|
Written by Travis Pulver
|
|
Saturday, 20 November 2010 20:40 |
|
 With the No.8 passing game taking on the No. 7 rushing game it would not have been surprising to have seen an offensive explosion coming from both teams Saturday night. Instead, fans were treated to a defensive battle with the home team of Texas A&M edging out the Nebraska Cornhuskers 9-6.
The game was much less an offensive battle, but a defensive war with the total yards for each team well below their season averages and only three yards different from each other (Texas A&M had 313 to Nebraska’s 310). Both defenses did their job as well as could be expected. Nebraska’s No.2 passing defense allowed 173 yards, down from the 308 they were accustomed to. Texas A&M’s No. 13 ranked rushing defense held Nebraska to a 146 yards rushing, nearly half of their season average.
 Capitalizing on two interceptions and 16 penalties (for 145 yards) by the Cornhuskers made a significant difference in the game. Many of the penalties were of the 15 yard variety often keeping Texas A&M drives going or backing the Nebraska offense up even further. The penalties enraged Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini to the point where the referee ended up throwing a flag on him.
"No comment. I’m not talking about penalties," he said. "You all watched the game."
When the Aggies did have the ball they did their best not with QB Ryan Tannehill passing the ball but with running back Cyrus Gray carrying the ball. The third year player from DeSoto, TX, has thrived since being thrust into the starting role when Christine Michael went down with a broken leg. In the three games since Gray has proved that he is worth running for more than 100 yards a game and for nearly 400 yards total. Against Nebraska he had over 200 yards of total offense, 137 on the ground and another 65 through the air, both career highs.
 Head coach Mike Sherman was quick to give credit where it was due when asked about Gray’s performance.
"If he didn’t play the game he did we wouldn’t have been able to kick the field goals. Nothing he ever does surprises me. I’m not shocked looking at his stats."
Kicker Randy Bullock was able to help the team capitalize each time it got within scoring range connecting on field goals of 29,28, and 19 yards.
The game ended up being of little consequence to either team. Nebraska can still win the Big 12 North when they play Colorado this week. With Oklahoma State winning over Kansas the Aggies can’t win the Big XII south division.
Texas A&M finishes the regular season on Thanksgiving Day against their long-time rival, the Texas Longhorns
 |
|
Last Updated on Sunday, 21 November 2010 05:42 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Aggies offense... 310 yds among 11 players = 28.2 yards per player
Positive yardage from the stripes... 150 yards among 11 "unbiased" officials = 21.4 yards per "official"
Grats on the "win."
Some of the calls were legit. Granted. But it's not only the Husker fans that noticed the lopsidedness. Or the convenient lack of yellow rags on the ground for the Aggies. Or the fact that pretty much every pivotal play in the game came not from a player but from a zebra.
Anyone else find it convenient that when the Aggies needed a conversion they didn't get there was a convenient flag? Anyone also note that pretty much every time that the Aggies needed a 3rd down stop they didn't get they could count on that yellow cloth hitting the ground.
So... you guys had your moment, the Huskers will nab the Big 12 trophy while A&M gets squat. Then they move to a conference where they don't lose to the stripe shirts anymore. They'll actually get 1 vs 1 games instead of 1 vs 8.
Go Aggies. Home of the 12th man.... the ref.