Fisher likes team’s direction
Coach calls upset win over Kentucky a ‘measurement game’ for progress
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams made his game-winning touchdown against then-No. 13 Kentucky sound easy Saturday night.
“In that situation I have to follow behind (fullback) Cullen Gillaspia,” Williams said. “He had a great block …he put me to the second level and I just had to make a guy miss, and jump into the end zone.”
In truth Williams’ impressive 10-yard run that wrapped with him flipping into the end zone for a 20-14 overtime victory was the culmination of a rugged, exhausting night’s work.
“By any means necessary, whether I’m hurting or feeling great, I want to do everything I can for the guys next to me,” said Williams, a former C.E. King standout. “I’m just glad I can be there.”
Back in the Top 25
He was there all night for the Aggies (3-2, 2-1 SEC), who Sunday re-entered the Associated Press Top 25 at No. 22 following their edging of the Wildcats (5-1, 3-1), who dropped from 13th to 18th.
“I told our guys, ‘This is a measurement game — it’s not going to make or break us,’ ” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “It’s a measuring stick to see where we have to go from here, and we’re headed in the right direction. We have to take the right path …and we’re starting to do that, but we have tons of things to clean up.”
But there are two areas that need little cleansing halfway through the season: Williams’ overall contributions on offense and the defense’s offerings against everyone not named No. 1 Alabama. Williams outgained Kentucky by his lonesome, in accounting for 210 yards (138 rushing, 72 receiving) compared to 178 yards of offense by the Wildcats.
“We didn’t have a lot of plays,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “We felt like we had to throw the ball some coming into the game. We ended up with 50 plays, so that’s not a lot of touches. We were not getting first downs, we were not very good, and that was not very much fun.”
Wildcats running back Benny Snell entered the game leading the SEC in rushing with 133 yards per game, but was held to 60 yards on 13 carries. By late Saturday, Williams was atop the SEC rankings with 720 yards in six games, and Snell was second with 699.
Williams was asked if his strong showing against Kentucky “proved” he was the league’s top back.
“Yes, it did,” he said, grinning.
He’ll earn plenty more chances to prove it with the meat of SEC play upcoming. The Aggies head on the road for three consecutive games at South Carolina, Mississippi State and Auburn over the next month, with a Saturday off Oct. 20. The Gamecocks won at home against Missouri 3735 on Saturday.
A&M entered the Top 25 for the first time in midSeptember also at No. 22, before quickly bowing out following a 45-23 defeat at No. 1 Alabama. This time they vow to stick around.
“I don’t care what anyone says, any team wants to be ranked,” linebacker Tyrel Dodson said. “Beating the No. 13 team helps a lot, now we’re just getting back to work on Monday, will tweak some things and get better and keep pounding. I think we’re going to run the table.”
Defense making strides
The Aggies haven’t won their last seven games in a season, including a bowl, since 1987, although they did close out 2012, their first season in the SEC, with six consecutive victories under then-coach Kevin Sumlin.
The defenses on both those teams were solid, and A&M under first-year coordinator Mike Elko is taking steps toward reclaiming the long-lost nickname “Wrecking Crew.” The Aggies rank sixth nationally in rushing defense (allowing 79 yards per game), after limiting the Wildcats to 70 yards on the ground. Kentucky entered the game leading the SEC with 295 rushing yards per game.
“We pride ourselves on stopping the run, and that’s what we’re going to do from now on, every game,” Dodson said. “That’s how you win in the SEC – stopping the run.”