Elijah Robinson earns first head coaching win as A&M tops ACU, 38-10

Yellow tape should have been stretched around the Kyle Field playing surface at halftime on Saturday.

Texas A&M’s first-half performance was almost a crime. The culprit was nowhere to be found, but his fingerprints were there. The Aggies struggled just as they had so often under recently dismissed football coach Jimbo Fisher.

The offense was lethargic. The line was often ineffective and looked confused. Quarterback Jaylen Henderson was sacked three times in the first quarter. The Aggies even gave up a non-offensive touchdown for the sixth time this season.

As a result, A&M (7-4) held a mere 10-point halftime lead over Abilene Christian (5-6), which earlier this season allowed 52 points to Central Arkansas and Southern Utah.

“Early on, we were just out of rhythm,” interim head coach Elijah Robinson said. “We just had to get going. I think Jaylen came back and did a really good job. I thought we started to move the ball better in the second half. Defense kept forcing punts.

“We started off slow. I’ve got to get that fixed in practice.”

Star receiver Ainias Smith didn’t want to wait that long. He admitted he was upset by the lackadaisical start.

“After the first few drives — I ain’t going to lie — I started getting mad,” Smith said. “I got kind of heated. I was like, ‘What are we doing? Why are we letting these guys stay in the game with us?’

“I felt like everybody’s minds just switched like, ‘What are we doing?’ Let’s breathe. Relax. Let’s not try to make it harder than what it is. Let’s just play our game. I feel like that’s what happened.”

The Aggies breathed. They relaxed. They posted a 38-10 victory. They made it easier by looking to a couple of sources that Fisher seemed reluctant to use.

Receiver Moose Muhammad had four catches for 104 yards. It was his most productive showing since catching five passes for 94 yards — including a one-handed touchdown grab — last season against LSU.

He previously had just 18 catches this year.

Muhammad opened the second half by beating the ACU secondary to the post to catch a 49-yard touchdown pass from Henderson, who was making his second start.

On the next series, a leaping Muhammad stretched out to make a one-handed grab with his left hand. He then raced downfield and hurdled an ACU defensive back on a 38-yard gain.

The one-handed grab raised questions like: “How did he do that?” and “Why hasn’t he been playing more?”

“We know what Moose is capable of. His time was called,” Robinson said. “He had opportunities to catch the ball and make plays. We know what he’s capable of. I’m glad to see that he got back out there today. He had 100 yards receiving. I’m just happy to see him have some success today.”

Robinson and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino also gave freshman running back Rueben Owens more work than usual.

Owens carried 18 times for 106 yards. That’s more than double his rushing output in any other game this season. He scored on a 7-yard run. He also had a 28-yard burst to set up a Randy Bond field goal.

“He’s talented,” Robinson said. “I remember making a statement before about the microwave vs. the oven. I’ll keep saying it. He’s a guy that trusted the process. He has a great position coach (Marquel Blackwell) that constantly gets him better. You see, as the weeks go on, he got better and better. He ran the ball really well today.”

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

A&M held the Wildcats to 93 rushing yards, keeping the opposition under 100 yards for the sixth time this season.

Sure, there were other great moments. The Aggies had five plays that covered more than 20 yards. Jahdae Walker caught a 40-yard pass that led to Owens’ touchdown run. The defense did not allow a touchdown for the second straight game.

Smith, playing in his final game at Kyle Field, tried hard to make a big play, too. He refused to call for fair catches on punts until it was… suggested he do so.

“I was going to make something happen on punt returns,” he said. “Yes, that was my original goal to not fair catch any of them. But I did get kind of, not cussed out, but I guess you could say ripped for it.”

The Aggies might get ripped for allowing Abilene Christian to be in contention in the fourth quarter.

Even with all the distractions of Fisher’s ouster last week, a Southeastern Conference team is not supposed to be challenged by an average FCS opponent.

But the victory must be celebrated by Robinson, the wildly popular former Fisher assistant who notched his first win as a head coach.

In a pensive postgame moment, Robinson recalled how, as a high school sophomore, his mother and sisters helped him attend a Penn State football camp that would change his life.

They, along with his wife and children, were in attendance.

"I go back to when I went to my first football camp,” he said. “I borrowed $60 from my sister. I used my other sister’s Pontiac. My mother gave me gas money so I could make it down to camp. I got my first scholarship (offer).

“It all started way back then. I just look at it that a lot of people sacrificed for me to get to this point. I’m happy the players played hard for us. I’m happy the people that sacrificed for me to stand on their shoulders today. I’m just happy to make those people proud.”

There were 94,794 at Kyle Field who were proud of Robinson. They view him as a man who can help make this proud football program successful again.

Of course, they will celebrate the victory. Of course, they will celebrate Robinson.

It would be a crime not to.