It was not as “close” as the score indicates. Behind 17-0 before they appeared to look up, the Texans (0-2) could not force the Colts (2-0) to punt until it was 30-10 midway through the fourth quarter. The only way that the local team ended up with 24 points was by scoring three largely meaningless TD’s in garbage time when the Colt defenders were merely attempting to avoid injury. After two games, the replacement of the Casserly-Capers regime with the Kubiak crew looks like the quintessential rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic, particularly on defense. The Texans have winnable games the next two Sundays at home against the Redskins and the Dolphins, so they better get a win or two in those games or this season could quickly deteriorate into a repeat of the 2005 nightmare. With each passing week, this Texans team is looking more like the inept early 1970’s Oilers teams. Where are Sid Gillman and Bum Phillips when you really need them?
In what amounted to an exhibition scrimmage in Houston before next weekend’s Big 12 Conference opener against Iowa State (2-1) in Austin, the (2-1) Horns trampled the undermanned Owls (0-3) at Reliant Stadium in an indictment of the current structure of NCAA Division I college football. In the next absurdity on their schedule, the Owls go to Florida State next weekend to be served up to the nationally-ranked Seminoles. Sigh.
Inasmuch as the Ags (3-0) had to put up a goal line stand at the end to pull out a game by 4 that they were favored to win by 27.5, let’s put A&M’s “victory” in perspective:
Combined points scored by Army (1-2) against previous opponents, Arkansas State and Kent State: 23
Arkansas State’s margin of victory vs. Army: 8
Army’s Total Offense:
vs. Arkansas State – 164
vs. Kent State – 275
vs. Texas A&M – 322
Army’s Total Yards Rushing:
vs. Arkansas State – 95
vs. Kent State – 104
vs. Texas A&M – 136
Army’s Total Yards Passing:
vs. Arkansas State – 69
vs. Kent State – 171
vs. Texas A&M – 186
Quotes from Coach Fran:
“We attacked and had tremendous pursuit and that paid off.”
“I felt like if we make it, the game is pretty much in our hands. I wish I’d have punted now [rather than going for it on 4th and 1 and failing to get a first down before Army’s final drive], I guess, but it all worked out.”
“Our defense really rose up on that [final] series. I think we grew up a lot on that series.”
“We didn’t have a lot of miscues, but every one of them we had was costly.”Buck Harvey’s analysis of the game: “Dennis Franchione didn’t lose a game or his job Saturday night. But he’s on his way to doing both.” The Ags conclude the cupcake portion of their schedule next week at home against Louisiana Tech (1-1) before beginning Big 12 Conference play the following week against Texas Tech (2-1) in College Station.
In their second straight impressive offensive performance, the 3-0 Cougars chewed up Grambling and led 42-7 early in the third quarter before calling the dogs off. The Coogs have “show me” games upcoming at home against Oklahoma State and at Miami over the next two weeks, so we’ll get a better idication in those two games of whether the Cougars have really arrived than we have gotten in their first three.