Texas A&M Football: Belk Bowl report card and position grades
By Robert Ford
Specialists
This was a unit of strength all season and it showed early with two blocked punts to start the game. I can say in 42 years of being around football, I’ve never seen that.
The first was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and the other turned into a 19-yard punt. The field goal defense also got into the act blocking a field goal late in the second quarter.
This group would get an A, but Braden Mann kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds. Wake also returned a punt for a touchdown in the first half. Shane Tripucka did not have a great game only averaging 38 yards on seven punts.
Two other plays had a role in the final score. The Aggies were up 14-7 and just stopped Wake on third down to force a field goal. The kick was missed, but Myles Jones was called for roughing the kicker. Wake would score a touchdown two plays later.
In the fourth with the Aggies up 42-41, interim coach Jeff Banks decided to kick a 19 yard field goal instead of rolling the dice and going for it. Daniel LaCamera would make it, but ultimately that decision to kick the field goal was the difference in the game.