7-overtime thriller does Aggie Nation proud
Seven overtimes. An altercation between adults from each team. A premature Gatorade bath for one of the coaches.
Saturday night at Kyle Field pretty much had it all. It was the wildest of rides and a fantastic ending to college football’s regular season.
Texas A&M won a 74-72 seven-overtime thriller over LSU. Now the Aggies (8-4) await their bowl bid and reflect on the craziest game they’ve ever been a part of.
“I stopped counting overtimes. I ain’t gonna lie,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said as he wound down from the excitement of the evening.
The seven overtimes tied the NCAA record, and the 146 points set an FBS single-game record.
More important that all of that, however, was A&M’s defeating LSU for the first time since joining the SEC.
The No. 22 Aggies finally got past that obstacle. It was one of the reasons the university went after Fisher so hard in the offseason and ultimately handed him a giant contract.
The expectations are as high
as they get in College Station. And on Saturday night, Fisher met at least one lofty goal.
The Aggies won’t head to the College Football Playoff or a New Year's Six bowl, but they did win the game of the season. Heck, the game of the last 10 seasons.
Fans at the packed stadium rushed the field following the final overtime — nearly five hours after the game started. Their voices were hoarse. A few had tears in their eyes. Sheer joy and relief poured out of them as they hugged, high-fived and celebrated.
There was an unfortunate incident between the LSU director of player personnel and a man with a credential for the Aggies’ bench. Punches were thrown. Details will emerge, and the parties involved should be punished.
LSU players dumped a cooler of Gatorade on coach Ed Orgeron when they thought they’d won the game in regulation with an interception that replay overturned. Then the Aggies scored with one second remaining and sent the game into its first of seven extra periods. Orgeron was drenched through the rest of the game, and his team went on to lose.
Other than those couple of blemishes, the celebration was classy. Several Aggies shook hands and patted LSU fans on the back, displaying sportsmanship that everyone should see after a game like that one. When both teams leave it all the field the way the Tigers and Aggies did Saturday, it’s tough to see anyone lose.
The game will be discussed for years. People will question every call (or missed one). They’ll talk about college overtime rules and give their opinions on them. They’ll remember the plays, the touchdowns, the extra points and two-point conversions that just kept coming as the game went on and on and on.
It’s set up to be a great rematch. Next year, when A&M travels to Baton Rouge on Thanksgiving weekend, it will be one of the must-watch affairs of the season.
This kind of game, this kind of win, is what A&M had in mind when it shelled out $75 million for Fisher. His win over LSU shows that he is the coach the Aggies thought he was: one who could win big games.
Fisher was still high on adrenaline by the time he made his way to his press conference late Saturday night. He had so much to say about his team — its character, determination, heart, fight, etc.
“If you’re not proud of those guys, then you can’t be proud of anybody,” Fisher said. “It was just an incredible football game, both ways and by both teams. I’ve never been in anything like it.”
Few have or ever will be. The Aggies finally beat LSU. And they did so in a game that had everything.
Fisher showed coaching brilliance. The Aggies showed depth and resilience. It was a fantastic display all around.
Fisher was brought to College Station to take the Aggies to new heights.
On Saturday, that’s exactly what he did.