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Lone Star Showdown: 2nd half performances
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:32 pm
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:32 pm
Anyone who's watched A&M play this year knows the second half is typically our strength, especially defensively. Came back from halftime deficits on the road vs. Notre Dame and LSU, and of course storming back against South Carolina at home after being down 27. Aggies also tend to put a stranglehold on games in the second half, as evidenced against Mississippi State and Mizzou. Arkansas would have been on that list, too, but Reed's long TD run that would have made it 52-35 was called back for an iffy hold, leading to the late-game weirdness to which we're accustomed in the SouthWest Classic.
The horns are trending towards being better in the 2nd half, too, as evidenced vs. Kentucky, State, OU, and Arkansas. Obviously, they didn't perform well in their losses, but they also let Vandy creep back in late.
Regardless of how the first half goes on Friday in the LSS, the 3rd quarter is going to be the linchpin in the game for both teams.
The horns are trending towards being better in the 2nd half, too, as evidenced vs. Kentucky, State, OU, and Arkansas. Obviously, they didn't perform well in their losses, but they also let Vandy creep back in late.
Regardless of how the first half goes on Friday in the LSS, the 3rd quarter is going to be the linchpin in the game for both teams.
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Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:36 pm to TbirdSpur2010
quote:
Anyone who's watched A&M play this year knows the second half is typically our strength, especially defensively.
aTm, Georgia and OSU have all been great in the second half of games. Admittedly OSU hasn’t faced the same schedule and I’m sure they’ll lose to Michigan because that’s what Ryan Day does.
As far as A&M, on paper you’re in a good spot in this game even if it’s at Austin. Better coached team and much better offense. Texas can be gashed in the run game and that opens up shots downfield. Will be a very interesting game. Sark is a bit out of his depth in big games, but credit where it’s due. He did have them in the CFP two years in a row. I think k that’s over this season
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:36 pm to TbirdSpur2010
Reasoned, dispassionate analysis.
I can only conclude that Texas University can’t lose.
I can only conclude that Texas University can’t lose.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:39 pm to TbirdSpur2010
I kind of want Texas to win
Weird to say
Weird to say
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:42 pm to Taurus 357
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aTm, Georgia and OSU have all been great in the second half of games. Admittedly OSU hasn’t faced the same schedule and I’m sure they’ll lose to Michigan because that’s what Ryan Day does.
I grew up an A&M/Michigan fan (mom is a Wolverine grad), so I'm very much hoping to see the Maize & Blue punk oh*o again
quote:
As far as A&M, on paper you’re in a good spot in this game even if it’s at Austin. Better coached team and much better offense. Texas can be gashed in the run game and that opens up shots downfield. Will be a very interesting game. Sark is a bit out of his depth in big games, but credit where it’s due.
He won a big game vs. A&M last year on the road when we had everything to play for, so I'll give Sark his due, as well. On paper, I believe A&M is the better team, but that means little in a rivalry game with stakes this high. We start slow like we've done in several games this season (State, Auburn, South Carolina), I doubt we'll panic, but that's not the optimal environment to be playing multi-score catch up against a dangerous, desperate opponent in their house.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:42 pm to Jrv2damac
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I kind of want Texas to win Weird to say
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:43 pm to Jrv2damac
I don't begrudge this. Typically in rivalry games, the underdog is favored by neutral fans.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:49 pm to Taurus 357
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Better coached team and much better offense.
It's easy to make these assumptions when one teams has faced significantly weaker competition.
quote:Texas has the 8th best rushing defense in the country statistically, A&M has the 34th.
Texas can be gashed in the run game and that opens up shots downfield.
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Sark is a bit out of his depth in big games, but credit where it’s due. He did have them in the CFP two years in a row. I think k that’s over this season
I can't really argue that, but much like how Kirby is a bad match up schematically for Sark, Venables and Elko are favorable matchups schematically. PK's defenses have owned Kleins offenses (even when he was at K State). Even if Texas beats A&M they need some help in order to make it.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:49 pm to TbirdSpur2010
Good observations. It’s all about how you finish.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:03 pm to TexasOnTop
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quote: Better coached team and much better offense. It's easy to make these assumptions when one teams has faced significantly weaker competition.
Most SOS rankings have Texas and Texas A&M with pretty much identical strength of schedules.
The metric the committee uses is out of whack with the major services like Sagarin, which has the two teams at 14 and 19 in SOS.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:08 pm to TexasOnTop
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It's easy to make these assumptions when one teams has faced significantly weaker competition.
We've played mostly the same teams. Whipped Florida the week after they beat y'all soundly. Choked out State while y'all flirted with being upset (yes, A&M nearly blew it vs. SC, too). Would have put up the same score on Arkansas as y'all had an iffy hold not been called on Reed's long TD run. Etc.
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Texas can be gashed in the run game and that opens up shots downfield.
Texas has the 8th best rushing defense in the country statistically
A&M will be the most multiple at RB that the horns have faced, I believe. We're getting RB1 (Moss) back from injury, who started the season on a tear. The "Stable" of Owens, Daniels, Smith IV, and even Morrow have done yeoman's work in his stead, especially in the 2nd half (hence my OP).
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much like how Kirby is a bad match up schematically for Sark, Venables and Elko are favorable matchups schematically. PK's defenses have owned Kleins offenses (even when he was at K State). Even if Texas beats A&M they need some help in order to make it.
This makes sense.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:13 pm to Hugh McElroy
A&M has played 1 team that is currently ranked (ND). Texas has played 4 (tOSU, OU, Vandy and Georgia). They're not comparable schedules by any means.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:14 pm to TbirdSpur2010
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We've played mostly the same teams. Whipped Florida the week after they beat y'all soundly. Choked out State while y'all flirted with being upset (yes, A&M nearly blew it vs. SC, too). Would have put up the same score on Arkansas as y'all had an iffy hold not been called on Reed's long TD run. Etc.
I view it as more of a road vs home thing more than anything. A&M flirted with an upset against Arkansas on the road, Texas beat them by 2 scores at home.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:16 pm to TbirdSpur2010
Rooting for you in this one, TBird
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:19 pm to TexasOnTop
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They're not comparable schedules by any means.
You’re trusting in soundbites and isolated data. I’m trusting in the major services that have been ranking sos for decades.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:20 pm to TexasOnTop
SOS only matters if you win some of those games.
In the SEC West, Arky, Miss. State, etc always had great SOS.
In the SEC West, Arky, Miss. State, etc always had great SOS.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:20 pm to TexasOnTop
Texas lost to Florida by giving up 160 yards in the ground. It was slightly better vs UGA at 128 yards. But the inability for Texas’ offense to do anything severely limits the ability for your defense to get key stops in the fourth quarter. UGA out scoring you 21-0 in the fourth shows that your defense was on the field way too much and the running game drained the clock
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:21 pm to TbirdSpur2010
Where the hell have you been?
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:26 pm to FightinTigersDammit
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SOS only matters if you win some of those games.
Did Texas not beat OU and Vandy?
Posted on 11/24/25 at 1:50 pm to Hugh McElroy
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Texas University can’t lose.
It’s inevitable
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