October 6, 2001
COLLEGE STATION, Texas-- Texas A&M's defense is still perfect in the last quarter. The Aggies are unblemished, too.
No. 24 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 Big 12), which has yet to allow any points in the final quarter, spotted Baylor a 10-3 first-half lead Saturday, then held the Bears scoreless in the second half and avoided some last-second heroics to scratch out a 16-10 victory.
"I was pleased our guys showed character enough to hang in there and win the game," coach R.C. Slocum said.
"The defense controlled the game, not giving up any big plays," Aggies linebacker Brian Gamble added.
Keith Joseph ran 6 yards for a touchdown and Cody Scates kicked three field goals to account for all the A&M scoring and send Baylor (2-2, 0-2) to its 23rd straight conference loss.
"We just didn't play nearly as sharply as we needed to, particularly from an offensive standpoint," Slocum said.
The Bears, who never have won a Big 12 road game, had a chance in the final minute after Scates missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt.
Baylor ran off six plays in the last 37 seconds. A desperation toss by Greg Cicero from the A&M 40 was batted away in the end zone with 2 seconds left, then another pass into a crowded end zone was intercepted by Dawon Gentry as time ran out.
"We just needed that one big play," Baylor coach Kevin Steele said. "I thought we were going to make that last play in the game. We put the ball in the right spot."
"I was hoping and praying they didn't catch the ball," Aggies safety Jay Brooks said.
Baylor has not defeated the Aggies since 1985, going 0-15-1, including 11 straight losses.
"I've said we have a good football team but a loss is a loss," Steele said. "We're much closer than what most people think."
"We knew we'd get their best shot and they did that today," Slocum said.
With Baylor ahead 10-3, Scates kicked a 30-yard field goal on the Aggies' first possession of the second half. A&M was in position for a touchdown with second down at the Baylor 3, but a running play lost 3 yards and Mark Farris was sacked on third down for a 7-yard loss.
On the Aggies' next possession, Joseph capped an 85-yard, nine-play drive by spinning into the end zone from 6 yards out to give the Aggies their first lead, 13-10.
Baylor threatened to tie the game at 13 with just over 12 minutes to go, but linebacker Marcus Jasmin blocked a 33-yard field-goal attempt by Daniel Andino.
"The kick before I saw the (blocker) wasn't sliding down," Jasmin said. "So on the next one he didn't slide down and I got my hand on it."
After an exchange of punts, Texas A&M drove to the Baylor 9 before stalling. Scates kicked his third field goal from 22 yards away with 3:37 to go in the game.
In the early going, the Aggies showed little of the crispness that marked their manhandling of Notre Dame a week ago when they scored the first three times they had the ball. One special teams infraction for an illegal formation cost them a 40-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter, then Scates' attempt from 5 yards farther was wide to the left.
"You're coming off a big, emotional game last week and it's a whole different atmosphere this week," Slocum said. "The players become a part of that."
Baylor got a gift early when Jonathan Golden ran around the left side for a 1-yard TD run on the final play of the first quarter to give the Bears a 7-0 lead. The score came two plays after Farris was sacked and fumbled and the ball was recovered by Baylor's Eathan Kelley at the A&M 2.
Baylor blew an opportunity on the next series when the Bears recovered a fumble at the A&M 20, but on the next play Golden fumbled it back and the Aggies moved 39 yards in 11 plays before settling for a 48-yard field goal from Scates, his career long, to make it 7-3 with 10:59 to go in the first half.
The Bears came right back, driving to the Aggies 39 before Cicero's pass bounced off a receiver and was intercepted by lineman Linnis Smith. A&M had to punt after one series of plays and the Bears ran off 10 plays covering 39 yards, with Adam Stiles kicking a 50-yard field goal to give Baylor a 10-3 advantage.
The Bears defense made a goal-line stand at the end of the half to keep the lead. Texas A&M had first down at the Baylor 4, but Farris threw two incompletions, then ran a quarterback draw to the Aggies to the 1. On fourth down, Joseph was stopped trying to vault the line into the end zone.
TEXAS A&M POSTGAME NOTES
DEFENSIVE RENAISSANCE --- In the last three games, the Wrecking Crew has allowed an average of 6.7 points and 207.3 yards per game. The Aggies held Baylor to just 232 total yards (30 on Baylor's final drive), just missing their third straight game allowing less than 200 yards of total offense. The last time an A&M defense held three straight opponents to less than 200 total yards was in 1991. Baylor gained just 85 yards on the ground, the third straight A&M opponent to gain less than 100. The last time the Wrecking Crew did that was early last season. In the last 14 quarters (starting with second half of Wyoming), the Aggies have allowed just four field goals and two touchdowns, with both touchdowns coming after A&M turnovers inside their own 10-yard-line. In fact, n the last 14 quarters A&M has allowed just no touchdowns on drives of more than 10 yards and/or two plays. In the last three games, the Wrecking Crew has allowed just three penetrations inside their 20-yard line, resulting in just one field goal.
SECOND HALF DOMINANCE --- The Aggies have outscored their opponents 66-10 in the second half this season, including a 18-0 bulge in the fourth quarter. Trailing 10-3 at halftime on Saturday, the Aggies held Baylor scoreless in the second half. The Wrecking Crew has strung together seven consecutive scoreless second half quarters dating back to a third quarter touchdown allowed against Wyoming.
ANOTHER 5-0 START FOR SLOCUM --- The Aggies are off to a 5-0 start for the fourth time during the R.C. Slocum era (since 1989). Prior to Slocum's tenure as head coach, the Aggies had posted just one 5-0 start (Emory Bellard's 1975 team raced to a 10-0 start before falling to Arkansas, 31-6) in the previous 32 seasons.
CAREER-HIGH CATCHES FOR GOYNES, FARMER --- Junior wide receiver Dwain Goynes grabbed a career-high 6 passes for 71 yards against the Bears. His previous high catch game was 4 against McNeese State and Wyoming. True freshman running back Derek Farmer, playing in just his third game in maroon and white, had career highs in catches and receiving yards with 4 for 29.
FIRST-TIME STARTERS --- A pair of Aggies made the first starts of their careers against the Bears. Senior Mickey Jones received the start as a third wide receiver, while redshirt freshman Marcus Jasmin started in placed of the injured Ty Warren at noseguard.
NOTABLES --- Quarterback Mark Farris has completed 50 percent or better of his pass attempts in 15 of 16 career starts at A&M. His lone sub-50 percent game was against Oklahoma last season when he completed 18-of-37 passes. Farris has also passed for 200 or more yards in 10 of 16 career starts .
TEXAS A&M POSTGAME QUOTES
R.C. SLOCUM
"I'm always happy to get a win. I told the team in the locker room that we can't get to the point where we take a win for granted. I thought the defense played well. I was disappointed from a team standpoint in the penalties, the turnovers, the penalty taking three points off the board and the dropped passes. We weren't as sharp as we need to be, especially on offense. I talk to coaches all the time and all those guys hate games like this. You're coming off a big, emotional game last week and it's a whole different atmosphere this week. The players become a part of that. I was grinding on them all week about being ready for the game. They have a dangerous offense where they are throwing the ball a lot and spreading the field. That puts a lot of pressure on you. Give Baylor credit. They are an active defensive team and they did a good job today.
(On first-and-goal problems) "We had a hard time getting it done. It was the Baylor defense. We weren't getting a surge on our offensive line. On that fourth-and-one play, we tried to go over the top, but we didn't get any movement. We couldn't get close enough to do that. We had too many problems to elaborate on all of them but it's obvious that we have too many problems on our plate. I hope to get them all sorted out this week and get ready for a good Colorado team.
(Is Baylor improved?) 'I think so and I've talked to coach Steele and he thinks they are improved, too. When I saw them on film I thought it was apparent they have shown a lot of improvement. They weren't taking a lot of sacks and they were completing their passes. We knew we'd get their best shot and they did that today."
(On last two plays) "As a coach, you just make your best call and you go play. I've been on the good side of those plays more times than on the other side in my career. You don't have the time to analyze. We had everybody manned up and we had three guys deep."
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Baylor Postgame Quotes
KEVIN STEELE, HEAD COACH
"I think our defense came in here and played lights out. I've said we have a good football team, but a loss is a loss. I think everyone saw what I've been saying. We just have to put the nails in the coffin. We had the momentum the entire the game. I thought we stayed focused. A&M is a well coached team, but we just needed that one big play. I think our whole defense played extremely well against a very talented A&M team. We got in there and mixed it up. It seemed those first two drives in the second half may have set the tone. I thought we were going to make that last play in the game. We put the ball in the right spot. Our offense managed the clock really well in that last minute. As a coach, I feel good about our players. In terms of being a team, winning is winning and losing is losing. We're much closer that what most people think. But it really doesn't matter what everybody else thinks. It only matters what our kids think and that is that they are winners."
On Greg Cicero: "He made some big plays. His scrambling ability really helps out our offense. He placed the ball well and is really starting to come into his own."
Samir Al-Amin, defensive back
"We played excellent. We had all of assignments, but things didn't fall our way. They're a good team, but we're a good team too. We've got to win these close ones. I thought we did a good job of taking away their big plays. Right now we know we can execute and stay focused. We held A&M pretty well and hopefully we can use that for some momentum."