Take away the final three minutes of regulation play, and the 2016 season opener for Texas A&M had to be considered a rousing success.
The Aggies stifled UCLA’s highly regarded QB Josh Rosen and ran up what looked like an insurmountable 24-9 lead.
But the Aggies’ defense, as good as it looked for the first 57 minutes, got completely lost over the final three, allowing UCLA to score two touchdowns and a 2-point conversion to send the game into overtime.
The fact that the Aggies were able to regroup and win it in overtime speaks volumes to the will and determination exhibited by this team on Saturday. It was Texas A&M’s first overtime win in a season opener, the Aggies’ 10th overtime victory in 16 games all-time and third consecutive overtime triumph. The Aggies are 6-3 in overtime games at Kyle Field.
It got a little ugly at the end, but the Aggies prevailed against a ranked opponent, and you’ll take that victory any way you can get it.
“Anytime you win a game like that against a quality opponent, that’s a good team,” Sumlin said after the game. “You’re looking at one of the best quarterbacks in the country (Rosen). I think he proved that. I was proud of our guys to get the win, number one, but the way things happened, we have a lot to work on.
“Against a quality opponent like that, the learning point was we can’t have lapses like that. Quality football teams will make you pay. But the good news is, we found a way to win the game. That’s going to go a long way with these guys.”
That remains to be seen, but these are the kinds of games that bring teams together and lead to special seasons.
“The demeanor of this team is a bit different,” Sumlin said. “We have a lot of things we have to correct. We can play better, and as our schedule goes, we will need to play better.”
There were outstanding individual performances and several “firsts” for Texas A&M, including the first game at quarterback by Oklahoma graduate transfer Trevor Knight.
“It’s one that I’ll remember forever because it’s a big time game and we won in overtime,” said Knight, who threw for 239 yards and a touchdown (22-for-42, one interception). “There’s a lot of memories from that, but it was my first game as an Aggie, and to come out and get that win at home and play in front of the 12th Man, it’s special.”
Knight made it even more special with two touchdown runs, including the game-winner in overtime on a 4th-and-1 run. He rushed for eight touchdowns in three seasons at Oklahoma.
“That’s football,” Knight said. “It’s a game of split-second decisions and inches, and we were on the right side of that line today.”
The Aggies unveiled a revamped running game that grounded out 203 yards. Both top running backs played in their first games for Texas A&M on Saturday. True freshman Trayveon Williams ran for a game-high 94 yards on 15 carries and another Oklahoma transfer, Keith Ford, added 65 yards and a touchdown on 14 tries.
“The ability to change speeds becomes important,” Sumlin said. “The fact that we rotated backs to keep them fresh, I think that was a real factor. The rushing yards, when you get to 200, you’re going to take that every week.”
Defensive coordinator John Chavis, in his second season at Texas A&M, drew up some interesting packages that put pressure on Rosen all afternoon.
Five different Aggies sacked Rosen, including last season’s SEC sack leader, Myles Garrett. It was his 25th sack in his 26-game career and moved him into a tie for eighth place all-time on the program’s sack list with two-time All-American Ray Childress.
“We were forcing throws, and that was the game plan,” Garrett said. “See if he can throw on the run and throw under pressure. We did our job.”
The Aggies intercepted Rosen three times, twice by Justin Evans, who had one interception all of last season. The other was pilfered by UCLA junior transfer Priest Willis, also making his first appearance in an Aggies uniform.
Punter Shane Tripucka had an impressive debut as well, averaging 47.3 yards on seven punts.
Finally, sophomore right guard Connor Lanfear, redshirt freshman center Erik McCoy and true freshman left guard Colton Prater made successful first starts at Texas A&M, helping the offense roll up a total of 442 yards and earn a huge season-opening victory.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
