11 Stages Of Grief: How Texas A&M Blew A 34-Point Lead In Less Than 17 Min
11 Stages Of Grief: How Texas A&M Blew A 34-Point Lead In Less Than 17 Min
A breakdown of UCLA's improbable 35-point rally over Texas A&M.
As with most comebacks -- or meltdowns, depending on your vantage point -- UCLA's come-from-behind 45-44 grand larceny of Texas A&M on Sunday night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, was death by a thousand cuts. OK, maybe not a thousand, but at least 11.
Leading 44-10 with just over two minutes to play in the third quarter, TAMU looked comfortable, confident, and dominant -- until the Aggies didn't. And once the snowball began rolling downhill, Texas A&M couldn't get out of its own way.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen made some plays, sure. But the Bruins didn't exactly rally so much as Texas A&M found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Here's how it happened:
1. Rosen threads the needle
Innocent enough, right? The Aggies had excellent coverage. The mike linebacker has good depth. The safety does slip a bit out of his break, but it still requires a perfect throw by a future first-round NFL Draft pick -- and even then the ball is inches away from being tipped.
2. Durham gets stuck in his stance
Unfortunately for the Aggies, that play leads to this play. The theme of UCLA hurting the Texas A&M defense by hurrying to the line of scrimmage after a big play will be a recurring one in this sequence. Aggies defensive end Landis Durham is being blocked before he even makes it out of his stance. Still, the linebacker plugging the B-gap forces the bounce, but Durham can't get off the block in time to contain.
3. Missed tackle, touchdown
Texas A&M safety Antonio Howard has this spot pass stopped after a 4-yard gain if he attacks. Instead, he shuffles on his heels and comes high around Darren Andrews' shoulder pads -- and it's six points.
4. Unnecessary sack takes A&M out of FG range
Needing any sort of points to all but close this one out, the Aggies were on the doorstep of field goal range on second and 5. But TAMU quarterback Kellen Mond, who played well overall, opts not to toss this one into the first row and, instead, takes a 10-yard loss.
5. Nail in the coffin interception? Nope.
You've got to feel for Texas A&M safety Deshawn Capers-Smith. No doubt this one will keep him up for the next few (hundred or so) nights. Rosen tosses him a gimme that somehow slips through his grasp and into the hands of an undoubtedly shocked Andrews. If this happened in Madden, we'd be screaming about a glitch. This INT would have effectively ended the game. Instead, UCLA's comeback was full speed ahead.
6. Mond steps out of bounds
None of the above matters, as Mond turns the corner and cruises in for another Aggies touchdown. Whoops, he stepped out. The drive would ultimately stall and lead to this field goal attempt -- which still would have essentially put this game on ice..
7. Game-clinching FG is blocked
...but it's blocked.
8. 4th & 3 conversion + personal foul = 40 yards
Fourth down, 3 yards to go. A stop and it's blouses. Instead a tight end beats a nickelback and the home team tacks on another 15 yards for unnecessary roughness on the tail end of the play.
9. Horseshoes and hand grenades
Sack? Nope. Interception? Nope. Despite an impeded throw into a crowd of three defenders, Rosen and Theo Howard turn lemons into some extremely sour lemonade for Aggie fans.
10. Another 4th-down conversion, another missed tackle
Another fourth down. Another situation in which a stop ends it. But A&M gets caught in an edge blitz. The blitzing linebacker loses the back out, and, for good measure, the pursuing defensive back whiffs at the sticks.
11. Rosen goes all Dan Marino on 'em.
Once again, UCLA chases a big play by rushing back to the line of scrimmage -- presumably to spike the ball in this instance. The Aggies appear confused and flat-footed in several places, but both corners actually respond well to the surprise. That is, until the ball goes up, at which point A&M cornerback Myles Jones just gets left behind.
Touchdown, UCLA. 45-44, Bruins.
It goes without saying, blowing a 34-point lead in 17 minutes requires that a lot go wrong. Still, the number of times that the Aggies were one play or even 1 inch from tying a bow on a road win to begin the season is insane. Credit to Rosen and the Bruins for making plays, but Texas A&M rolled out the red carpet to an improbable comeback that no fan of college football will soon forget.
• Follow us on Instagram @FloFootball
• Follow us on Facebook
Leading 44-10 with just over two minutes to play in the third quarter, TAMU looked comfortable, confident, and dominant -- until the Aggies didn't. And once the snowball began rolling downhill, Texas A&M couldn't get out of its own way.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen made some plays, sure. But the Bruins didn't exactly rally so much as Texas A&M found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Here's how it happened:
1. Rosen threads the needle
Innocent enough, right? The Aggies had excellent coverage. The mike linebacker has good depth. The safety does slip a bit out of his break, but it still requires a perfect throw by a future first-round NFL Draft pick -- and even then the ball is inches away from being tipped.
2. Durham gets stuck in his stance
Unfortunately for the Aggies, that play leads to this play. The theme of UCLA hurting the Texas A&M defense by hurrying to the line of scrimmage after a big play will be a recurring one in this sequence. Aggies defensive end Landis Durham is being blocked before he even makes it out of his stance. Still, the linebacker plugging the B-gap forces the bounce, but Durham can't get off the block in time to contain.
3. Missed tackle, touchdown
Texas A&M safety Antonio Howard has this spot pass stopped after a 4-yard gain if he attacks. Instead, he shuffles on his heels and comes high around Darren Andrews' shoulder pads -- and it's six points.
4. Unnecessary sack takes A&M out of FG range
Needing any sort of points to all but close this one out, the Aggies were on the doorstep of field goal range on second and 5. But TAMU quarterback Kellen Mond, who played well overall, opts not to toss this one into the first row and, instead, takes a 10-yard loss.
5. Nail in the coffin interception? Nope.
You've got to feel for Texas A&M safety Deshawn Capers-Smith. No doubt this one will keep him up for the next few (hundred or so) nights. Rosen tosses him a gimme that somehow slips through his grasp and into the hands of an undoubtedly shocked Andrews. If this happened in Madden, we'd be screaming about a glitch. This INT would have effectively ended the game. Instead, UCLA's comeback was full speed ahead.
6. Mond steps out of bounds
None of the above matters, as Mond turns the corner and cruises in for another Aggies touchdown. Whoops, he stepped out. The drive would ultimately stall and lead to this field goal attempt -- which still would have essentially put this game on ice..
7. Game-clinching FG is blocked
...but it's blocked.
8. 4th & 3 conversion + personal foul = 40 yards
Fourth down, 3 yards to go. A stop and it's blouses. Instead a tight end beats a nickelback and the home team tacks on another 15 yards for unnecessary roughness on the tail end of the play.
9. Horseshoes and hand grenades
Sack? Nope. Interception? Nope. Despite an impeded throw into a crowd of three defenders, Rosen and Theo Howard turn lemons into some extremely sour lemonade for Aggie fans.
10. Another 4th-down conversion, another missed tackle
Another fourth down. Another situation in which a stop ends it. But A&M gets caught in an edge blitz. The blitzing linebacker loses the back out, and, for good measure, the pursuing defensive back whiffs at the sticks.
11. Rosen goes all Dan Marino on 'em.
Once again, UCLA chases a big play by rushing back to the line of scrimmage -- presumably to spike the ball in this instance. The Aggies appear confused and flat-footed in several places, but both corners actually respond well to the surprise. That is, until the ball goes up, at which point A&M cornerback Myles Jones just gets left behind.
Touchdown, UCLA. 45-44, Bruins.
It goes without saying, blowing a 34-point lead in 17 minutes requires that a lot go wrong. Still, the number of times that the Aggies were one play or even 1 inch from tying a bow on a road win to begin the season is insane. Credit to Rosen and the Bruins for making plays, but Texas A&M rolled out the red carpet to an improbable comeback that no fan of college football will soon forget.
Join The Conversation On Social
• Follow us on Twitter @FloFootball_• Follow us on Instagram @FloFootball
• Follow us on Facebook