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September 02, 2003In football news...(cross-posted at sportsblog.org) Since our dear Longhorn friend Courtney wanted to know, I decided to cross-post this football analysis here as well. In football news… Wow, do I have a lot to write about this weekend’s football games, but since I’m getting to the party late with commentary I’ll just focus mine on the Texas A&M v. Arkansas State game. Arkansas State (my alma mater) is the red-headed step-child for college athletics in the state of Arkansas. Arkansas itself has never had much respect whether it was the old SWC or the current SEC. Hopefully that puts into perspective the rungs that Arkansas State clings to at the bottom of Division I-A. No? Okay, think Louisiana Monroe, Akron, Boise State, Idaho, etc. So let’s set the scene. Arkansas State ventures from it’s home in Northeast Arkansas to College Station, Texas, home of the Aggies and named the #1 atmosphere for college football in the nation. One would expect a blowout. Instead, the greatest and most oft repeated sound of the night was the largest home opener crowd in Aggie history holding their breath and whispering prayers that their boys would finally put the stubborn Arkansas State Indians away. They did but it too all four quarters, including a fourth quarter scare and then a final touchdown to seal the game for the A&M. With 5:45 left in the game, Arkansas State returned an Aggie fumble 65 yards for a touchdown and then converted for two points. ASU only trailed 19-11, taking them from a touchdown and another two-point conversion away from tying the game. It took until the 3 minute mark for A&M to break a 42 yard touchdown run to put the game fairly safely away at the final score of 26-11. What does this mean in the grand scheme of things? First, it was an incredible confidence booster for the A-State program. They came in and stayed with one of the nation’s elite teams. It could mean bad things for the Aggies who had to fight all night to keep the Indians in check. After watching many of the guarantee games this opening weekend, I see these common threads. First, for a team with an untested offense, scoring is difficult at first, but by the end of the third quarter they begin to gel (see Miami vs. LA Tech). For the underdog, the defense is able to hold together until at least midway through the third quarter before the favorite’s athleticism wears them down. In context of this game, we see that the Aggies have not fully been moved into the Franchione system. Regardless, Coach Fran has built his reputation on turning teams around and quickly. Texas A&M looked good, big, strong, and determined. The better news of the day is 2nd year Coach Steve Roberts has really began to turn the Arkansas State ship around and they will be a contender for the Sun Belt championship and a New Orleans bowl berth. Congratulations Aggies, but even more to A-State. Comments
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