Aggies vowto play better
Trip to No. 2 Alabama awaits after mistake-filled win over Vanderbilt
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher and Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond said all the right things — at least in their minds — after A&M squeaked past Vanderbilt 1712 on Saturday night at Kyle Field.
A more forthright A&M defensive end Micheal Clemons said all the real things, however, following the Aggies’ slipshod showing.
“Mistakes were made on both sides,” said Clemons, a seniorwho did his partwith 1½ sacks. “We’re going to go back andlook at the film and correct ourmistakes.”
Clemons then made a pledge irate A&M fans intend to hold him and his teammates to.
“We’ll be better next week,” Clemonssaid, “onoffense and defense.”
The Aggies, who Sunday dropped to No. 13 from No. 10 in the Associated Press poll following the five-point victory, will have to bemuch better if they’re to stand a chance at No. 2 Alabama on Saturday.
“You found a way to win, and there’s something to that, too,” Fisher said. “But you’ve got to be very selfcritical, and we do that as coaches and players. Why did those mistakes happen? What led to the lack of consistency? And you’ve got to fix them. I’m going to promise youthis: It’s a lot easier to go fix mistakes when you winthanwhenyoulose, and I’m not just saying that because we won the game.
“Like I told (the players), it’s a bad week for them. We won, and I can be mad all week, and I’ve got to coach better.”
Mond, too, must quarterback better as a four-year starter andleader of the pro
gram. Hehadthree fumbles, losing two, and was 17-of 28 for 189 yards and a touchdown against a threadbare Commodores defense. No SEC programwas hit harder in the offseason by opt outs and injuries than Vanderbilt, which finished 3-9 last season.
“I played pretty clean,” Mond said, glossing over the fumbles. “I missed a couple of throws Iwish I could have back.…(But it’s) Week1, and meand the receivers are still building chemistry. We’ll be a lot cleaner next week because we’re going to have to be.”
The Aggies and thenquarterbackJohnnyManziel stunned top-ranked Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium inNovember 2012, but the Crimson Tide have won the seven meetings since.
Fisher served as an offensive coordinator to Nick Saban when the Alabama coachwas atLSU, andSaban has won his first two SEC West meetings against his protégéby scoresof45-23 in Tuscaloosa in 2018and47-28 in 2019 at Kyle Field.
The Crimson Tide, who didn’t make the College Football Playoff last year for
the first time since it cranked up following the 2014 regular season, doubled up Missouri 38-19 on Saturday in Columbia, Mo., andwill play their firsthome game this Saturday during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is the way of the world right now, at least for the next little bit, sowe need tobe able tomaintainour intensity and not rely on any external factors,” Saban said of playing before drastically reduced crowds inSECcompetition. “That’s going to be a real key all year long.”
Alabama intends to be at about 20 percent capacity for Saturday’s game, or about 20,000 fans. A&M was around 25 percent capacity for Vanderbilt, and a quarterof a regularcrowdat Kyle Field likely helped Commodores freshman quarterback Ken Seals in his first college action.
The Aggies are counting onAlabama’shome-field advantage to be diminished as well in a year when the SEC is playing 10 regular-season games, all within the league.
“It’s been a long time since we got to play someone,” said A&M linebacker Buddy Johnson, searching foranswers as towhytheAggies slogged their way to a victory over what was supposed to be an overmatched Vanderbilt squad. “This team never gave up the fight, something coach Fisher always talks about. We knew Vanderbilt was going to come in and try to make a name off of us.
“We didn’t start fast, and we need to start fast and hit the ground running faster next time.”