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By Brad Cox The Battalion
The Texas A&M football team failed to convert on third downs when it mattered most in a 35-34 loss at Colorado on Saturday, Aggie coach Mike Sherman said Monday.
"When you don't convert third down, which we've been pretty dang good — I think we've been over 50 percent most of the year — when we didn't convert in the third and fourth quarter the way we had been in the first half, that was a problem," he said.
A&M controlled the game for the first 30 minutes, converting on six of nine third down attempts to take a 21-10 lead by halftime. But the second half was a different story.
The Aggie defense allowed the Buffalooes to chip at their lead and the offense stalled, converting none of their five third down attempts and giving up two costly turnovers late in the fourth quarter.
"We made some crucial mistakes at crucial times." A&M junior quarterback Jerrod Johnson said. "We really didn't make that many mistakes, just when we made them was not very fortunate for us."
With a little more than two minutes
remaining, Colorado scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 22-yard pass. Almost a minute and a half later, Johnson threw his fourth interception of the season.
The Aggie defense gave A&M a chance on the Buffaloes' final drive, forcing a punt with 34 seconds remaining, but sophomore Terrence Frederick misplayed the return, bobbling the ball on the catch. Colorado recovered the ball to win its third game of the season.
"That's the biggest thing. We just didn't finish that game," senior safety Jordan Pugh said."If we can do that, it will all take care of itself."
The Aggies are still one win short of being bowl eligible with games against Oklahoma, Baylor and No. 3 Texas remaining.
The Sooners, who started the season as the No.3 team in the nation but have since fallen out of the Top 25, are historically inhospitable hosts for A&M.The Aggies have not won in Norman since 1997.
"I think it's one of the toughest in the Big 12." Pugh said."They play tough there. They protect their house.It's going to be a challenge for us but it's something I think we can do."
Texas A&M running back Christine Michael breaks a tackle by Colorado cornerback Jalil Brown (23) and runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of Colorado's 35-34 victory last Saturday. Michael finished with 74 yards on 16 carries.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAYLOR BEARS
Freshman QB key in victory against Tigers
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baylor quarterback Nick Florence throws a pass during the first quarter of the Bears' game against Missouri last Saturday in Columbia, Mo. Florence threw for a school-record 427 yards in Baylor's 40-32 victory.
By R.B. Fallstrom Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A record-setting day from a freshman quarterback who began the season as the third-stringer helped Baylor win at Missouri for the first time in 36 seasons.
Nick Florence passed for a school-record 427 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a fourth, spurring a second-half comeback in a 40-32 victory on Saturday.
Baylor had lost 23 straight games when trailing at halftime since erasing an 18-point deficit at Colorado on Oct. 7, 2006, and won at Missouri for the first time in 36 years.
"Nick makes a lot of people believe in him," Baylor coach Art Briles said. "He's a rally guy. People kind of rally around him."
Kendall Wright set career highs with 10 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears (4-5, 1-4) ended a 13-game Big 12 road losing streak, beat Missouri for the first time in eight tries in conference play and produced their first road victory against the Tigers since Sept. 23, 1973.
Baylor, worst in the conference against the run, rallied from an 11-point halftime
deficit and held Missouri to 10 yards rushing on 25 carries in the game.
"Start fast, play strong, finish strong — that's all it comes down to," said wide receiver David Gettis, who had eight catches for 110 yards. "When we play fast tempo and keep the ball, give the defense a break, they get to make plays like they did today."
Danario Alexander had a career-high 13 receptions for 214 yards and two scores for Missouri (5-4, 1-4), which has lost three straight at home for the first time since 2004. Alexander's 84-yard reception in the second quarter, the last 65 yards after bouncing off a tackler, was the Tigers' longest play of the season.
The first two losses in the streak, to No. 2 Texas and Nebraska in pouring rain, were more understandable to Missouri than this one.
"Your guts are torn out," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "You get what you deserve and we didn't deserve to win."
Missouri's Blaine Gabbert passed for the second-highest total in school history, going 30 for 51 for 468 yards and two touchdowns. But he was shut down along with the rest of the Missouri offense in the second half.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE WAVE NOVEMBER 13,2009