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5 takeaways from Texas A&M's 62-3 win over Lamar: No let down from the Aggies in bounce-back victory
Aggies bounce back from loss behind strong efforts from quarterback Kellen Mond, running back Isaiah Spiller.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 14: Isaiah Spiller #28 of the Texas A&M Aggies is tackled from behind by Michael Lawson #41 of the Lamar Cardinals during the second quarter at Kyle Field on September 14, 2019 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)(Bob Levey / Getty Images)
By Alex Miller
4:30 PM on Sep 14, 2019 CDT — Updated at 9:21 PM on Sep 14, 2019 CDT
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&Mleftno doubt Saturday night at Kyle Field. The Aggies had times of frustration, but still overpowered Lamar in a 62-3 win.
Here are five takeaways from the Aggies' 45-point victory over the Cardinals.
No letdown from A&M
FCS teams gave Power 5 schools fits Saturday.
The Citadel shocked Georgia Tech in overtime. Virginia Tech squeaked past Furman. Lamar had high hopes, but there was nothing close to an upset Saturday night at Kyle Field.
Hungry to avenge last weekend's loss to No. 1 Clemson, A&M had no interest in playing games with Lamar, shutting down the Cardinals in an overwhelming victory. The offense posted 633 total yards and held Lamar to 196.
Now the question is: can the Aggies maintain their rebuilt momentum next week against No. 8 Auburn.
Kellen Mond came back strong
If there were doubts about Kellen Mond following last weekend, Saturday's performance may have silenced some.
Mond found his poise and attacked the Lamar defense all night. The junior finished 20 of 28 for 317 yards and a touchdown, throwing one interception. On the ground, Mond added just four carries for 25 yards, but found the end zone once on an 11-yard rollout run.
Still, Mond had little help from his receivers at times. A pair of drops in the first quarter likely cost A&M a touchdown. On the final drive of the first half, Kendrick Rogers dropped an open pass down the sideline, which at the least could've set up a field goal attempt in the waning seconds.
Nonetheless, Saturday was a bounce-back game for Mond and a key one, too, with No. 8 Auburn and the Tigers' strong defensive line coming to Kyle Field last week.
Freshman RB Isaiah Spiller springs loose
Jacob Kibodi got the nod at running back with Jashaun Corbin out for the season, but it was Isaiah Spiller who ended the night as A&M's leading rusher.
Spiller didn't play until the second quarter, but soon made his presence felt. The first-year player finished the night with 14 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
Big plays were a recurring theme for Spiller, as he busted runs of 15, 34 and 38. His 34-yard dash went for a touchdown in the third quarter, giving A&M a 34-0 lead.
Three games into the season, Spiller is now the team's leading rusher with 246 yards on the year.
Freshmen get chances on defensive line
Starting defensive tackle Justin Madubuike saw limited action Saturday, and with fellow defensive linemen Jayden Peevy and Max Wright sidelined, the opportunity arose for young players to see the field in a larger capacity.
Sophomore Josh Rogers started in place of Rogers and rotated with the likes of freshmen DeMarvin Leal and Ardarious Jones at tackle.
Still, when push came to shove, it was the starters Madubuike and Bobby Brown III who walled the middle of the line. Madubuike sat the entire first quarter, but entered in the second after Lamar drove inside the A&M 10. The drive ended in a blocked field goal.
Settling for early field goals
The Aggies rolled down the field early, but were only able to cash in for three instead of six on two of their first three drives.
On the first drive, A&M got down to the Lamar 3 on 1st-&-Goal, but went backwards and settled for a 21-yard field goal after unsuccessful attempts to muscle into the end zone.
A&M punched in a 2-yard touchdown run on drive No. 2, but the third yielded the same result as the first. Kellen Mond had tight end Camron Horry and wide receiver Jhamon Ausbon open, but neither player could reel in a potential touchdown catch.
Fortunately for the Aggies, kicker Seth Small was perfect from short-range, also hitting a 32-yard attempt, but they were so close to making the margin even larger.
After getting back into the win column, there is new momentum for the Aggies. Things get much tougher for A&M next week, though, as the Aggies welcome No. 8 Auburn to town for a 2:30 p.m. tilt on CBS.
The Tigers advanced to 3-0 on the season Saturday night with a win over Kent State.
Alex Miller, Texas A&M blogger. Alex Miller is a senior at Texas A&M University and serves as the Texas A&M blogger. A native of College Station, Alex has been featured in the San Antonio Express-News, The Eagle and The Battalion.
@AlexMill20
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