WHEN‘ ROCKY TOP’ FELL SILENT
On a perfect day for college football, Texas A & Mends Tennessee’s season- long penchant for pulling out wins
COLLEGESTATION— You just knew it was coming. Tennessee wasn’t going to keep turning the ball over. The Vols weren’t going to keep letting A& M break free to score. Even when it seemed like the Aggies had control of the game Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field, you knewthe luckiest team in college football had something up its sleeve. It wasn’t quite enough this time, though. A& M had the luck Saturday — and a defense that forced eight turnovers— while Tennessee’s finally ran out. In a perfect setting for college football— two top- 10, unbeaten teams on a sunny afternoon in front of 106,248 fans ( the second- biggest crowd ever at Kyle Field)— the Aggies pulled out a 45- 38 victory in double overtime and brought the Vols back downto earth. Everyweek, college football fans everywhere have been glued to Tennessee’s game to seewhat craziness will ensue to propel the Vols to another win.
First visit to Kyle Field
And when they rolled into College Station for the first time, you had to wonder what sorcery was coming with them. Lastweek, Tennessee beat Georgia on a Hail Mary. The Vols overcame a two- touchdown deficit to beat Virginia Tech a few weeks ago. Against Florida, they scored 35 second- half points to come back and win. “We knew they could score late in the game ,” A& M quarter back Trevor Knight said. That’s oneway to put it. Another is that Tennessee transforms into a different team, a better team, the second you count the Vols out. That’s what they did about midway through the third quarter. To that point, A& Mwas doing everything right. The Aggies were up 28- 7. They had forced seven turnovers. They had held the Vols on third downs. The Aggies faithful were loudly whooping and cheering, and it seemed like the No. 8 Aggies were on track to grab the win, climb the rankings and get a little rest before heading to Tuscaloosa in twoweeks for the SEC show down everyone is waiting for with Alabama. How could we have been so naive? Had we learned nothing from the Vols’ first five games? Of course, Tennessee wasn’t done. TheV ols flipped their switch, and themagic started. Tennessee scored back- toback touchdowns seamlessly. The same Tennessee offense that couldn’t stop coughing up fumbles in the first half methodically marched downthe field and finished each drive with ease.
Fight to the finish
The change had come. Itwas 28- 21 and thousands of Aggies in the stands got quieter while the Tennessee band started playing the metaphoric “Game of Thrones” theme song. The Aggies pulled it together when Knight took off for a 62yard touchdown run. A& Mwas up 35- 21 with 3: 22 to play. Therewas relief in the maroon sea. The Aggies had it under control. Nope. Remember, it’s Tennessee. The Vols are never done. Alvin Kamara struck again - for his second touchdown of the day. Then he scored again a few minutes later after A& M blew its chance at a game- sealing touch down with a forward fumble into the end zone. 35- 35. The Vols should have gone for two after their final score. With theway things have worked out for them lately, they likely would have converted and won the game. “Rocky Top” was the only thing that could be heard among the silent, shocked Aggies. Tennessee had done it again — the Vols scored 28 second- half points to put themselves in position to pull off another extraordinary win. The Aggies drove downthe field in the final minute. They could still do it. But Daniel LaCamera missed a 38- yard field goal thatwould have ended the game. Itwas as deflating as it gets. In overtime, the Aggies were clearly tired. They had been playing for over four hours against a team thatwould not stop punching. But A& M refused to be the next victim.
Picking off the threat
The Aggies did not want to be on the wrong end of another miraculous Tennessee comeback. LaCamera pulled himself together and kicked a 34- yard field goal in the first overtime. Then Knight ran for a 1- yard touchdown in the second. The game ended when A& M” s Armani Watts intercepted a Joshua Dobbs pass. The luck ran out. A& M’s defense beat it— the sameway it forced seven turnovers prior to the final play, the sameway it kept Tennessee from breaking the game open earlier. Knight, who threw for 239 yards and rushed for 110, beat it when he didn’t panic, when he led his troops and stepped into the end zone in the second overtime to score the game- winner. The Aggies beat it. You knewthat the Tennessee luck had to come to an end sometime. A& M took it from the team that had themost of it.