Texas A&M crushes Texas Tech

It was unbelievable! Texas A&M bounced back from a 62-14 licking a week ago to blow out 21st ranked Texas Tech, 52-30, Saturday in Lubbock

Texas A&M (4-3, 1-2 Big 12) broke a 16-year winless drought on the dry, dusty South Plains of Texas. Many of the Texas Tech fans, quiet for most of the evening, silently slipped out of the stadium before the end of the game.

Aggie running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael led the onslaught with 31 unanswered points in the second and third quarters. Place kicker Randy Bullock completed the coup de gras with a with 22-yard field goal with 6:19 left in the third quarter to put the Aggies up 38-14.

Gray rushed for 131 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns. Freshman Michael rushed 22 times for 122 yards and two TD’s. Quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who was 19 of 28 passing, tossed one TD. Johnson added 70 yards rushing on 11 attempts including a 22-yard scoring gallop up the middle with 8:38 in the fourth to seal the deal. Gray added the final TD with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter. That made the score 52-30.

Tech’s starting QB Taylor Potts threw for 310 yards, but he was picked off twice. The last pick was when Potts threw into the end zone. Aggie D-back Frederick picked it off to end the half. The halftime score was 28-14.

What was most unbelievable was that Tech had beaten Kansas State 64-14 two weeks ago. That same K-State team smashed the Aggies last week 62-14 in Manhattan. No one seriously believed the Aggies had a chance to win. The Las Vegas odds makers had installed the Red Raiders as a 22-point favorite.

The Aggies completely controlled the game after Gray scored from three yards out at 13:41 in the second period.

The last win by an Aggie team was in 1993. Tech’s record drops to 5-3, 2-2 in the Big 12. With losses to Texas and Texas A&M, Tech has little chance for a Big 12 South title.

The almost legendary belief that Tech Coach Mike Leach could plug any quarterback into his offense and win was completely and perhaps forever dispelled when he jerked his starter at the beginning for the second half. Potts accounted for three turnovers. Tech fans started chanting “No more Potts.” Freshman Seth Doege stepped in, but his effort failed to get the sputtering Tech offense going. A very frustrated Leach became very animated at times on the sideline.

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It was the most points the Aggies have ever scored against Tech in the series and the most ever at Jones Stadium.

The Red Raiders had 520 yards of offense, but the Aggies answered with 561 yards which were balanced between the ground and aerial assaults. QB Johnson avoided interceptions. Tech lost three fumbles and has intercepted twice. In all, the Aggie ground attack accounted for 344 yards and kept the clock rolling.

The win makes the Aggies a serious contender to qualify for a bowl game if they can win two games out of the upcoming schedule. That lineup includes Iowa State at home and Colorado at Boulder, CO. It won’t be easy for the Aggies, either. ISU Saturday defeated Nebraska at Lincoln. The previous week Tech had defeated NU at home.

It was more about the players stepping up to be men than about them as football players, Sherman told a post-game news conference. It was about the offensive line stepping, to, he added.

By Jay Goode
Big 12 Fans Texas A&M Correspondent

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