The Battalion - November 26, 2018

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2018 STUDENT MEDIA

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Sophomore wide receiver Kendrick Rogers caught a pass from sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond in the third overtime, despite pass interference from LSU defender Terrence Alexander.

4 HOURS, 53 MINUTES Aggies defeat Tigers after seven-overtime showdown By Hannah Underwood @hannahbunderwoo With 84 points scored in overtime between No. 22 Texas A&M and LSU, the Aggies earned

their first win over the No. 7 Tigers since 1995. The game, which went into seven overtime periods, was the highest-scoring game in Football Bowl Subdivison history as A&M topped SEC West opponent LSU 74-72. “That was a heck of a football team,” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “You say you have to

make one more play. That’s what we did. How proud I am of our players. It’s about the players, period. They set a standard for what that Aggie helmet means.” The A&M offense, which struggled massively in the second half, came alive in overtime to score five touchdowns and two field goals. A&M outgained LSU in total of-

fensive yards 521 to 496, and garnered 234 rushing yards on 56 carries and 287 passing yards. The leading rusher for the Aggies was junior running back Trayveon Williams, who accumulated 204 yards on 35 carries and two touchdowns. “This is absolutely outstanding,” Williams said. “This really paves the

way this program is going. Jimbo is a great coach. We are so thankful to have him as our coach.” Sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond added 80 yards on 20 carries and went 23-of-49 for 287 passing yards. “That was a crazy game but that’s the kind of game we live for,” Mond GAME RECAP ON PG. 2


FOOTBALL

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Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Senior Yell Leader Connor Joseph leads the Aggie War Hymn after the 12th Man rushed the field, celebrating the victory.

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GAME RECAP CONTINUED said. “We showed as a team that we’re never going to quit.” Mond’s favorite target was sophomore wide receiver Quartney Davis, who had 101 yards on seven receptions. LSU’s leading rusher was junior quarterback Joe Burrow, who rushed for 100 yards on 29 carries. Burrow also went 25-of-38 passing to add 270 yards. Williams kicked off scoring for the Aggies with a 10-yard touchdown run to cap off a 10-play, 95-yard drive. The Tigers answered on the next drive, with Burrow rushing 22 yards into the end zone to tie the game at 7-7. The signal caller’s rush doubled LSU’s rushing yards at that point in the game. The Aggies opened the second quarter with their second touchdown of the night — a 10-yard pass to junior tight end Jace Sternberger. On LSU’s next drive, the A&M defense stepped up as senior defensive lineman Daylon Mack recorded a sack on Burrow for a nine-yard loss to force a fourth and 22. The Aggies responded with a 33yard field goal to take a 17-7 lead over the Tigers. The Tigers answered with a field goal of their own to go into halftime trailing the Aggies 17-10.

On their first drive of the second half, LSU used a seven-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to sophomore wide receiver Justin Jefferson to tie the game at 17-17. A&M threw three consecutive incomplete passes to go fourth and 10, but LSU junior wide receiver Jonathan Giles dropped Braden Mann’s 46-yard punt to give the Aggies possession on the LSU 29-yard line. The Aggies made use of the field position with a one-yard touchdown dash by Williams to give A&M the 24-17 lead. LSU junior linebacker Devin White forced an A&M fumble on the LSU 42-yard line, which LSU junior linebacker Michael Divinity Jr. returned for a touchdown to tie the game again at 24-24. Both A&M and LSU scored on passing plays at the end of the fourth quarter to send the game into its first overtime, tied 31-31. Davis caught the game-tying touchdown pass for a 19-yard score that saved the Aggies from another loss. The first overtime ended with a tie after field goals by both teams. The second ended with two three-yard touchdown runs to tie the game at 41-41. Two 25-yard passing touchdowns followed for both teams in the third overtime, as well as two field goals in the fourth. In the fifth overtime, two

failed two-point conversions followed two passing touchdowns to leave the game tied at 58-58. Sternberger caught a touchdown pass in sixth overtime to put the Aggies up 66-58, but an LSU rushing touchdown soon followed to send the game into the seventh and final overtime. Burrow put LSU on top 72-66 with a 10-yard rushing touchdown, but a defensive stop caused the two-point conversion attempt to fail. “You couldn’t ask for anything better than that [play],” A&M senior linebacker Otaro Alaka said. “It’s just crazy. We were talking about it this whole week. What would be a better way to send the seniors out with a win over a team we haven’t beat since joining the SEC.” Alaka ended the night with 11 total tackles. Davis caught the 17-yard game-tying touchdown pass and sophomore wide receiver Kendrick Rogers caught the pass to complete the two-point conversion, ending the game 74-72. “I was relieved,” Rogers said. “We work really hard, and every practice is a grind. ... I don’t know what my teammates said; it was just a bunch of yelling.” The Aggies will take the field once again for a bowl game in December.

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For A&M Sterling Silver Jewelry: stores.ebay.com/charboeg979 Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher argued with referees that the Aggies spiked the ball with one second left on the game clock in the fourth quarter against LSU.

‘Fisher just put the SEC on notice’ Megan Rodriguez, Editor in Chief Luke Henkhaus, Managing Editor Taylor Fennell, News Editor Anthony Pangonas, News Editor Jordan Burnham, Asst. News Editor Kathryn Whitlock, Life & Arts Editor Hannah Falcon, Life & Arts Editor Samantha Mahler, Asst. Life & Arts Editor

Angel Franco, Sports Editor Abigail Ochoa, Asst. Sports Editor Cassie Stricker, Photo Chief Jesse Everett, Asst. Photo Chief Daoud Qamar, Video Editor Kevin Christman, Asst. Video Editor Sanna Bhai, Special Sections Editor

THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the 2018 fall semester and 2019 spring semester (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media,a unit of the Division of StudentAffairs.Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com. Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com. Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.

Saturday’s historic game would not have happened without this year’s new coaching staff Angel Franco

I

@angelmadison_

n the eyes of thousands of students, alumni and fans across the nation, Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher just earned every penny of his $75 million guaranteed contract. The seven-overtime game which ended in a 74-72 victory over Louisiana State University — the first since A&M joined the SEC — was the statement Fisher needed to make in the first year of his contract. Yes, A&M is 8-4 and waiting for a post-season destination that isn’t the College Football Playoffs, but that doesn’t really matter to the Aggie faithful — at least not yet. What matters is that Fisher defeated the one team that consistently left a sour taste in A&M’s mouth at the end of every regular season since 2012. As students, former students and fans stormed the field in a blur of pandemo-

nium, the chanting could be heard from outside the stadium: “JIMBO! JIMBO! JIMBO!” All season long, there was an equal balance of people buying into Fisher’s philosophy and people remaining skeptical. Critics came out in full force after losses to Mississippi State and Auburn. But fans kept the faith, remembering how Fisher proved he had the recipe to win after a victory over Kentucky and a close loss to Clemson, which many claimed felt like a win. As the Aggies celebrate winning the highest scoring game in Football Bowl Subdivision history, one thing remains: None of this would have been possible if Fisher had not fought for his team at the end of regulation. With three seconds left in the fourth quarter, Fisher argued with officials after quarterback Kellen Mond spiked the ball to stop the clock with what appeared to be one second left. All hope seemed to be gone as the clock read

“00:00” around Kyle Field. Moments later, the head referee announced that Mond had in fact spiked the ball with one second remaining on the clock. One second to change a season and the future of a program. Mond found Quartney Davis in the middle of the end zone as time expired in regulation to tie the game up, pending an extra point. Roughly 75 minutes and 43 points later, Fisher sat at the podium looking exhausted, drained, but most importantly, like a relieved man. Maybe it was beating a top 10 team at home or maybe it was a relief to finally get the almost five-hour game over with. Whatever it may be, one thing is certain — Fisher just put the SEC on notice. Texas A&M is a team that, in years to come, will be feared and in contention for the SEC West crown. Angel Franco is a telecommunication media studies senior and sports editor for The Battalion.


FOOTBALL

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The Battalion | 11.26.18

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond threw for 287 yards.

The Texas A&M football team runs onto the field.

Junior running back Trayveon Williams has rushed for 3,379 yards in 37 career games.

What we learned: Texas A&M vs. LSU There’s no other way to put it. No, 22 A&M’s 74-72 victory over No. 7 LSU on Saturday was the greatest game in college football history — no matter what side of the ball you were on. Here’s what we learned:

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History was made

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One of few games with seven overtime periods and the highest scoring game in FBS history, 1,017 yards of combined total offense, and 146 combined points. This game was pandemonium. From the 84 points scored in OT to Texas A&M fans storming the field — which will cost A&M a pretty penny — this game was everything a college football fan could hope for.

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Mond proved his wisdom Whether it was running the ball and losing yardage, throwing it out of reach or mishandling a snap, there were times in the game when A&M sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond made questionable choices. However, this game proved that Mond has matured way beyond his years in his first season under head coach Jimbo Fisher’s offense. In high-pressure situations it can be easy for a young quarterback to make a major mistake due to inexperience. Following the game, Fisher said Mond’s confidence never wavered, even when the Aggies were down to their final play. “He never lost poise,” Fisher said. “Even if he made a bad play, [Mond] said, ‘I got you, I got you.’ We have plays set from the 5, the 10, the 15 and from the 20 [yard lines]. We work on those as the last plays of the game all the time. … [I told him] make sure you give us a chance, make sure you get set in the pocket and make sure you get it to the end zone. He did that and he threw a strike.”

Williams made up for fumbling Given the way the game ended, it might be easy to forget that A&M junior running back Trayveon Williams fumbled the ball at the start of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24-24. In the seven overtime periods, Williams was given the ball 10 times. Although Williams didn’t score in overtime, he did set up the Aggies up for success in the following plays. In fact, all but one of the A&M touchdowns in overtime were pass plays. Williams said all that mattered was the team’s ability to win despite the adversity they faced throughout the game.

Meredith Seaver— THE BATTALION

By Angel Franco

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Rogers is there when A&M needs him most In the four quarters of regulation, A&M sophomore wide receiver Kendrick Rogers was targeted once for a 22-yard catch. In overtime, Rogers had five of the biggest catches of his career, all of which resulted in points, including the gamewinning reception on a two-point conversion attempt. Rogers, who has been battling injuries this season, said heading into this week, the team’s focus was on preparation. “I was really just locked in, so it really wasn’t like a blur,” Rogers said. “I was just mainly focused on doing my job and doing what it took to win the game.”

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Fisher is shifting the culture TV announcers during the Clemson game said they could see the culture and program changing before their eyes. Saturday proved that while the season was an up and down roller coaster, A&M football will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Fisher said the game was a testament to the players buying into the culture he wants to instill. “The determination, the desire, the toughness, the effort, the discipline, the pride and everything they have — it makes you understand what that Aggie helmet means, and hopefully we are getting to that standard and growing from that,” Fisher said.

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FOOTBALL

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The Battalion | 11.26.18

Meredith Seaver, Cassie Stricker— THE BATTALION

Sophomore wide receiver Kendrick Rogers finished the game against the Tigers with two touchdowns and three two-point conversions during the overtime battle with LSU.

Kendrick Rogers shines in 7-OT thriller Sophomore wide receiver comes alive after regulation time ends, secures win over LSU By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ Like most people who were at Kyle Field Saturday night, sophomore wide receiver Kendrick Rogers wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly what happened during No. 22 Texas A&M’s 74-72 victory over No. 7 LSU in seven overtimes. One thing he can say is that no matter what the call was, he would be ready to make a play. “I was just locked in,” Rogers said. “I was just mainly focused on doing my job and doing what it took to win the game.” Even then, Rogers said he couldn’t have anticipated making the game winning reception at the end of the seventh overtime. “I was feeling amazed, relieved,” Rogers said. “We work hard all year. … This was the first time we beat LSU since coming to the SEC. That was a big challenge for us.” In regulation, Rogers was only targeted once by sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond. Rogers’ lone catch came in the

fourth quarter as A&M was attempting to come back and tie the game with hopes of sending it into overtime. With seven seconds left, Rogers caught a 22-yard pass at the LSU 19-yard line to give the Aggies the first down, which took four seconds off the clock after Rogers failed to get out of bounds. However, it was a race against time with three seconds remaining A&M lined up to spike the ball with what appeared to be one second left. Rogers said he attempted to stop the clock but was brought down too soon. “Once you catch the ball, you’re really supposed to get down and stop the clock,” Rogers said. “As a football player, my instinct was to get out of bounds, which I couldn’t.” Before the referees could signal the end of the game, A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher argued with the officials to put one last second on the clock. After reviewing the film, the officiating crew agreed. Mond found sophomore wide reciever Quartney Davis in the back of the end zone, sending the game into overtime after freshman place kicker Seth Small made the extra point. No one in attendance or watching from home knew exactly what would happen next. Even after the game, Rogers was still at a loss for words. “Honestly, I still haven’t figured out what happened,” Rog-

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ers said. Rogers had five receptions in the overtime period, all of which resulted in points. The biggest catch of the night for Rogers came on a successful two-point conversion attempt at the end of the seventh overtime that sealed the victory for A&M. Rogers said leading up to the game the focus was on making sure team members were ready to make the plays needed to win. Then it came down to being able to execute those plays in real game time. “Preparation and what we do throughout the week every week,” Rogers said. “Listening to what Jimbo says every week. Big time players come out in big time games.” Before Rogers’ game-winning reception, he made a play in the third overtime that highlighted his play extending ability and was even featured on ESPN. As he was being pulled to the ground in the end zone by an LSU defender, Rogers was able to haul in the catch to send the game into a fourth overtime. Fisher said while he was glad that Rogers came through for the team late in the game, he wished that Rogers would do that on a more regular basis. “I’ve got to find him in other times,” Fisher said. “He can be one heck of a football player. The plays he made, the things he did — coming out in those times and making critical plays.”

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