FB: Aggies overpower 'Jacks, 48-7
a Stephen F. Austin running back in the first half of Saturday's game
at Kyle Field. Texas A&M won the game, 48-7. (Photo by John Krueger)
COLLEGE STATION - Stephen F. Austin Head Coach J.C. Harper elected not to put his players through heavy contact drills during the preseason training camp. And if there was a doubt that the Lumberjack defense would be ready for the likes of Texas A&M in Saturday night's season opener here at Kyle Field, that question was quickly put to rest.
The Lumberjack defense kept SFA in the contest two quarters, but when Texas A&M cornerback Dustin Harris picked off a Jeremy Moses pass in the left flat and returned it 38-yard for the score, it propelled Texas A&M to a 20-7 halftime lead. The Aggies then went on to outscore SFA 28-0 in the second half for a 48-7 win.
Stephen F. Austin showed little effects of playing before a raucous Aggie crowd of 81,287, which was the largest opening day home crowd for Texas A&M and the 27th largest all-time. It also marked the largest crowd SFA has ever played before. The previous largest crowd was 47,402 at the University of Arizona in 2006.
"I'd rather play before this crowd than the one we faced in Montana last year (NCAA playoff)," said Lumberjack quarterback Jeremy Moses. "It was a great crowd and Texas A&M has a tremendous team, but I didn't think [the crowd] affected us very much."
The SFA offense struggled against the physical Aggie defense, gaining only 139 yards - including just nine yards rushing - in the first half. Six of the Lumberjack's first seven drives in the first half were four plays or less. The only saving grace was the stingy Lumberjack defense, which kept the contest within striking distance at the break.
"It's going to happen to us," Harper said of the challenge of the interception in the first half. "I was pleased to see the fight in us and the exceptional things we did out there. I thought we did a good job of controlling the things we could control. A&M just has a great team that presented a lot of problems for us."
After Stephen F. Austin failed to record a first down on its opening drive, Texas A&M moved 74 yards in 10 plays, before the 'Jacks' defense stiffed and forced a 24-yard field goal. But fortune, at that point was on the side of SFA as Randy Bullock's kick hit the left upright and bounced back.
The teams then played the field possession game until late in the first when the Aggies moved 80 yards in 10 plays for the first score. Christine Michael sprinted in from 15 yards out. Bullock tacked on the PAT with 50 seconds left in the period for a 7-0 A&M lead.
The Aggies put together a short drive on the SFA defense early in the second quarter. But the Lumberjack defense stiffened and forced a 32-yard field goal by Bullock with 8:02 left in the half and the Aggies led 10-0.
Disaster then struck for the 'Jacks. On the first play after the kickoff, Moses attempted a quick pass into the left flat, but Harris stepped in front of the intended receiver and took it to the house, giving A&M a 17-0 lead just 17 seconds after the previous score.
With the opportunity to either roll over or keep fighting, Stephen F. Austin put together its best drive of the night, moving 56 yards in 10 plays. Moses hit Corde Roberson for a 21-yard scoring pass. Logan Barrett added the point after and the 'Jacks were within 17-7 with 4:24 left in the quarter.
"That's our team," Moses said. "We have the type of character that comes back when something bad like that (interception) happens and I was real proud to see us do that.
"With the type of offense we run, things like that are going to happen. So it didn't bother me; we just had to come back and move the football."
Texas A&M came back after the Lumberjack score and got a field goal of its own. The Aggies moved 52 yards in 10 plays, but the Lumberjack defense stiffened and Bullock nailed a 27-yarder with 59 seconds left, leaving the door open for the 'Jacks in the second half.
But the second half was all Aggies as they outgained the Lumberjacks 107-22 on the ground and 284-157 in total offense as Texas A&M outscored Stephen F. Austin 28-0 to take the win.
"The first five minutes of the third quarter they came out and established what they wanted to do and that's take it down the field and score," Harper explained. "Then we had the kickoff return and fumbled the ball and they got it. That's where it turned.
"But we can learn from that. It's going to happen somewhere in the year where we're going to have to do the same thing, which is come out in the third quarter and take momentum. You have to take your hat off to them, they did what they had to do. You have to give Texas A&M all the credit."
Moses finished the game by completing 19-of-37 passes (51.4%) for 171 yards, a touchdown and the one pick. Brady Attaway come off the bench in relief, completing 4-of-5 for 54 yards. Garrett Riley and Tim Curry also saw action at quarterback.
Texas A&M running back Michael rushed fro 105 on 22 carries, scoring a pair of touchdowns as the Aggies finished the game with 236 yards on the ground. SFA had 31.
Aggie starting quarterback Jerrod Johnson had a big night, completing 23-of-35 (65.7%) for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Ryan Swope was the leading receiver with eight catches for 62 yards. Texas A&M passed for 303 yards, while the Lumberjacks posted 235.
The Lumberjacks will now return home to face Albany Saturday at 6 p.m. at Homer Bryce Stadium.
STATS AT A GLANCE
SFA A&M
First Downs 13 33
Rushes-Yards 17-31 60-236
Passing Yards 235 303
Total Yards 266 539
Passes 26-45-1 26-39-0
Punts-Avg. 9-36.2 3-37.3
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 1-0
Penalties-Yards 11-80 3-12
3rd Down Conv. 3/15 12/19
4th Down Conv. 1/3 0/1
SCORING BY QUARTERS
SFA 00 07 00 00 = 07
Texas A&M 07 13 21 07 = 48
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing
SFA: Romont Hampton 11-18; Keith Lawson 2-10. A&M: Christine Michael 22-105 2TD; Cyrus Cray 16-61; Ryan Swope 5-44.
Passing
SFA: Jeremy Moses 19-37-1 171 yards TD; Brady Attaway 4-5-0 54 yards. A&M Jerrod Johnson 23-35-0 278 yards 2TD.
Receiving
SFA: Graly Crawford 5-52; Anthony Foster 4-26; Ayron Morgan 3-15. A&M Ryan Swope 8-62; Cyrus Gray 4-54; Jeff Fuller 4-47 2TD.
Records/Up Next
SFA: 0-1 / Sept. 11 vs. Albany, 6 p.m. A&M 1-0 / Sept. 11 vs. Louisiana Tech, 6:05 p.m.