Texas A&M-Montana State: Aggies Survive a Scare

Montana St.	7	0	0	0	7
Texas A&M	10	7	7	14	38

Team Stat Comparison	MSU	A&M
Time of Possession	35:43	24:17
1st Downs	23	16
3rd Down Efficiency	7-19	6-12
4th Down Efficiency	1-1	0-1
Total Offense Yards	403	390
Passing	304	129
Comp-Att	26-48	11-23
Yards Per Attempt	6.3	5.6
Yards Per Completion	11.7	11.7
Rushing	99	261
Rushing Attempts	37	35
Yards Per Rush	2.7	7.5
Penalties - Yards	2-15	4-25
Turnovers	2	1
Fumbles Lost	1	1
Interceptions Thrown	1	0

(Spencer Selvidge/A&M SM)

In front of a record 79,438 fans, the 2007 Aggie football team opened the season against Div. I-AA Montana State this weekend.

With the Bobcats having had barely four weeks to work together as a team and coaching staff (Rob Ash was hired in June), most on hand were expecting a bloodbath.

Apparently Montana State didn't get the memo.

After watching film of last season's Drake football team (Ash's former squad), Darnell and the defense spent the week preparing for a power running game.

Montana State didn't get that memo either—they opened the game in the spread and never looked back.

Montana State ran screens, draws, quick outs, and all kinds of misdirections on an 80-yard scoring drive to open the game. Watching the Aggie secondary struggle in the first half caused horrifying visions of Michigan/Appalachian State to creep into the minds of many Aggie fans, but the Wrecking Crew made adjustments and found a way to retake the initiative.

The defensive changes, combined with the nasty play of the Aggie offense, assured the Aggie faithful of the proper outcome by halftime. From there, it was a matter of observing which players have the right stuff to make plays and lead this team to a championship.

Notes - Offense   

* Just when you thought Mike Goodson couldn't get any more dangerous, they start throwing him the ball. At this point last season, Goodson's touches were limited because he couldn't be trusted to hold onto the football; major props to him and the offensive staff for finding ways to get this playmaker the ball.   

* Stephen McGee took the field like the seasoned veteran he is, commanding the offense and turning busted plays into first downs or TDs. Although McGee appears to have improved in his ability to sit in the pocket and go through his reads, there were many times when he chose to tuck and run. It has yet to be determined whether this is McGee's fault or our WRs inability to get open; both prospects are equally troubling.

* For an offensive line heralded as one of the best in the conference, the unit looked extremely mediocre against an undersized Montana State front.

* After a heart-stopping minute in the third quarter that saw Martellus Bennett being helped off the field by trainers, Martellus came back the next three plays for three receptions and 33 yards. One has to wonder if Bennett faked the injury so he could tell Coach to give him the ball.

* Overall, the offense was very impressive for being limited to 58 plays in 24:17 minutes of play.

Notes - Defense   

* First the bad. In the first half, Jack Rolovich and the Bobcats offense tore holes in the Aggie secondary. Not since I played high school rival Southlake Carroll have I seen a team so systematically picked apart by a passing game.

* The second half QB pressure from players like Michael Bennett, Chris Harrington, and Cyril Obiozor kept what could've been a dangerous game at a comfortable level.   

* Everyone loves an aggressive defense, but several times on Saturday our players were duped by screens and draws. With the success that Cal and Montana State have had running such misdirection plays at us, I would expect to see more of the same.  

* Despite a poor showing in all of the usual statistical categories, the defense really came through in the only one that really matters: points allowed

Notes - Special Teams

* Matt Szymanski silenced the doubters by coming out and kicking the FG and all of his PATs directly through the uprights. Not to mention that all of his kickoffs were placed between the goal line and the 10. It's still too early to count him among our many weapons, but confidence is building.   

* Kerry Franks and the kickoff return team combined to average 44 yards per return. Teams will now think twice about kicking it deep.   

* Punter Justin Brantly is a master of his art. There's nothing like seeing him boom one for 60 yards, and watching it arc gracefully down the field in a perfect, tight spiral.   

* The Ags appear poised to win the field position battle again this season.

Notes - Coaching   

* Coach Fran finally showed some balls in his play calling. For the first time in a long time, Fran brought back the fake punt. While it was unsuccessful, it's great to see that Fran won't be so predictable this season.