• Against a poor defense they went 3 and out to start. They got a reprieve by the defense but had a turnover on downs. It was 4th & 2 and a slow-developing play was stuffed. Why wasn’t Dak in there?
• On MSU’s 4th drive, Dak Prescott throws a deep laser to Brandon Holloway who used his speed to blow past the corner – it was a very well thrown pass but Holloway slowed down like he thought there was more air under the pass than there was an it sailed past him. A delay of game penalty put it in a 3rd & long situation that eventually led to a safety from trying to punt out of our own endzone.
• LaDarius Perkins just doesn’t have it. He’s a talented back but he does not hit the hole hard like Josh Robinson does. When he gets a carry it’s either a loss or no gain most of the time, then he’ll break a 10+ yarder. Robinson and Ashton Shumpert need to be our main backs.
• Points off turnovers continue to be a problem. After the defense went out and got them the football at midfield even despite the special teams making it extra hard on them, the offense failed to score off a turnover for the 6TH time this year. They were able to finally capitalize on Nickoe Whitley’s INT – a 96 yard drive at the end of the 3rd quarter.
• I love Tyler Russell, but I’m not really sure what we’re doing when he’s in there. I understand him starting this game due to the circumstances around Dak, but after the first couple of drives there wasn’t much need to put him back in there.
• Several dropped balls. A couple by Robert Johnson and Morrow. Got to catch it when it’s right to you.
• WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT PLAY CALL ON THE FINAL TWO-POINT CONVERSION? Other than taking a knee, I’m not sure there was a worse call to be made.

Nov 9, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A

Defense

Good

• Started out strong with a quick stop on A&M’s first drive.
• Jamerson Love comes up with a big INT in the red zone. That saved what would’ve undoubtedly a touchdown – turnovers were absolutely needed to pull off an upset and that was the first one.
• The defensive line played really well. They contained Manziel about as well as you could hope for and even had a couple of sacks.
• Great play by Jamerson Love on his 2nd INT. The defense had a 3rd & out, had to go back on the field after a special teams penalty but came back and got the turnover.
• Only 3 of A&M’s 7 first half possessions ended in points. Against Manziel, that’s good. Overall, they scored on 7 of 14 drives. Considering they were without Deontae Skinner and two of the drives were less than 30 yards, I call it a good day.

Bad

• Our safties are out of position A LOT. When there’s a big play it’s almost always their fault. The corners get burnt some too, but they also make some great plays. It’s a Hughes problem – Jay Hughes got hurt in the 1st quarter of the 1st game and his dad is the safties coach. It might be time to cut ties with papa.
• Just before the half continues to be a problem. We’ve given up points with under a minute to go in the 1st half against LSU, Bowling Green, Kentucky and Texas A&M.
• We just score to make it 30-20 and on the first play of the ensuing drive we leave Mike Evans WIDE OPEN for a 75 yard play. Sometimes I wonder what Justin Cox is doing out there.
• Gave up a 3rd & 25. That just can’t happen.

Special teams

Good

• After A&M’s first touchdown, a good return by Jameon and the face-mask penalty against A&M put it at midfield.
• Devon Bell’s punt in the 2nd quarter that was dropped inside the 5 yard line. Then he dropped one on the 11 yard line that led to great field position for State and a score.

Bad

• Punting out of our own endzone….with Devon Bell it’s been a safety every time. “The 12th man” came through unblocked and Bell took too long.
• After getting a huge sack and a 3 and out to start the 2nd half Deontae Evans has a terrible roughing the kicker penalty. He was bailed out when Love got an INT, but that could’ve been a very costly play.
• Evan Sobiesk badly missed a 40 yard field goal. Watching teams around the SEC easily make these types of kicks just makes it all the more frustrating that we can’t.
• Gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown. It was called back for celebration but it was a touchdown given up. You can’t do that.

Overall

There are no moral victories. Not in year 5 when we have the players to win some of these games. But I am glad to see us play tough for 4 quarters and not give up. We played well in the 2nd half – a time where we have been putrid this year. Down 51-27 it would have been real easy to phone it in, but this team came back and nearly had a shot to make things interesting down just one score.

I feel a lot better about our prospects to win six games. If we play hard, and tough, we can figure out a way to get it done. Execution and major miscues continue to be the sore spot, and until those are corrected it will be tough to win these type of games. A lot of it is mental I think, and that’s got to get corrected.

It’s good to see the fight in this team. They’ve got to maintain the intensity and finish the season strong.