FIRST QUARTER
Good sign for the D: It only took three plays for Aggie fans to get pumped about the new 3-4 defense. Texas A&M outside linebacker Sean Porter drifted toward the sideline and leveled receiver Anthony Foster, knocking the ball loose for an incompletion.
Not again: One priority this season for A&M was to improve its special teams. That got off to a bad start when the Aggies first drive ended in a missed field goal. Randy Bullock hit the left upright on his 24-yard attempt, though head coach Mike Sherman said after the game that the miss had more to do with the hold than the kick.
Pull the trigger: On its second possession, SFA had a fourth-and-1 at its 29-yard line. The Lumberjacks lined up to go for it and had the Aggies on their heels with no defender lined up on the offense's left side. A&M outside linebacker Von Miller raced over there to cover the area, and SFA called a timeout.
Key stat: SFA had three three-and-outs on four possessions that started and ended in the first period. SFA's fifth possession started in the first and ended in the second quarter -- and in another three-and-out.
SECOND QUARTER
A different look: New A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter figured to mix things up in hopes of keeping opponents guessing. On the first play of the second quarter, he had only one defensive lineman on the field, Lucas Patterson at nose guard. Inside linebackers DeMontre Moore and Caleb Russell lined up outside the offensive tackles and rushed.
No more Miller time: Miller missed the entire second quarter with an ankle injury. The senior All-American ran sprints along the sideline in front of the coaches to show he could play, but by the end of the period, he was standing on the sideline with his helmet off. Miller did not play the rest of the game.
Key stat: A&M's Dustin Harris returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown. It was the Aggies' first interception return for a TD since Jordan Peterson went the distance in the second game of the 2008 season, a 28-22 victory at New Mexico.
THIRD QUARTER
First catch for Fuller: A&M receiver Jeff Fuller didn't have a reception until the first drive of the second half, and it took a circus act for him to pull it in. He did a 180-degree turn and caught the ball near the ground for 14 yards. With Ryan Tannehill having caught a ball on the first drive, it gave both junior receivers a catch in every game they've played at A&M -- 25 games for Tannehill and 21 for Fuller.
Special teams rebound: A&M was on the positive side of a fumbled kickoff return when A&M's Blaine Cheatham stripped defensive lineman Malcom Mattox of the ball and recovered it at the SFA 39. A&M scored seven plays later to take a 34-7 lead.
Key stat: The Aggies had three TDs on 189 yards of offense in the third quarter after scoring just one TD on 265 yards in the first half.
FOURTH QUARTER:
Freshmen get first looks: A&M freshmen defensive lineman Ivan Robinson, guard Shep Klinke and receiver Nate Askew played in the fourth quarter. In all, A&M played nine true freshmen Saturday.
Key stat: A&M and SFA snapped just 31 plays in the fourth quarter after averaging almost 44 a quarter over the first three.
-- Richard Croome
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