Best & worst moments from A&M's tumultuous 2022 football season

Injuries, illness and an ill-advised decision to wear sleeves were just among some of the issues that marred a promising 2022 Texas A&M football season.

The Aggies started at No. 6 in the nation and finished No. 7 in the Southeastern Conference West division.

They lost to a Sun Belt Conference opponent that finished 6-6 but beat the No. 5 team in the College Football Playoff rankings.

They lost five games by six points or less but beat three teams that were ranked in the top 15 when facing the Aggies.

There were suspensions. There was suspense. There were suspect plays called. And there was a tremendous season-ending surprise.

The Aggies failed to reach a bowl game, but succeeded in metaphorically peeing in a cereal bowl, which led to a storming of Kyle Field for a “celebration of the urination."

Here’s a look back at some of the bests and worsts from the Aggies season:

Best run: On A&M’s first offensive play against Florida, Devon Achane tried to run around the right end. His path was blocked, and Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller was in position to stop Achane for a 1-yard loss. Instead, Achane broke loose, dodged two more tacklers and reversed field. He picked up a wall of blockers as he cut around the left end. Achane, who was feeling the effects of the flu that forced several of his teammates to miss the game, then sped into the secondary. He accelerated between two Florida defensive backs at midfield and reached the 10-yard line before being forced out of bounds. He scored a touchdown on the next play.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Muhammad’s circus catch helped forge a two-score lead early in the fourth quarter. The Aggies went on the beat then-No. 5 LSU, 38-23.

Best catch: The left-handed grab Moose Muhammad nonchalantly made for a clinching 21-yard touchdown against LSU is a once-in-a-decade grab. Literally. It’s arguably the most spectacular catch ever at A&M, ranking up there with Mike Evans on the sideline against Ole Miss in 2012 and Greg Porter in the back of the end zone against Oklahoma in 2002. He made the catch by using his right arm to fend off LSU safety Sage Ryan and while ignoring the convergence of LSU safety Greg Brooks.

Best pass: Conner Weigman’s pass was almost as good as the catch. Weigman’s pass was about 40 yards in the air and perfectly placed between two defenders where only Muhammad had a chance to catch it.

Best offensive performance: In perhaps his last game as an Aggie, Devon Achane rushed for a career-high 215 yards and scored touchdowns on two 10-yard runs in a 38-23 victory over LSU.

Best defensive performance: Linebacker Chris Russell had his ups and downs, but he definitely peaked in a 23-21 victory over Arkansas. Russell posted 10 tackles, six unassisted, two for losses, a sack, a pass broken up and forced a goal line fumble that was returned for an A&M touchdown.

Best forced turnover: Arkansas had first-and-goal at the A&M 3-yard line and was looking to take a 21-7 lead just before halftime. Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson took the snap in the shotgun and ran up the middle. His path was blocked at the 2-yard line, so he leaped and extended the football. Linebacker Russell knocked the ball out of Jefferson’s hands. The fumble bounced off a pile of players and into the hands of cornerback Tyreek Chappell at the 3. Chappell took off but was cut off at the 18-yard line by Arkansas running back Raheim Sanders. However, safety Demani Richardson circled behind Chappell, took the ball from him and raced the remaining 82 yards down the sideline for an A&M touchdown that changed the trajectory of the game. The Aggies went on to prevail, 23-21.

Worst committed turnover: Already trailing South Carolina 10-0 just three minutes into the game, A&M committed a mistake from which the Aggies could not recover. On second-and-10 from their own 36-yard line, quarterback Haynes King — in the shotgun — approached the line of scrimmage. He was presumably calling an audible, but center Matthew Wykoff snapped the football. The ball ricocheted off King’s knee, over the line and into the arms of Gamecock defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway. He returned the fumble to the 19-yard line. Four plays later, South Carolina scored a touchdown for a 17-0 lead. The Aggies eventually lost, 30-24.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Texas A&M is now 3-0 vs. LSU at Kyle Field in the Jimbo Fisher era.

Best win: Well, if you can’t have a great season, at least ruin somebody else’s. The Aggies salvaged their season, at least to some degree, with a 38-23 victory that knocked LSU out of the College Football Playoff picture. It was the Aggies’ only complete performance.

Worst loss: The 17-14 loss to Appalachian State was a no-brainer. Not only did the Aggies fall to a Sun Belt Conference also-ran, which finished, 6-6, but the Aggies squandered several to save face. Alas, the Aggies lost two fumbles, which led to Appalachian State touchdowns. A final potential game-winning drive stalled because of poor passes. A 47-yard field goal attempt by Caden Davis fell woefully short.

Best decision: It took a while, but moving freshman quarterback Conner Weigman into the starting lineup gave the struggling offense a boost. In four starts, Weigman passed for 805 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions. In the other eight games, A&M only managed 10 touchdown passes and had six interceptions. Weigman also led all A&M quarterbacks in rushing with 97 yards.

Worst decision: Sometimes young people make poor choices. Receiver Moose Muhammad apparently chose not to play when instructed not to wear sleeves under his jersey during the cold, wet Auburn game. The theory is that sleeves compromise ball security in inclement weather. The Aggie offense was already without injured running back Devon Achane and injured receiver Evan Stewart. Muhammad’s absence left A&M without its top three playmakers. Consequently, A&M totaled just 215 yards in a 13-10 loss. There might’ve been a different outcome had Muhammad played. However, he would redeem himself.

Worst disappointment: A&M was just two yards away from beating Alabama for the second year in a row. Following an interference penalty in the end zone, the Aggies had the football at the Alabama 2-yard line with three seconds remaining. Haynes King attempted to hit receiver Evan Stewart with a pass at the right pylon, but the pass was too high and short of the goal line. Alabama escaped with a 24-20 win.

Worst injury: This isn’t easy, considering the litany of injuries the Aggies endured. However, the pick here would be the loss of sophomore center Bryce Foster, who sustained a knee injury against Alabama. A&M’s offensive line struggled much of the season. Losing Foster — who only started four games — compounded the problem.

Best quote: In a press conference before the game against UMass, receiver Jalen Preston was asked what the (3-7) Aggies had to play for. Preston’s answer may become legendary. “With UMass coming up, hopefully, come out here and dominate them. And with LSU coming up, hopefully, we can — like, I don't know if this is bad — but piss in their cornflakes. That's what we want to do.” The Aggies beat UMass and then followed up with a 38-23 victory over LSU. That win eliminated LSU from College Football Playoff consideration.