Caffeine must’ve trickled down from the clouds above as the energy on the sideline looked much different from past games. Every single player that was wrapped in the maroon and white was bouncing on their toes and swinging their white towels clockwise in the air.
The energy was present.
From the most exciting moments to the moments that made you question your loyalty to the fanbase, the Aggies fought for 60 minutes and finally snapped its six-game losing streak as they defeated Massachusetts 20-3 on their own turf.
Even in the 39 F weather, freshman quarterback Conner Weigman came out the gates hot as he connected with sophomore wide receiver Moose Muhammad III for 22-yards for the first completion and the first first down of the game. This drive resulted in a 27-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Randy Bond that gave the Aggies their first lead of the game.
It is safe to say that the Aggie defense was well aware of the Minutemen’s run attack as they averaged just 2.5 yards per carry on the first drive and forced them to punt from their own 36 after a failed 3rd and 14 conversion.
Massachusetts found its holes on its second drive of the game and continued to slip through A&M defenders, a common theme this season, and reached field goal territory. The Aggies were able to halt the current momentum the Minutemen were brewing and forced a 25-yard field goal after allowing a first-and-goal situation.
If there is one thing to be careful of when playing in the rain, it is a slippery field and a slippery ball. Both of these affected the maroon and white offense in their non-conference game. On a 2nd and 7 situation, Weigman was on the verge of escaping a sack, however, the freshman slipped on his own two feet and was sacked for an eight-yard loss. Immediately after, Weigman connected with Muhammad for a 45-yard pass and run that resulted in a loose ball and recovery by the Minutemen.
Heavy eyes and yawns field the stands at Kyle Field after consecutive failed scoring drives from A&M. It could have been a hallucination but it looked like Leon O’Neal spawned into the stadium and told the crowd to ‘Wake up!’
The Wakeland native would immediately dash up the middle for a 22-yard gain and two plays later connected with freshman wide receiver Noah Thomas for a 22-yard pass for the Aggies’ first touchdown of the game.
“I thought Conner [Weigman] did a really nice job in the game,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “I thought he made some really good decisions.”
At the end of the first half, Weigman led the team in both passing and rushing yards with 158 and 63, respectively. Freshman tight end Donovan Green was his leading receptionist with three and accumulated 27 yards off these targets. Defensively, senior safety Demani Richardson and sophomore linebacker Edgerrin Cooper led the team in tackles with four each.
Similar to the start to the first half, the Aggies were able to put together a drive that set up Bond for a 35-yard field goal to increase the lead to 10 with 7:49 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
After a jaw-dropping performance by the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, what already looked to be like an empty stadium became even more empty once the band left the field.
A&M struggled to force any turnovers three quarters into the game and at the start of the fourth quarter, that all changed. Freshman linebacker Martrell Harris Jr. tracked down Brady Olsen and forced the first Aggie turnover and sack of the game and set up the maroon and white offense with perfect field position.
After a career-long 23-yard run by freshman running back Le’Veon Moss, Bond failed to knock down his second kick of the game and ended the day 2-4 from field goal attempts.
Desperate to achieve momentum, Minutemen tried to convert on a fourth down with only seven minutes left in the game. However, the Fightin’ Farmers held their own and stopped the opposing maroon and white team and forced another turnover on downs.
This allowed Moss to rush four straight times for 11, nine and four yards and cap this drive off with a 12-yard run that resulted in the Aggies’ second touchdown of the game and the freshman’s first touchdown of his career.
For the second time in this game, the third time total, A&M fumbled on the same play as they picked up the first time. With Muhammad fumbling after the 45-yard play to set up perfect field position, junior running back Earnest Crownover decided to carry on the tradition and fumble after a 25-yard gain to set up a first and goal situation.
Despite the numerous turnovers forced by Massachusetts’ defense, A&M was able to hold out and snap its six-game losing streak to bring its overall record to 4-7 for the season.
“No matter what you get, a win is a win and you take what you can get,” Fisher said.
Moss finished as the leading rusher with 72 rushing yards on 12 carries and Muhammad finished as the leading receiver with 75 yards on just three receptions. Cooper and Richardson finished the game as the Aggies’ leading tacklers with seven each and were a huge part of stopping the Minutemen rushing attack.
A&M will host LSU on Saturday, Nov. 26, at Kyle Field at 6 p.m. for their last SEC, home and regular season game.
“[LSU] is a big thing we’re looking forward to,” Cooper said. “ We’re looking to make a statement.”