TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2021 STUDENT MEDIA
ROLL TEARS ROLL
Aggies defeat No. 1 Crimson Tide 41-38 in instant classic
Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION
Senior defensive back Leon O’Neal Jr. recovered the ball fumbled by Alabama at the end of the first quarter. O’Neal returned the ball to Alabama’s 41-yard line allowing A&M to score a touchdown in the following drive.
By Jennifer Streeter @jennystreeter3
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aturday was an upset nobody expected. Texas A&M football defeated thenNo. 1 University of Alabama in front of a sold-out Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 9 with 106,815 fans in attendance. The last time A&M defeated the Crimson Tide was in the 2012 upset in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s previous record against his former assistant coaches was 24-0, with Texas A&M head coach Jimbo
Fisher recording the first-ever victory over his former boss. While the win is great, Fisher said he will not be fully satisfied until he sees how his team performs throughout the rest of the season. “We can be special. Our football team is learning to play against other great football teams and have success. That’s what matters to me,” Fisher said. “It shows a lot of character, and it shows a lot of belief in themselves. It shows a lot of belief in their teammates.” At halftime, Alabama went into the locker room trailing on the scoreboard for the first time since Oct. 17, 2020, when the Tide took
on Georgia in an eventual 41-24 victory over the Bulldogs. For the Aggies, it all came down to the fourth quarter, with A&M only leading by one touchdown, 31-24. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada found his groove. With the 12th Man behind him, the signal caller led the Aggies to score in all three possessions during the first quarter. Additionally, Calzada was 10 for 10 before throwing an interception in the middle of the second quarter. “There is not a harder position in sports to play than quarterback,” Fisher said. “[I’m] very proud of Zach. He’s a high-character
young man. He cares, and it matters to him.” For the ground game, junior running back Isaiah Spiller and sophomore running back Devon Achane stole the show. Spiller ran for 46 yards and one touchdown. One highlight of the night for the maroon and white was Achane’s 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter. Achane said he was in disbelief with the amount of open green available to him. “I couldn’t believe it because the hole was so big,” Achane said. “After scoring that, the feeling was just amazing. It gave us a lot of momentum. It was a big opportunity for us.” GAME RECAP ON PG. 3
From Jimbo, with love Jimbo Fisher celebrates 56th birthday with win over former boss Nick Saban By Ryan Faulkner @ryanfaulk03
Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION
The Aggies’ 41-38 victory over the Crimson Tide was the result of months of hard work put forth by the A&M football team.
Over five months ago, Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher made a bold promise: “We’re going to beat his ass.” On the surface, this claim lacked substance, with many left wondering why Fisher would single out one specific coach — Alabama’s Nick Saban. After all, Fisher had already accomplished almost everything there is to do in college football — two national championships, three conference titles, nine bowl wins and a College Coach of the Year award. But beating Saban, his former boss, in headto-head competition had significance of its own. “I have the utmost respect for Nick Saban. I always have, I always will and I consider us friends,” Fisher said. “But we’re competitors. That’s ball, and I respect him for that.” Starting in 2000, Fisher worked under Saban as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Louisiana State University. The two won a national championship together with LSU in 2003, but after Saban left for the Miami Dolphins, the duo’s path split. Even apart, the two men’s coaching styles remained similar, something Fisher attributes to the pair’s similar upbringings from the “same neck of the woods” in West Virginia. Nearly a decade later, Saban went on yet another streak of success as a college football
coach. Starting in 2010, Saban began terrorizing his former assistants who had since taken over their own programs as head coaches. With 24 straight wins and an undefeated record against his earlier protégés, including four wins over Fisher, Saban’s dominance threatened to continue with no end in sight; beating the seven-time national champion seemed to be a feat unconquerable to those who, at one point, worked under the man. Even so, in Fisher’s words, Saban’s downfall “was inevitable” because “someone was going to do it, in time.” And though he didn’t necessarily expect it, Fisher himself became the grand champion whose arrival was foretold in his own prophecy. On Saturday, Oct. 9, the unranked Aggies upset the undefeated No. 1 Crimson Tide in front of 106,815 fans at Kyle Field. Not only did the win put A&M back on track after two consecutive losses to open its SEC campaign, but it also gave Fisher another win of his own — proof he could do what was thought to be impossible and take down his former boss, mentor and colleague. Saban said he had no choice but to praise his former assistant, impressed with A&M’s ability to snap Alabama’s 19-game winning streak. “I have great respect for [Fisher]. I always say that. He is one of the best who ever did it,” Saban said on the postgame CBS broadcast. “I learned a lot when I coached with him, and we had a lot of good times.” By finally defeating Saban, Fisher FISHER ON PG. 3
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The Battalion | 10.12.21
Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION
Junior wide recevier Ainias Smith posted two receiving touchdowns against Alabama en route to his total 109 offensive yards of the night.
Takeaways from A&M-Alabama Explosive offense, lockdown defense among game highlights in Aggies’ latest victory over Crimson Tide since 2012, first at Kyle Field in program history By Michael Horton @mhhort
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The 12th Man made a difference The A&M student body showed up for the game in historic fashion, squeezing 106,815 attendees into Kyle Field. This game marked the second-largest crowd in the stadium’s history, surpassed only by the Aggies’ 2014 meeting with Ole Miss with 110,633 fans. In the postgame press conference, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said he was thankful for the faithful A&M fans filling the stands and motivating the players to fight until the final whistle. “Let me tell you something — if you don’t want to play in that environment tonight, something is wrong with you,” Fisher said. “That’s as good of an atmosphere as there is in college football, bar none: I don’t care where it’s at. Those people behind [us], we won the game for them, and I mean that.”
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Stifling the Tide’s offense In the game’s opening stages, the Aggies made big plays on defense to keep the Tide from building an early lead. In the first quarter, a botched snap led to a fumble by senior running back Brian Robinson Jr. and was recovered by A&M senior safety Leon O’Neal Jr. In the same quarter, A&M junior safety Demani Richardson also picked off sophomore quarterback Bryce Young at the A&M 1-yard line to stop Alabama from drawing blood. The Aggies also held Alabama to three field goals in the red zone throughout the evening. After failing to create a turnover over the past two weeks, the Aggies won the turnover battle against the Tide, 2-1. Senior defensive lineman Tyree Johnson attributed the team’s defensive success to a desire to regain self-assurance after previous disappointing outings. “We really wanted to get our confidence back, especially after the last two weeks,” Johnson said. “This is a very well-coached team. We just had to get a few things rolling to get back to the Aggie football team that we know we’re capable of being.”
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Special teams’ plays sway game
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Calzada’s best game of his life
Another birthday game win With two seconds left on the clock and the score locked at 38, place-kicker Seth Small was tasked with a 28-yard field goal to break the tie and give the Aggies a historic victory. Small’s kick veered to the left but curved through the uprights to give A&M the winning points. This marks the second-straight year Small has made a kick as time expired on Fisher’s birthday, when the kicker drilled a 26-yarder to upset the No. 4 Florida Gators in 2020, also by a score of 41-38. Moments after his clutch field goal, Small said the team wanted to get Fisher a victory on his special day. He also said he ranks this kick among the best moments of his life. “[The team] tried to get him a good birthday present,” Small said. “I didn’t know what to get him, so we thought, as a team, that we’d like to get him a win over Alabama. It was probably the third best moment of my life after I accepted Jesus into my heart as my true lord and savior and after getting married to my wife last summer. I rank [this game] three.”
In the third quarter, the Tide recaptured some momentum when junior linebacker King Mwikuta recovered a blocked punt to bring Alabama within seven points. On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore running back Devon Achane exploded for a 96-yard touchdown return to give the Aggies a 31-17 lead. Following the game, Achane said he was surprised his blockers were able to force the gap in the return coverage, but was happy to add to the growing momentum for the Aggies. “I couldn’t believe it,” Achane said. “The hole was so big, I was like, ‘Is this for me?’ The feeling after scoring that was amazing for me. I was just happy to do my job and put us in a position to win.”
During the Aggies’ two-game losing streak, redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada received much criticism for his play. On Saturday, he silenced doubters with a performance on his own Kyle Field. The Georgia native went 21 for 31 with 285 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. Throughout the Aggies’ game-winning drive, “Calzada” chants flooded the stands of Kyle Field. After the game, Fisher said he was proud of the performance by his young signal caller, especially given the context of the game and the injuries the team has faced. “[Playing quarterback] is the hardest position to play in sports, period,” Fisher said. “The situations he is put in, the things that are happening, without a full team around him, it’s hard to go in there.”
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The Battalion | 10.12.21
Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION
The Saturday, Oct. 9 win over Alabama marked a historic night in Kyle Field. Players, coaches, fans and birds alike celebrated on the field after A&M’s upset of the Crimson Tide.
GAME RECAP CONTINUED The Aggies’ defense shined just as bright as their offense. Junior safety Demani Richardson recorded an endzone interception in the first quarter. Senior linebacker Aaron Hansford served as the defensive leader for the maroon and white, posting nine total tackles. Alabama’s sophomore quarterback Bryce Young became the most sacked quarterback in the SEC, getting sacked a total of four times. Further marking their lockdown prowess, the Aggies held the Crimson Tide to a field goal in the fourth quarter. Senior defensive lineman Tyree Johnson said the defense put a priority on physicality in this week’s game plan.
FISHER CONTINUED proved to the rest of the world what those within the A&M football program already knew, senior Seth Small said. The place-kicker’s eventual game-winning field goal, good for 28 yards against Alabama, boosted the Aggies to a win Fisher earned through his impressive coaching prowess. “One thing that has amazed me about coach
“We wanted to make an emphasis on being physical,” Johnson said. “We wanted to just do the best we could to out-physical them. It wasn’t an easy challenge; we just had to keep going for four quarters.” In May, Fisher promised he was going to “beat [Saban’s] ass.” Now that he has, Fisher said he still maintains the utmost respect for him. Saturday’s game also marked the first time the Aggies have ever defeated Alabama in Kyle Field. The last time the Tide was rolled in Texas was during the Tide’s Paul “Bear” Bryant era in 1968 at the Cotton Bowl. Alabama took its second lead of the game in the fourth quarter, scoring a 7-yard touchdown reception with just over five minutes
remaining in the fourth quarter. The Tide made the decision to go for a successful 2-point conversion, making it a 38-31 game. In the following drive, A&M scored a touchdown, with senior place-kicker Seth Small notching the extra point. Following the play, Calzada went down, but returned shortly after for the offensive drive. The spirit of the 12th Man lifted the signal caller’s energy and allowed him to tough out the injury, coming in for the following offensive drive, Fisher said. “That atmosphere and environment tonight, if you don’t want to play in that, there’s something wrong with you,” Fisher said. “That right there, the recruits and the people and the love, that’s as good of an atmosphere
as there is in college football, bar none.” The drive was worth it and allowed Small to get into range and kick the winning 28yard field goal, cementing the Aggies’ 41-38 upset with fans storming the field in celebration. Small said he loved seeing the 12th Man storm the field following his field goal. “It felt like 100,000 were on the field with us all night,” Small said. “The 12th Man was with us all night. We have the best fans in the nation, and that’s what makes it so special to play at Kyle Field.” The Aggies are now ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll and No. 18 in the Coaches’ Poll. A&M’s next opponent is Missouri, with the 11 a.m. face-off set for Oct. 16.
Fisher is his ability to gauge where his team is at and the message that they need to hear,” Small said. “Every week, he does a great job of getting that message across.” A&M’s win was further reinforced by the date on which the game was played — Fisher’s birthday, Oct. 9. Though senior defensive lineman Tyree Johnson “had no clue” it was Fisher’s “big day” at kickoff, the whole team was playing for Fisher by the fourth quarter,
Johnson said. Small said this led to the team working as a more cohesive unit to take down the Crimson Tide. The win was the perfect way to celebrate Fisher turning 56 years old, Small said. “I didn’t know what to get him [for his birthday], so we thought as a team that we’d like to get him a win over Alabama,” Small said. In the end, Fisher celebrated his birthday by
fulfilling his promise to “beat [Saban’s] ass.” The win, likely to go down in history books, was just another day in the life of a college football coach, Fisher said. “That was the competitor in me coming out,” Fisher said. “When somebody says you can’t do something, I have a bad habit of [proving them wrong].”
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The Battalion | 10.12.21
‘Spirit can ne’er be told’ Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M’s renowned 12th Man was in full effect for the 41-38 upset over Alabama. With tickets selling out, fans packed Kyle Field with second-highest attendance rate in history.
Fans’ yells revived quarterback Zach Calzada after injury in fourth quarter By Jennifer Streeter @jennystreeter3 “That atmosphere and that environment tonight, if you don’t want to play in something like that, there’s something wrong with you,” Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said in the Alabama postgame press conference. “Bar none, that’s the best fanbase in college football.” From fans to recruits, to parents, to significant others, to support systems, to Aggies — on Saturday, Oct. 9, Kyle Field was rocking. Bested only by the 2014 home game against Ole Miss, 106,815 people almost set a new attendance record against the then-No. 1 University of Alabama. But this statistic was not just one for the history books; many A&M players said the 12th Man had a direct effect on the game. Senior place-kicker Seth Small said there is
truly a unique spirit to the 12th Man. “It felt like 100,000 were on the field with us all night,” Small said. “The 12th Man was with us all night. We have the best fans in the nation, and that’s what makes it so special to play at Kyle Field.” Perhaps the biggest influence the 12th Man had on the night was its role in helping redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada recover from a hard hit to his left knee. In the fourth quarter, on a 25-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Ainias Smith, the signal-caller took a hard hit. Two assistants came to help him off the field, with the quarterback and Fisher going to the medical tent. The 12th Man immediately supported him, chanting his name to express to Fisher it wanted Calzada back for the final offensive drive. Junior running back Isaiah Spiller said he appreciates what A&M fans helped the team achieve. “The 12th Man played a huge role,” Spiller said. “I’m thankful for them coming out in support of us and believing in us … [I] thank the 12th Man.”
Calzada heard them and went in on the final drive to put the Aggies in field goal range for Small, allowing the place-kicker to complete the game-winning, 28-yard field goal. As soon as Calzada stepped back onto the field following the injury, Kyle Field erupted in support. Smith said it was amazing to hear the 12th Man cheering for Calzada, boosting the signal-caller’s confidence from a low point in the previous week’s game against Mississippi State when he was seen leaving the field in tears. “12th Man, you know, they’re amazing,” Smith said. “That game. The noise. Everything. I appreciate them. It felt amazing.” Immediately following the winning field goal, the 12th Man stormed the field for the first time since A&M’s 74-72 win over Louisiana State on Nov. 24, 2018. Smith said the entire program was happy to be with the 12th Man on the field. “The 12th Man is always giving us a little show,” Smith said. “Tonight, they were definitely with us. I appreciated them. With them rushing the field, that was crazy. As soon as I turned around, everyone was in my face.”
OPINION
Robert O’Brien — THE BATTALION
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada recorded 285 passing yards and three touchdowns in his best career performance to date.
Calzada: comeback kid After two losses, A&M’s quarterback dominates SEC’s former top team By Ryne Ryskoski @rusty_ryskoski_ One week ago, sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada was lambasted and chastised by fellow students, national media, local media and old and young fans alike.
Back-to-back losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State knocked Texas A&M from the AP Poll for the first time in two years. Calzada wasn’t meeting the A&M faithful’s expectations, leaving fans wondering if the season was already over before three SEC games had even been played. The hardships were building up for him. But none of that outside noise penetrated Jimbo Fisher’s locker room, who said more than once in the last few weeks, it’s no se-
cret that athletes in today’s world must pay no heed to outside distractions. “Guys, there isn’t any secret to this. There ain’t no magical formula,” Fisher said. “You write your own history. You believe in your own self.” A week of intense mental preparation away from the constant scrutiny resulted in the performance of a lifetime; Calzada became the newest legend in Aggieland and has earned his place in A&M lore.
Kyle Field is commonly referred to by rival coaches as one of the hardest venues to play NCAA football. In 2020, following the 4138 Florida upset, the Gators’ head coach Dan Mullen said the 12th Man — at limited capacity — directly had an impact on the results of the game. The only reason the Oct. 9 upset over Alabama isn’t the top-attended game in A&M history is because Kyle Field was undergoing renovations around the time of the Ole Miss game in 2014. With sections of the new stadium partially redeveloped, 110,633 tickets were allowed to be sold. Sophomore defensive back Antonio Johnson said the Aggies needed the sold-out crowd to win against the Tide. “We needed [the 12th Man], and they pulled their weight,” Johnson said. A&M’s next home game will be a 6:30 p.m. kickoff against South Carolina on Oct. 23, with the 12th Man expected to show up in high numbers following the last home game defeat of the former best team in the country.
While watching my fellow Aggies pour onto Kyle Field after senior place-kicker Seth Small’s game-winning field goal, I thought back to after the Mississippi State loss when Calzada was seen crying on his way back to the locker room. I played college baseball before transferring to A&M and have played sports at an ultra-competitive level for nearly my whole life. I cried over little things that barely mattered, but also big things like losing and disappointing a community. That’s an all-time low feeling as an athlete, knowing that you’re the reason for the disappointment of thousands. What it says about Calzada, though, is not that he’s mentally weak and insecure, but has unmatched care and devotion for his team and university. The 12th Man, Aggieland, the fans, the environment — it all matters to Calzada, Fisher said. “There’s going to be trials and tribulations, and you’re defined by how you respond to adversity,” Fisher said. “[Calzada] is a high-character young man. It matters to him, it means something to him.” Going 10 for 10 through the air to start a game, as Calzada did against Alabama, is certainly a strong way to respond. He’d go on to throw for 256 yards and three touchdowns before the final offensive possession of the night. That was when things came full circle, as they usually do in sports. During the game-tying, 25-yard touchdown throw to junior wide receiver Ainias Smith, Calzada’s left leg rolled, and he was down in pain before being helped off by two of A&M’s trainers. It looked like he was done for the night. With the game tied at 38 and A&M getting the ball back after Alabama punted, Calzada returned to the tune of a chorus of “CALZA-DA! CAL-ZA-DA! CAL-ZA-DA!” I must admit, that moment was powerful, unlike any other. The same people who couldn’t stop calling him names, clowning him and wanting him benched, now proved to Calzada they were behind him. It was truly awe-inspiring seeing the 12th Man come to its senses at the exact moment when its signal-caller needed it the most. Armed with adrenaline and Kyle Field’s endearment, Calzada led a calculated, steady drive into field goal range by going 2 for 2 for 29 yards and rushing for 11 yards. Each of those three plays picked up first downs to let Small finish the job. This season has had its delights and its disappointments, all of which will inevitably continue over the six remaining regular-season games. But College Station will now remember Oct. 9, 2021, as the day Zach Calzada took down Nick Saban and Alabama, regardless of whatever happens in his remaining time wearing the maroon and white. He should be remembered, not for his stats and touchdown throws on that day, but for his heart, mental fortitude and courageousness that inspired 106,000+ people in a way nothing else could. That is his triumph.