It takes so long to arrive but goes away so fast.
There are no more home football games for Texas A&M. No more tailgate parties. No more Friday night yell practice at Kyle Field.
There was much to be learned, loved and loathed from the seven games played at Kyle Field this season. Some of those lessons were even learned on Saturday in a 52-3 victory over Prairie View.
The Aggies posted a dominant victory to close out the home schedule. Now, only 286 days must pass before football returns to Kyle Field. The Aggies kick off the 2022 season against Sam Houston on Sept. 3.
Moose Muhammad is ready to play: The caliber of competition wasn’t as stout as that he’ll face in SEC games, but the second-year receiver put on a show. He came one yard short of catching three touchdown passes and made a sharp over-the-shoulder catch on an 18-yard punt return. Muhammad filled in for Ainias Smith, and there was no letdown. He caught all five passes thrown his way for 77 yards. He turned a short pass from Zach Calzada into a 33-yard touchdown. Even though well-covered, he caught a 30-yard toss from Calzada for another touchdown. He had a 7-yard catch third-and-goal from the 8-yard line. That set up a one-yard touchdown run by Devon Achane. Muhammad was so much like Smith that he even changed jersey numbers (from 7 to 86) to return punts. He had three returns for 40 yards.
Antonio Johnson hits really hard: We’ve already seen evidence of that fact, but Johnson removed any doubt. He blitzed from the left side to unload a jarring impact on Prairie View quarterback Jawan Pass for a first-quarter sack. The hit forced a fumble.
The glimpse of A&M’s future: The lopsided victory enabled coach Jimbo Fisher to play several younger guys that are lower on the depth chart. As mentioned, Muhammad responded in a big way. So did freshman running back Amari Daniels, who rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown. Freshman running back LJ Johnson Jr. rushed for 60 yards and caught a pass for 14. Freshman receiver Yulkeith Brown had the longest play of the game with a 45-yard gain on a reverse. Freshman safety Jardin Gilbert had four tackles and broke up a pass. Second-year defensive end Fadil Diggs had two tackles and blocked a punt.
Leon O’Neal’s postgame speech: The senior safety was almost moved to tears in making impassioned statements about his love for his team, coaches, the 12th Man and Texas A&M University.
Pass rush: The Aggies had four sacks in the first quarter alone. Jayden Peevy sacked Pass for a 4-yard loss on Prairie View’s second play. Adarious Jones and Edgerrin Cooper combined to get him for a 7-yard loss on the next snap. Antonio Johnson got an 8-yard sack, and DeMarvin Leal dropped him for a 6-yard loss. The rush was so relentless that Pass was taken out of the game after the first quarter. No doubt, Prairie View coach Eric Dooley did not want to risk his starting quarterback’s health with a big game in the SWAC West Division race against Mississippi Valley State next week.
Non-offensive touchdowns: It is always exciting when the defense scores. Antonio Johnson’s bone-crunching sack forced Pass to fumble. Linebacker Aaron Hansford scooped up the football at the 17-yard line and raced into the end zone. To make it better, it was Hansford’s first career touchdown in his final game at Kyle Field. It was also the Aggies’ fourth consecutive home game with a non-offensive touchdown. Micheal Clemons returned a fumble for a touchdown against Auburn. Ainias Smith returned a punt for a touchdown against South Carolina. Devon Achane returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Alabama.
Saying goodbye: True, two games remain, but several players made their final appearance at Kyle Field. Obviously, a lot of seniors and super seniors will be moving on. It was also likely the final home game for NFL draft-eligible players like defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal, offensive lineman Kenyon Green and running back Isaiah Spiller. Tight end Jalen Wydermyer, receiver Ainias Smith and safety Demani Richardson will also have to make hard decisions about their futures.
Injuries: The Aggies have been hit particularly hard at the receiver position. Chase Lane is sidelined. Fisher confirmed speculation that Demond Demas will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury. Hezekiah Jones hasn’t played. Caleb Chapman, who has had injury issues his entire career, left the Prairie View game, and his status is uncertain.
Yulkeith Brown’s reverse: Don’t get me wrong. I loved the play. With maybe one more block, Brown might have had a 60-yard touchdown instead of settling for a 45-yard gain. But it’s taken 11 weeks to see this could be an option to jump-start a sometimes stagnant offense? And the play is pulled out against Prairie View? More creativity and more Yulkeith Brown, please.
