COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M senior receiver Aeneas Smith said he noticed troubling tendencies in some of his teammates before the Aggies suffered their most jarring loss in decades.
Smith said of the Aggies’ pursuit of the Southeastern Conference title. “…There were times when people didn’t agree — you could actually see it and it showed in the games.”
As No. 24 A&M (1-1) hosted No. 13 Miami (2-0) at Kyle Field Saturday at 8:00 pm, Smith’s brutal assessment was followed by fellow team leaders in the days after the Aggies game. It may not even have been the most embarrassing among the He lost home 17-14 to Appalachia on Saturday.
“Everything was on time the next day,” explained offensive lineman Raiden Robinson, a rarity for Sunday after the game. “This shows a commitment to just saying, ‘Hey, we gotta get back, we gotta get back to what we’re doing’… everyone is going to ‘stretch and stride’ and go to therapy.” I made it in time.”
Demani Richardson, defensive back, added of his duties as senior leader: Just all the little things, starting from going to class to attending meetings every day. “
Attending class on time — the Aggies turned early season into offseason — suddenly emphasized an item that clearly should have been emphasized at the time.
Coach Jimbo Fischer will have to use the five- and four-star prospects of the past few years to revamp his rolling offense in order to fight for the title next season. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Fisher, a master of evocative one-liners and deeper motivational messages, must also reset his mindset.
Or rather, easy to say. It’s not easy.
Richardson, who conveyed Smith’s “acquisition” declaration, agreed: Man could buy more overall. I feel like men are starting to join in, which could definitely lead to more players.
The flattened wheels of a once-promising season for the teetering Aggies could quickly slip away in another non-conference loss in the SEC’s play against No. 10 Arkansas on Sept. 24 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Fisher, who has spent a week putting out fires to small schools from the Aggies’ most embarrassing home loss since the 2008 Arkansas game, said Smith was “buyed out” in the traditional sense. ‘, he said.
He’s also likely to turn to junior Max Johnson (LSU) over struggling Haynes King at quarterback to try and spur an offense.
“What[Smith]is talking about is not ‘accepting’ what we’re doing, it’s that every detail of every practice rep counts,” Fisher said. I was. I have it from the beginning. “… when we talk about ‘acquisition’ it’s not that they’re fighting the program (or) fighting what we’re doing… it’s that every practice rep needs to be a game rep It means that there is
“The buy-in is that every actual play counts.”
Fisher has spoken at length about building his “culture” since he came to A&M five years ago, but under the former coach of Florida who led the Seminoles to the 2013 national title, It became a head-scratching situation at times.
The latest example is linebacker Chris Russell, who is awaiting a November court hearing following two separate police-involved incidents in July. In another case, he provided a false name and address to officers as a passenger in a car driven by Smith that was stopped for speeding.
Still, Russell played as a starting linebacker in the Aggies’ first two games and is the second-best tackler on the team. It seems to be less in the Bright Football Complex.
As an example, last week, freshman cornerback Denver Harris inexplicably posted a video of himself driving recklessly through a college station parking lot, endangering other drivers and possibly pedestrians. something happened. It’s bad enough to do that — posting videos is next level.
Cultural issues have also been rearing their heads around A&M for at least the last year. The Aggie Hart Award is A&M’s premier honor bestowed upon his players for their willingness to “maximize themselves” every time they wear the uniform. But last year’s Harts his winner safety Leon O’Neal opted out of playing in his bowl with Wake Forest (after winning the award) to start preparing for the NFL.
Based on multiple opt-outs, quarterback injuries and suspensions, and COVID-19 issues, the 8-4 Aggies are withdrawing from the Gator Bowl on the 100th anniversary of their 12th man tradition, not relying on backups or walk-ons I chose to I’ve been practicing all year for just such an occasion (it’s the ideal “twelfth man” set-up, after all).
Of course, the bowl game could also have cost Fisher’s ledger another loss, and their withdrawal cost the program and the university millions of dollars.
Despite the troubling signs, there is hope for A&M. Aggies finished her fourth in the nation two years before her under Fisher. This was the highest final ranking in AP polls since winning the national title in 1939.
Fisher is the first to win a 10-year deal above $9 million a year and can pull it off at A&M. Perhaps in 2023 he will have all the talent he enlisted, but it will require quite a few adjustments. He’s at the forefront of culture—too much accountability along the way.
brent.zwerneman@chron.com
Twitter: @brentzwerneman