Thoughts on Texas A&M and a Look Towards 2010

The 2009 football season for the Georgia Bulldogs officially ended Monday with a 44-20 beating of Texas A&M. And while the Dawgs scored nearly as many points as I predicted, this game was not the shootout I thought it would be. The game was tied 0-0 with under three minutes to go before the Bulldogs' special teams took control.

Brandon Boykin's third kickoff return for a touchdown on the season ignited a fire under the Georgia team that would turn this game into an easy victory for the Dawgs. After Asher Allen left early last year, I was not sure who would step up and take over the return duties, but Boykin has been a pleasant surprise this year and I look forward to see him work for the next few years.

After the Boykin return, Georgia forced another 3 and out and looked poised to get the ball back with just over a minute to go. Bacarri Rambo then proved once again while he is my new favorite player on Georgia's defense. Rambo, who also would have blocked a Texas A&M field goal earlier if Geno Atkins had not gotten to it first, blew past the line and blocked the kick. Georgia would punch it in to take a 14-7 lead at half.

Despite the 7 point lead at half, the Bulldogs were actually getting dominated on the field. The main cause was the complete lack of a rushing attack that had been so good late in the season. I think this finally made me realize how good of a player Josh Davis had become at right tackle. Vince Vance was really struggling in the first half, and the coaches made the adjustment (pulling Vance in favor of Justin Anderson) that seemed to fix the problem in the second half. It makes me really excited to know that we will have all five starters back on the line next season.

After the defense looked like it might be falling back into Willie mode by allowing the Aggies to quickly tie the score to start the second half, Georgia answered with another long field goal for Blair Walsh. The kid is money on long kicks and may end up with a better career than both Billy Bennett and Brandon Coutu. After another A&M special teams break down, Cox found Aron White for a 24 yard score and the rout was on. White had two touchdowns in the game and it will be a lot of fun to watch Murray have both White and Charles as safety valves when teams double cover AJ Green.

Speaking of AJ Green, it was great to see him back on the field but clearly he was not 100%. Both of the jump balls that Cox threw to Green would have been catches if he was healthy. We really missed him against Kentucky but I sure am glad he will be back for one more season.

The rest of the game was dominated by the Georgia running attack. The O line had finally worn down the Aggies' D and began opening huge holes for Caleb King and Washaun Ealey. In the fourth quarter, it was Georgia's fullbacks turn to pound the ball, ending with a Shaun Chapas TD. Despite only about 25 yards on the ground in the first half, Georgia once again finished with over 200 yards rushing. In the end it was 44-20 victory for Georgia securing the Dawgs' 13th consecutive season of at least 8.

This season was definitely a disappointment, but perhaps it was just what Georgia needed. We had become complacent, almost comfortable, with the success we had and it was time for some changes to be made. But without a 7-5 regular season and a trip to Shreveport, do you think Mark Richt actually pulls the trigger and gets rid of Willie? I don't think so. It is an exciting time to be a Georgia fan. We will soon know who the new DC will be, we return 10 of 11 starters on offense, and the schedule sets up nicely for a run at the SEC East championship. Year ten of the Mark Richt era will hopefully be the crowning achievement of one of the best decades in Georgia football history.

GO DAWGS!!!

Independence Bowl Preview: Texas A&M By the Numbers

Continuing our look at Georgia's Independence Bowl opponent, here is a look at how the Aggies stack up statistically.

Head Coach

Mike Sherman is in his second year on the sidelines for Texas A&M. He took over for Dennis Franchione following the end of the 2007 season, replacing Franchione's spread-option offense with a pro-style offense. Sherman was previously head coach of the Green Bay Packers, where he compiled 57-39 record from 2000 - 2005. Sherman is 10-14 overall in two years at A&M.

Offense

Texas A&M has one of the most dynamic offenses in the country. Lead by quarterback Jerrod Johnson, the Aggies can score quick and often through the air and on the ground. Here's how they rank nationally:

Rushing: 190 yards per game (2nd in the Big XII, 25th overall in the country)
Passing: 275 yards per game (6th in the Big XII, 22nd overall in the country)
Total Offense: 465 yards per game (1st in the Big XII, 5th overall in the country)

The offense statistical leaders for the Aggies are:

Passing:
Jerrod Johnson - 267 of 439 for 3217 yards, 28 Touchdowns and 6 Interceptions

Rushing:
Christine Michael - 151 carries for 767 yards and 9 touchdowns
Cyrus Gary - 156 carries for 752 yards and 5 touchdowns
Jerrod Johnson - 131 carries for 455 yards and 8 touchdowns

Receiving:
Uzoma Nwachuka - 37 catches for 670 yards and 6 Touchdowns
Ryan Tannehill - 44 catches for 574 yards and 4 Touchdowns

Defense
On defense, the Aggies are led by Von Miller who led the NCAA in sacks with 17. Outside of Miller, the Texas A&M is very weak and should not be able to stop a consistent Georgia offense.

Rushing Defense: 169 yards per game (10th in the Big XII, 87th in the country)
Passing Efficiency: 135.56 (Last in the Big XII, 84th in the country)
Passing Defense: 263 yards per game (Last in Big XII, 111th in the Country)
Total Defense: 431 yards per game (Last in the Big XII, 107th in the Country)
Scoring Defense: 33 points per game (Last in the Big XII, 104th in the Country)

Statistical Leaders:

Sacks - Von Miller - 17 total (16 solo, 2 Assists)
Tackles - Trent Hunter, DB - 86 total (51 solo, 35 assisted)
Interceptions - Jordan Pugh - 3 for 64 return yards

Miscellaneous

A&M's special teams have been anything but special. They have used two different punters, neither with much success and their coverage teams are bad. While they throw very few interceptions, they do not rank very high in turnover margin.

Turnover Margin: 8th in the Big XII, 66th in the Country
Kick Off Returns: 23 yards a returns (6th in the Big XII, 45th in the Country)
Punt Returns: 6 yards a return (10th in the Big XII, 96th in the country)
Net Punting: 34 yards a punt (10th in the Big XII, 92nd in the Country - Georgia is 1st in the country at 43 yards per punt)

Independence Bowl Preview: Texas A&M's 2009 Season Part 2

This is part 2 of a look at the season thus far for Georgia's Independence Bowl opponent, the Texas A&M Aggies.

Game 7 – Texas A&M 52, Texas Tech 30
Coming off three straight losses and facing a team that had blown Kansas State (who then blew out the Aggies), things did not look good to start the second half of the season. But running back Cyrus Gray was not about to let the Texas A&M season go down in flames. Gray rushed for four scores an Jerrod Johnson added two more (one passing and one running) as the Aggies cruised to a 22 pint victory over the Red Raiders. The Aggies were aided by 5 Texas Tech turnovers, including two interceptions of quarterback Taylor Potts.

Game 8 – Texas A&M 35, Iowa State 10

The Aggies got their second straight victory with an easy win over Big XII North foe, Iowa State. Efficiency was the name of the game for Texas A&M, as they converted 10 of 13 third downs and did not punt the entire game. The Aggies defense was able to battle Cyclones QB Jerome Tiller, who was making his first career start, into throwing two costly interceptions that helped lead to the Texas A&M victory.

Game 9 – Colorado 35, Texas A&M 34

Despite a relentless Aggies pass rush that sacked Buffaloes QB Tyler Hansen eight times, Colorado was able to squeak out a one point victory at home. Texas A&M built a 21-10 halftime lead after Cyrus Gray returned a kick-off 99 yards for a touchdown. Leading 34-28 with 3:59 to go, the Aggies kicked the ball to Colorado. The Buffaloes were able to drive the field in a little under two minutes and scored to take a one point lead. The Aggies were unable to set up a chance for the game winning field goal and their record fell to 5-4.

Game 10 – Oklahoma 65, Texas A&M 10

Facing an Oklahoma team struggling through its worse season in years, A&M hoped to beat the Sooners to get bowl eligible. What happened was their third major blow out loss of the season (third time they lost by at least 4 touchdowns). Landry Jones and Demarco Murray had big days for Oklahoma as they racked up over 600 yards of offense. The Aggies’ only touchdown came on a Michael Hodges’ interception of Landry Jones late in the first half.

Game 11 – Texas A&M 38, Baylor 3

Paced by Christine Michael’s school record 97-yard touchdown run, the Aggies gained bowl eligibility with a 35 point thumping of in-state rival Baylor. The team rushed for a season high 375 yards on the Big XII’s worst rushing defense. QB Jerrod Johnson also became the school’s single season record holder for passing yards. This was Texas A&M’s ninth straight home victory over Baylor.

Game 12 – Texas 49, Texas A&M 39
Thanksgiving night was a showcase for two of the Big XII’s best passers, as Jerrod Johnson and Colt McCoy went head to head in an old fashioned shoot out. Johnson threw for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns and added 97 yards rushing. But McCoy was up to the task, as the Heisman finalist accounted for 5 total touchdowns (4 passing) and led the Longhorns to the win. While emotion fueled A&M against their biggest rival, the talent gap proved too much.

Final Assessment –

The Aggies finished the second half the same way they did in the first half with a record of 3-3. This included 3 blow out victories where they won by at least 25 points in each game, but they also suffered their fourth loss of the season by at least 28 points. Close games against Colorado and Texas could have changed the season dramatically, but in the end they ended up where they should be. They beat the bad teams on their schedule and lost to the good ones and more likely than not, the final score was not close. While they are a threat on offense, they have too many holes on defense to stop talented offenses.

Independence Bowl Preview: Texas A&M's 2009 Season Review Part 1

This is the first part in series of articles examining Georgia's Independence Bowl opponent, the Texas A&M Aggies. First I will examine the Aggies 2009 results beginning with their first six games of the season.

Game 1 – Texas A&M 41, New Mexico 6

The Aggies’ offense opened the season firing on all cylinders as they put up 606 yards on the Lobos of New Mexico in a 41-6 victory. Junior QB Jerrod Johnson completed 31 of 41 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson also ran in another score as did running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael. The defense was also stellar, sacking Lobos QB Donovan Porterie 5 times and allowing only 21 yards on the ground. It was the Aggies’ 24th victory in their last 26 home openers.

Game 2 – Texas A&M 38, Utah State 30

After building a 24-10 halftime lead, Texas A&M had to hold on to beat Utah State 38-30. Jerrod Johnson threw for four touchdowns in the game. Three of those touchdowns went to freshman wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu. He also added a rushing score in the game and was the star player on the field. The offense had to put up big numbers, because the defense failed to hold Utah State from marching up and down the field as well. Their quarterback threw for 334 yards and two scores and running back Robert Turbin rushed for 114 yards. After Utah State scored two touchdowns to get within 8 with just minutes remaining, the Aggies were finally able to run out the clock and seal the victory.

Game 3 – Texas A&M 56, UAB 19

The Aggies improved to 3-0 with a blowout victory over UAB. This game was never in doubt, as Texas A&M built a 28-6 halftime lead and continued to pour it on in the second half.

Game 4 – Arkansas 47, Texas A&M 19

The Aggie defense was no match for Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett on his Saturday. After taking an early 10-0 lead on the Hogs, Arkansas rallied off 30 straight points. Mallett threw for 4 touchdowns and Arkansas added 162 yards on the ground. Jerrod Johnson struggled against the SEC defense, attempting 58 passes but completing only 30.

Game 5 – Oklahoma State 36, Texas A&M 31

Despite missing stars Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter, Zac Robinson was able to lead Oklahoma State to victory at College Station. OSU lead 29-22 going into the fourth. Texas A&M got a Randy Bullock 50 yard field goal to cut the lead to 4 with 14:54 left on the clock. But the Aggies D could not stop the Cowboys from chewing up the clock and putting the game out of reach. A 7 minute, 41 second touchdown drive made the score 36 – 25, and despite a touchdown late, the Cowboys held on for the victory.

Game 6 – Kansas State 62, Texas A&M 14

Texas A&M suffered their third straight defeat, this time in a blowout fashion to conference rival Kansas State. The Aggies defense could not stop the Wildcats from scoring, resulting in a 38-0 half time deficit. To make matters worse, Kansas State returner Brandon Banks took the second half opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. All this came after Kansas State had suffered an embarrassing loss to Texas Tech the week before when they gave up 700 yards and 66 points. 6 turnovers and -13 yards rushing killed the Texas A&M offense.

Mid-season assessment: After starting off the year with 3 wins over opponents from non-BCS schools, the Aggies struggled against Arkansas from the SEC and two conference opponents. And while the close loss to a highly rated Oklahoma State team showed the team had fight, the embarrassing loss to a weak Kansas State team was equally as bad. At the mid way point, the Aggies record sat at 3-3. As you will see, the second half of the season went much the same as the first.

Tomorrow: Part 2 of the review of the 2009 season for the Texas A&M Aggies

Friday: I will break out the Aggies team statistically.

Saturday: What Georgia must do to win and my final prediction