Texas A&M Football’s offseason has been filled by looking ahead to 2021. This makes sense, especially considering the upside of the 2021 Aggies football team.
In 2021, they’ll be looking to make a jab at the College Football Playoff, giving themselves a chance to win a National Championship. They’ve got a long way to go, but it’s in the realm of possibilities for this team.
But let’s pump the brakes for a minute. While there is a lot to look forward to, but even more to look back upon after such a strong year. This program had one of its best seasons in school history in 2020, why not look back at the greatness that Jimbo Fisher brought last year.
So without further ado, here are the top 5 games from the 2020 Texas A&M Football season.
No. 5: The Texas A&M Football team dismantled South Carolina, 48-3
This game was easily the most dominant showing thus far in the Jimbo Fisher era.
The Aggies asserted their all against South Carolina, a program that had a down year in 2020. The game was over early, so the Aggies got a taste of Haynes King, a potential starter for the 2021 season. He threw for 42 yards and a touchdown pass.
Kellen Mond had a great game, throwing for 224 yards and four touchdown passes, completely smoking the Gamecocks’ defense throughout the entire game. Isaiah Spiller also had a strong game, rushing for 143 yards on 18 attempts.
The Aggies’ defense also had a great game, picking off two passes and only allowing 2.5 yards per play and 150 total yards. TAMU showed that they are the real deal in this game.
Texas A&M Football team avoids a trap-game loss against Mississippi State
Texas A&M’s game against Mississippi State was a textbook trap game. The Bulldogs were having a rough season with a 1-3 record at the time, while the Aggies were coming off of an emotional win against the Florida Gators in a game that we’ll talk about later.
The final score makes this game seem a bit closer than it was — the Bulldogs scored a touchdown in garbage time. That said the Aggies would have liked to win this one with a little more comfort.
Thankfully, Texas A&M’s defense stepped up in a huge way, only allowing one offensive touchdown for Mississippi State throughout the game. The other touchdown? A third-quarter Kellen Mond pick-six that brought the underdog within a touchdown.
Thankfully, the Aggies would bounce back, putting this game away with touchdowns on each of the next two drives, establishing a three-touchdown lead.
On the defensive end, A&M forced two turnovers and only allowed 217 total yards of offense for the Bulldogs. Offensively, the primary production came from the runningbacks, with Isaiah Spiller and Ainias Smith combining for 166 yards. Spiller would finish the game with two touchdowns.
The Texas A&M Football team beat the previous season’s champion in LSU
The LSU football team had one of the best college football seasons in the history of the sport in 2019. Joe Burrow led this squad to an SEC title and a College Football Playoff National Championship. It looked like the beginning of a dynasty.
But in 2020, the program took a huge step back. A small step was expected, but nobody saw a 5-5 season coming. That said, this was still a big game for the Texas A&M Football team in 2020.
The Aggies came into the game after a long stretch of no football due to COVID-19 protocols. They’d bring all of their built-up energy to the field against LSU. While the offense didn’t do much, it was another dominant defensive game against the Tigers.
Highlighted by a Buddy Johnson pick-six, the Aggies created three turnovers against the defending National Champions. They wouldn’t accumulate any more yardage than LSU offensively, but the game was won on the turnover margin.
Even without a strong offensive performance from TAMU, it was a dominating victory that showed just how important this team’s defense can be.
The Texas A&M Football program made a statement against UNC in the Orange Bowl
At the point in the season that this game happened, the Texas A&M Football team has to be feeling pretty disrespected. They were the first team left out of the competition and their only loss was to the eventual National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide.
This was especially painful for Texas A&M fans considering the appearances from Notre Dame and Clemson, both of whom also had a single loss, neither of which came from the eventual champion. That said, the Aggies were out to prove themselves in this Orange Bowl game against the 13th-ranked North Carolina Tarheels.
It would be a great game from start to finish, with the Aggies finally separating in the 4th-quarter thanks to a 76-yard Devon Achane touchdown run. It will go down as one of the most memorable plays in Texas A&M Football history.
Despite the close scoreline, this was another dominating performance from the Aggies, even if it didn’t show until the end. Texas A&M finished the day with 457 total yards, aided by another strong game from Kellen Mond, who finished the game with 232 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come from the Aggies in postseason college football play.
The Texas A&M Football team won a crucial game against the Florida Gators
After taking an ugly loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide a week earlier, the Texas A&M Football team had to win this game if they wanted a shot at the College Football Playoff. Obviously, they wouldn’t end up making it, but winning this game helped their chances a lot.
A week after a 52-24 embarrassment of a loss, the Aggies bounced back in a big way against one of the best teams in the country.
The game was tight and there was little defense to speak of, but Texas A&M’s offense came out on top. This was another game that was a more dominating performance by A&M on the stat sheet than in the scoring column. Jimbo Fisher’s team finished the game with 141 more yards than Dan Mullen’s squad.
Kellen Mond had one of the best games of his career, throwing for 338 yards and a trio of touchdowns. He’d be aided by Isaiah Spiller, who also had one of the best games of his career with 174 yards on the ground with 2 touchdowns.
This is arguably the best win of Jimbo Fisher’s career thus far and will be remembered as an all-time great game.