Volume 4

Game Recap Texas A&M vs. Louisiana Tech By Rusty Burson

Rusty Jacobs, assistant editor of the 12th Man Magazine, will publish his Game Recap column on the 12th Man Website every Sunday Morning during the 1999 Football Season. The article will appear later in the week in the 12th Man Magazine.

SHREVEPORT, La. — As Texas A&M players addressed the media underneath the bleachers of Independence Stadium last Saturday night, one admiring female fan spotted sweat-drenched senior quarterback Randy McCown and let her feelings be known.

"I love you, Randy," she shouted at the top of her lungs. "Marry me."

McCown didn’t blush or even break from his interview. But when questioned about it later, he smiled and said: "Everybody loves a winner."

Rest assured, there was a lot for A&M fans to love about McCown’s performance and the Aggies’ season-opening, 37-17 win. And ironically, it featured many elements of a wedding that at least one fan hoped would transpire.

The Aggies used something old (the reliable ol’ Wrecking Crew), something new (kicker Terence Kitchens and receiver Bethel Johnson) and something borrowed (a neutral stadium predominately filled with A&M fans) to beat something blue (Louisiana Tech).

Of course, the Aggies’ honeymoon should be short. While there was much to love about this victory, there were also plenty of mistakes and miscues.

For example, A&M’s offense, which piled up 30 points and 308 yards in the first half, disappeared for much of the second half, going more than 29 minutes without scoring a point.

"That was definitely frustrating," McCown said of the second-half performance. "I was very pleased with the first half. We moved the ball around, got the ball to different receivers and ran the ball well. But we have to do it for two halves. We’re fortunate it didn’t cost us the game. Our defense did a great job for both halves. But as an offense, only held up our end of the bargain in the first half. It got a little too close for comfort."

It almost got frighteningly close for the Aggies and their fans, who outnumbered Louisiana Tech fans about three-to-one in the crowd of 40,328. With the A&M offense in a second-half funk, the Bulldogs closed to within 30-17 and faced a fourth-and-goal from the A&M 1 midway through the final quarter.

But for all the passing attempts (the two teams combined for 96 passes) and all the yardage gained through the air (a combined 612 passing yards), the game may have ultimately been decided by one rush.
Louisiana Tech tailback John Simon got the call. Texas A&M linebacker Cornelius Anthony got the stuff.

With Dat Nguyen-like timing and execution, Anthony broke through the line of scrimmage and pounded Simon for a 1-yard loss.

"Our coaches do a great job of scouting and putting us in position to make the plays," said Anthony, whom Nguyen called the next leader of the Wrecking Crew. "All week, I had just been studying and studying the films, and from the formation they were in, I knew they were going to run the ball. I just thank God that I was able to get through there and make the tackle."

While Anthony knew the Bulldogs were going to run, most everyone else inside Independence Stadium expected a pass. All night, quarterback Tim Rattay had frustrated the A&M defense with his precise, short passes. Rattay’s longest completion of the evening was for only 18 yards, but he continually found receivers open for short gains.

In fact, no other quarterback has ever completed more passes (45) or attempted more passes (65) in a game against the Aggies. On the other hand, the Bulldogs managed just 10 yards rushing on 20 attempts for the entire game
So, why did Tech coach Jack Bicknell elect to run the ball?

Many Bulldog fans leaving Independence Stadium were last seen shaking their heads and asking that same question.

"It was so close," Bicknell said of his decision to run. "I thought about spreading the field out, but we were only a foot away. We ought to be able to score from there. The plan was to go over the top, but you can’t allow penetration in that situation. They penetrated and stopped us."

That stop fairly well iced the game for the Aggies. A&M put together a pair of solid drives and benefited from a pair of Louisiana Tech turnovers to kill the remainder of the clock and pad the lead.

The Aggies scored their final touchdown of the night with less than a minute left to play, as McCown hit Johnson for a 12-yard TD. The 20-point margin of victory probably would have been hard for anybody to imagine after the first half, when the A&M offense was often overpowering and nearly unstoppable.
In fact, Shane Lechler was never called upon to punt in the first half. A&M fumbled on its first offensive play and scored on every other possession in the half.

"We were in some kind of groove in the first half," said A&M tailback Dante Hall, who finished with 71 yards rushing, including one remarkable 18-yard touchdown run that left defenders grasping at air. "They couldn’t stop us. We only got stopped because we stopped ourselves."

The Aggies did, however, bog down a few times in the first half. But Kitchens was there to rescue A&M each time. The junior from Lumberton, who had never attempted a collegiate field goal, was three-for-three on attempts from 50, 51 and 26 yards, although his second made field goal was an adventure. It bounced off the right upright, hit the crossbar and then hopped through.

"I was kind of hoping my first attempt would be an extra point," a beaming Kitchens said. "Instead, it’s a 50-yarder. But once I made that first one, I had a lot of confidence. And that second one, well, that was just a big relief to see it go through."

Newcomer of the night honors, however, probably go to Johnson, the flashy receiver who was the source of so much preseason talk. Based on his opening-night performance, the hype was true.

Johnson caught four passes for 106 yards and one score, helping McCown enjoy a career best passing performance. The senior signal-caller completed 17 passes for 252 yards and two scores.

"He’s a great weapon and another super deep threat to go along with Chris Cole and Chris Taylor," McCown said of Johnson. "He made me look good several times tonight, and I’m sure he’ll make me look a lot better down the road."

Likewise, the Aggies are bound to look much better down the road. Even to those star-crossed admirers who thought Saturday night’s win was pretty attractive.

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