By ROBERT CESSNATexas A&M football coach Mike Sherman doesn't believe in moral victories, but Aggie fans should. Especially when they reflect back on Thursday night's 49-39 loss to third-ranked Texas.
A&M came close to one of the biggest victories in school history because it did so many things right. Yet it was the things the Aggies didn't do that hurt the most.
* A&M allowed a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown after pulling within 42-39, then missed a 23-yard field goal.
* The Aggie defense had no answer for UT quarterback Colt McCoy, who had his best game of the season in accounting for 479 yards and five touchdowns.
* An A&M fumble in UT territory jump-started the Longhorns to a touchdown, then on the next possession the Aggies threw an interception in the end zone that cost them points.
Several of the questions in Sherman's postgame press conference Thursday dealt with those shortcomings, seemingly more so than all of the team's positives. Sherman, always the straight-shooter, responded to each but finally paused on about the fifth such inquiry as his gathered his thoughts. He started to answer, then chuckled, managing a smile.
"Y'all just trying to make me mad or something?" he asked. "I'm having a hard time as it is."
He wasn't the only one.
"We go to Texas A&M University and we expect to win every game we play," A&M junior linebacker Michael Hodges said.
That's the mind-set Sherman has molded -- more like demanded -- as he's drastically changed the roster in two years, making it younger but also more talented. A&M used only 14 seniors among 60 players.
Thursday's effort was a snapshot of what the future could be, especially on offense. Quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who accounted for 439 yards and four touchdowns, is a junior. Freshman running back Christine Michael had 83 yards rushing on 16 carries, never getting tackled behind the line against the nation's best run defense. Players who will be returning next season had 21 catches for 298 yards and three touchdowns. There's even hope on defense, since only one of the team's five leading tacklers was a senior.
It was a darn good game, far from the blowout many expected. But there's a reason many have reservations, because they've seen this before.
A&M often plays its best as a heavy underdog to Texas. The Aggies had won two of the last three meetings, but promptly lost bowl games after each victory and followed that with forgettable seasons of 7-6 and 4-8.
And this time, A&M didn't even beat Texas. But if Sherman and the Aggies continue to make the kind of improvements we've seen in the last 24 games, victories over Texas and everyone else will come on a regular basis. And those questions in the postgame press conference will be a little more positive.
And if not? Well, there's really no need to go there right now. That was too good an effort, not a moral victory, just good football.
*
A&M appears headed to the Independence Bowl or Texas Bowl, which have the No. 7 and No. 8 selections, respectively, from bowl-eligible teams in the Big 12. That's barring Nebraska upsetting Texas in the Big 12 title game, which would drastically alter the league's bowl pecking order, maybe sending a second Big 12 team to a BCS bowl, which would mean the league wouldn't be able to fill all its bowl slots.
Oklahoma State appears a lock for the Cotton Bowl no matter what happens in the Big 12 title game, and if Texas wins, Nebraska seems headed to the Holiday Bowl. Oklahoma could be headed to the Sun Bowl, where head coach Bob Stoops could face his brother, Arizona head coach Mike Stoops. However, the Alamo Bowl picks ahead of the Sun Bowl and could take the Sooners over Texas Tech. Missouri appears headed to the Insight Bowl, which has the sixth selection.
The Independence and Texas Bowls will have good matchups even if Texas beats Nebraska.
Many projections have the Southeastern Conference sending Auburn to the Independence Bowl. Auburn is coached by Gene Chizik, who bolted from Iowa State. The Cyclones and Auburn seemingly would be a perfect matchup, but the Independence Bowl would have to pass on A&M -- which trounced ISU -- for that to happen.
The Aggies, though, might not mind playing in the Texas Bowl, which is closer (Houston) and already has Navy. An A&M-Navy matchup would be an easy sell.
Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com.
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