By ROBERT CESSNAOFFENSE: C
What went right: Wide receiver Ryan Tannehill stepped up and had nine catches for 100 yards with Howard Morrow missing because of a foot injury. Christine Michael ran hard for 74 yards on 16 carries. A&M allowed only one sack.
What went wrong: A&M was only 6-of-14 converting third downs -- three times failing on third-and-3 or less. A&M failed to convert all five third downs in the second half. As good as Tannehill was, the rest of the receivers combined for only 11 catches.
Bottom line: A&M's offense scored only one touchdown in the second half in what turned into a shootout.
DEFENSE: C-
What went right: A&M had eight sacks and was able to get plenty of pressure on Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen without blitzing. Jordan Pugh's interception was converted into points, and it gave A&M an interception in three straight games.
What went wrong: When Hansen wasn't being sacked, he had the Aggies on the run. He threw for 271 yards, often eluding pressure to find a receiver. He also netted 45 yards rushing despite losing 60 in sacks.
Bottom line: CU came in averaging 286.1 yards per game, which ranked 113th in the country, but had 437 on Saturday. The Buffaloes had four plays of 30 yards or longer after having only seven in their first eight games.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
What went right: Cyrus Gray's 99-yard kickoff return for a TD gave A&M a huge lift, and ditto on his 45-yard return. A&M's kickoff coverage also was excellent (18.8 average).
What went wrong: Randy Bullock's missed 48-yard field goal set the tone for a frustrating second half, and the muffed punt return by Terrence Frederick ended it.
Bottom line: You're supposed to win games when your kickoff return team gives you 10 points.
COACHING: C
What went right: A&M was able to overcome a few injuries, and playing Tannehill more at receiver paid off as he had seven catches for first downs. A&M used quick snaps at times to catch CU flat-footed.
What went wrong: Some will criticize head coach Mike Sherman for not taking the field goal on the opening series, but CU ended up punting from its 4 as a result, and A&M scored on its next possession. The day's biggest set of downs came when A&M faced first-and-goal from the 7 and settled for a field goal and a 34-28 lead. An incomplete pass and 4-yard loss on a run by Michael -- the only time CU caught him behind the line -- set up an almost impossible third-and-goal from the 11.
Bottom line: A&M's offense wasn't on the field long enough (24 minutes, 40 seconds), which wore down its defense. CU converted third-and-11, third-and-13 and third-and-16 on drives that ended in three second-half touchdowns.
OVERALL: C-
What went right: A&M put itself in position time after time to win this one. A&M twice had a 10-point lead, the last with 11 minutes to go.
What went wrong: A&M made too many mistakes. The offense never seemed to find its niche. The defense missed too many tackles and gave up too many big plays.
Bottom line: A&M missed a chance to become bowl-eligible and get what's lately been a rare November victory. Now there's work to be done.
(Editor's note: The original version said that A&M's offense didn't score a second-half touchdown, which was incorrect).
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