The pros and cons of the season-opening game against Kent State?
The pros include a relatively impressive performance by untested quarterback Haynes King, both passing and running; three long scoring drives; an interception returned 85 yards for a TD; and a defense that kept Kent State out of the end zone until the outcome was no longer in doubt.
The cons were obvious. The Aggies struggled to get a 10-3 halftime lead, and wasted five possessions on four interceptions and a lost fumble.
The season starts for real tomorrow when A&M plays Colorado in Denver at 2:30 PM Central. The game will be shown on Fox, which is a downer. A&M is favored by 17 points as the visiting team.
Texas A&M and Colorado played each other eight times as members of the Big 12 from 1996 to 2009, with Colorado holding a 5-3 advantage in conference games (6-3 overall). Both teams are 1-0 after rolling inferior opponents. College Football News thinks A&M could be in trouble unless the turnovers are eliminated, but are capable of winning 38-20 if they don't beat themselves. We'll have a clearer view of how good the Aggies are this year by tomorrow night.
The only other game that might be interesting tomorrow has Texas playing Arkansas in Fayetteville as a 7-point favorite. Arkansas has been a get-well game for A&M since the Aggies landed in the SEC West, so I have mixed feelings about pulling for the hogs to thump the horns. Update: Arkansas handled the horns 40-21.
Update 4:08 PM Saturday: The first half was painfully dull. A&M lost starting QB Haynes King to injury early in the first quarter, and the backup, Calzada, is showing why he isn't the starting QB. The defense has done as much as could be expected, given zero assistance from an offense that couldn't make a first down until late in the second quarter. At the half, Colorado is ahead 7-3.
Another update 6:02 PM: The A&M defense was able to hold up in the second half, and late in the 4th quarter, the A&M offense finally put together a long drive to score its lone TD of the afternoon with just under three minutes left to play. The defense snuffed out Colorado's last possession, and the Aggies get an ugly 10-7 win. Give the D credit for keeping it close enough to win with ten points. Not so long ago, A&M needed 30 points to have a chance at a win.
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