Biting the Bullet: Aggies focused on practices not promises after loss

There were no promises. No guarantees. No vows.

When discussing their disappointing 28-13 loss to Mississippi State, no Texas A&M football players made grandiose statements about redemption.

No one threw down the gauntlet. None proclaimed A&M would bounce back strong. Not one person declared the Aggies would earn redemption on the manicured field of Jordan-Hare Stadium with a valiant victory over Auburn on Saturday. And that’s a good thing.

Bernhard Schlink, a German author, once wrote: “There’s no need to talk about it because the truth of what one says lies in what he does.”
 

The Aggies don’t need to talk. They need to do. They need to own a poor showing and take whatever action is necessary to make sure they don’t duplicate it.

“We left a lot on the field,” sophomore receiver Hezekiah Jones said. “It’s as simple as that. We’ve just got to come to practice and get better.”

They can be better. They can be more efficient in the Red Zone. Receivers can be more focused. Defensive backs can do a much better job in coverage. The first step in solving a problem is admitting there is one. Some previous A&M teams seemed reluctant to do so.

When A&M’s season began to go awry two years ago, coaches and players frequently repeated: “We haven’t played our best game yet.”

We were told improved performances were coming. Favorably outcomes awaited. Victory celebrations were inevitable. They never came. A&M lost five of its last seven games.

Parking and concessions can cost hundreds. Tickets can cost thousands. Coaches earn millions. Only talk is cheap in college football.

The Aggies didn’t do too much talking this week. What they did say was encouraging because they weren’t making elaborate excuses.

“We gave great effort,” coach Jimbo Fisher said. “We had great toughness. We played physical. The game was physical on both sides … hitting, tackling, running, blocking. 

“Everybody was competing extremely hard we just didn’t play well enough and execute well enough in critical times.”

Jones said the solution is actually quite simple.

“Do your job. Do you assignment. Play hard. Live full. Die empty,” he said. “We just have to play hard and come out and do what we have to do. We have to execute on our plays.”

That will be difficult to do against Auburn. Although the Tigers (5-3) have underachieved this season, they still have a strong defense that hasn’t allowed more than 24 points in any game. Jarrett Stidham is also a strong-armed quarterback with a couple of speedy receivers to target. Obviously, that’s cause for concern.

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The A&M secondary need to up their game against Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham.

So is the fact the Aggies are in a new situation. Although Mississippi State dealt them a third loss the Aggies haven’t previously had to follow up a loss with a strong opponent on the road. Overmatched ULM followed a close loss to Clemson. A porous Arkansas came after a loss to Alabama.

This upcoming game provides an opportunity for the Aggies to prove just how good they are. Any team can have a substandard performance. Good teams typically get more determined after a bad game. 

LSU lost to Florida. Then pounded Georgia. Mississippi State was embarrassed by LSU. Then toppled Texas A&M. A&M has to do the same. The Aggies must show they have the leadership, chemistry, and pride to avenge their worst showing of the season.

“I can’t tell you exactly what happened (at Mississippi State),” sophomore receiver Camron Buckley said. “But I have faith in our team that we’re going to change that around this week. The last four games of the season we have to make a change and make a statement about who we are as a team.”

That’s probably why the Aggies weren’t saying too much this week.

That statement must be made with action, not words.