Momentum Shifts: Prevailing in last week's 'must-win' game vs. Miami

A top-15 Miami Hurricanes football team made the trip to College Station for a nationally televised night game at Kyle Field on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Nobody in the country knew what version of the Aggie football team was going to show up on the field, but what every single person inside and outside of the Texas A&M program did know was that this game was an ABSOLUTE MUST-WIN.

One week earlier on national TV, the formerly sixth-ranked Aggies were handed one of the most surprising upset losses I have ever seen. The national media and so many of the haters in the country seemed to thoroughly enjoy seeing Jimbo Fisher and his team take a gut-wrenching loss in front of the 12th Man.

After being the butt of the joke for seven days in a row across social media, TV and message boards all over the country, how would this football program that has so much talent and potential on the roster respond?

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

After a tough loss, Kyle Field welcomed its third-largest crowd in history as the 12th Man packed over 107,000 fans into the stadium on Saturday night.

And how would they navigate the suspension of four extremely talented true freshmen from the No. 1 recruiting class, a plethora of injuries on the roster and a massive amount of pressure to make a statement and right the ship with a big win?

I don’t need to reiterate what everyone in the entire world already knows and was thinking leading up to this game….these boys HAD to find a way to get the win!

Credit to everyone inside the Bright Complex involved with the Aggie football program because that is exactly what they did, and that is what the American Momentum Bank momentum-changing storyline was for this week.

When the Aggie football team had to have it, they found a way to get a HUGE top-15 win under the lights of Kyle Field and in front of the third-largest crowd in the history of our program.

They blocked out all of the noise from outside the Bright complex. They overcame some unfortunate penalties and ejections. They used some of their talented young players to provide much-needed depth due to injuries. They used some key veterans to provide depth due to some untimely and necessary suspensions.

This was not a perfect game. There is a lot that this team can improve and build on, and they need to FAST.

However, what they dang-sure did on Saturday night was get some much-needed positive energy and momentum in the locker room by securing a win in front of an electric crowd with one of the most talented recruiting visitor lists they have ever had. These Aggies gained some confidence that will prove to be vital heading into a brutal stretch over the next five weeks, which includes zero games at Kyle Field — one in Arlington vs. Arkansas, one in Tuscaloosa, one in Starkville and wrapping it up with one in Columbia, SC.

That is four very talented football teams, and the margin for error is going to prove smaller and smaller each week. We know this. The team knows this. The coaches definitely know this.

And one thing I know for sure: This team had to have this win.

There was too much negativity going around. In this day and age, young men are being influenced by so many other voices that were not there in the not-too-distant past.

If this coaching staff can keep the respect and attention of these players to lead and help them block out the noise, if the veteran leaders can get everyone to fully commit to the process of doing what is necessary to be great and if these uber-talented underclassmen can start maturing fast and pursuing excellence: This team can accomplish great things.

The voices they need to hear right now are the supportive voices of their coaches, teammates, family and friends.

Getting that win against a top-15 Miami squad could prove to be one of the biggest momentum-changing wins that Jimbo Fisher and this team have had during his tenure.

Now it is time to draw a circle around themselves and focus on who is inside of it.

Don’t worry about the name of the team that you play next. Worry about taking care of everyone that is on the Texas A&M football team. Get this freaking thing headed back in the right direction, shut up all of the haters, and go take care of business.

I really do believe they can do it, but they have to dial in and take it one week at a time. We all know they need our support along the way. So let’s continue to give it to them.

Us vs. Everybody!

BTHOarkansas