Texas A&M football: Takeaways from Aggies dominant defensive win over Kentucky

A&M outplayed Kentucky more than score indicates

This game should not have been this close. The numbers outside the scoreboard tell a story of a game the Aggies dominated from start to finish and, as has become a theme the last two weeks, made costly mistakes that kept the opponent in the game.

A&M outgained Kentucky 390 to 178. They had 21 first downs compared to eight. They dominated time of possession by 10 minutes. The Aggies were more effective both in the air and on the ground, committed fewer penalties and were much better on third down (2-for-13 vs. 7-for-17).

The craziest stat of the night? Kentucky didn’t run a single play on the Aggies’ side of the field in regulation. That’s no typo. Their points came from a 54-yard pass and the fumble return for a touchdown that tied the game late. A&M’s defense was excellent and in no way did this game need to go into overtime.

It probably wouldn’t have if Seth Small hadn’t missed a chip shot 40-yard field goal. Small has now missed three in a row and Fisher has to be hoping Daniel LaCamera comes back in a hurry.

These are the kinds of mistakes elite teams don’t make. A&M has made costly errors in each of their last three games, and they won’t keep surviving them against tough competition.

A&M now looks ahead to South Carolina in a big road test for Fisher’s squad.

#BTHOsc

Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.