COMMENTARY: A Texas A&M upset, a UTSA collapse and other Texas college football observations from Week 9

SAN ANTONIO — Nine weeks of the college football season in the books, and Indiana is for real! 

The football team, I mean. How did Notre Dame lose to Northern Illinois last month? And Alabama is back! Nah, not really. But they did shut out Missouri, and that’s impressive. 

But enough about all that. Let’s get around to the Great State of Texas and examine the college football landscape. 

U-T-U-L-S-A! 

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane was not apparently just what the football doctor ordered for the Roadrunners to get back to .500. Instead of closing things out in the second half of a game that UTSA led by four touchdowns at halftime, they’re instead 3-5 after collapsing in the third and fourth quarters. 

I’m still STUNNED. The Roadrunners led, 35-7, at the half. 35-7! We get it, yes, nothing’s over till it’s over in the world of college football. 

But still: They led, 35-7 at the half. The loss shouldn’t have happened. But you know what? It did. Tulsa scored 39 second-half points, 22 of those in the fourth quarter. Was it the weather? I know 70 degrees hasn’t been anything they’ve felt this season, but that’s football weather, even for Texas kids. 

What happened was a total second-half collapse that saw UTSA scoring just 10 offensive points while surrendering almost 40. Tulsa had no life at the half. None. It’s one of those moments that wouldn’t happen 10 more times out of 10, but it happened this time. Just brutal. 

Head coach Jeff Traylor said after the game that when his bunch lost momentum, they never got it back. This had to be one of those all-time random moments where something plain crazy happened, because in any normal universe the Roadrunners should have won this game going away. Even if by human nature they loosened up with that huge halftime lead and Tulsa’s offense strung together two or maybe even three drives for some fashion of points, the UTSA offense should have kept steamrolling to answer every call. 

There was no atmosphere at Chapman Stadium on Saturday, absolutely none. It was worse than a spring game feel. It was just awful for UTSA to collapse in the second half the way they did. This was much worse than what happened against Rice, much worse. No doubt, it’s a low point for this program during Traylor’s tenure. 

There’s still a path to six wins – and bowl eligibility – with four regular-season games left. But these days, becoming bowl-eligible doesn’t mean all that much anymore. Just being “eligible” doesn’t mean didley. They’ll get passed by before they know it. They’ll likely need to win out and finish 7-5 to be extended any postseason invite, but I’m not seeing that with Memphis, North Texas and Army as three of the last four. 

Coach Traylor has his work cut out holding this thing together for the last month of the season. #BirdsUp

The Longhorns didn’t really look National Championship-worthy in Nashville, but maybe Vandy is finally as good as an SEC team is expected to be? 

I was worried that I was gonna have to tweet the following: “Never thought I’d say this, but Texas coming back to the Alamo Bowl is in play.” Thank goodness that didn’t wind up being in play. Man, is playing in the Southeastern Conference ever something special to watch! The competition from the top down is just highly impressive. 

So is it a case of a win is a win? It felt that way when things were all said and done. Looking ahead, it isn’t Vanderbilt that Texas gets (no matter how improved the Commodores might be). It’s Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas A&M as the Longhorns’ remaining conference games. There’s still work to be done to keep that high percentage of making the College Football Playoff in full effect. #HookEm

Two words: Marcel. Reed.

Say it with me: MARCEL REED! The dude was crazy good coming in for the ineffective Conner Weigman. 

Oh nothing, just three second-half touchdown runs along with 62 yards rushing on only nine carries. The LSU defense was strung out and confused, to say the least. Reed was also 2-2 passing for 70 yards. That’s efficient. And the Ags defense stepped up as well, slowing down the Tigers offense after their first-half party. 

As soon as I was ready to write this blurb about A&M getting manhandled by the Bayou Bengals, the second half was a completely different script than the first and second quarters. What the Aggies couldn’t do to start their year against Notre Dame, they certainly did do against what was at the time the eighth-ranked team in the country. As a result, the Tigers slipped to No. 16 while the Aggies rose four spots to No. 10. 

I’ve given Texas A&M football some grief over the years for constantly being hyped and then consistently underperforming, but give them their due credit this time. That was impressive at Kyle Field on Saturday night. A&M is 7-1, and, even more importantly, they’re a perfect 5-0 in SEC play. That’s huge. And so is jumping into the top 10 of the new Top 25 poll. 

They visit sneaky good South Carolina next week. That showdown with Texas is looming on Nov. 30. #GigEm

“Hello, win column,” as former TTU baseball radio voice Mark Finker said back in the day. 

At least, it looked like that introduction was going to happen. 

Backup QB Will Hammond played with some second-half moxy after replacing injured starter Behren Morton, but his fumble with less than two minutes left as TTU was setting up for the potential game-winning field goal was as tough as luck gets. The game was really entertaining, but obviously more satisfying for TCU in the end. 

Both teams are now 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Big 12 play. Tech now travels to No. 11 Iowa State after dropping back-to-back league games. That’s rough. #WreckEm

See the above write-up, with some additional information here. 

Horned Frogs Head coach Sonny Dykes is the son of legendary Red Raiders Head coach Spike Dykes. Sonny graduated from TTU in 1993. And he was an offensive assistant coach there during the Mike Leach years. You can imagine wins for him over alma mater are very satisfying. #FrogFam

The Bobcats were on the bye last week. They probably needed it after stumbling at Old Dominion the week prior. 

The ‘Cats were double-digits favs, but wound up losing by double-digits, 24-14. And their bounce-back opportunity is not gonna be the easiest of all time: The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns come calling at 6-1 overall and undefeated in Sunbelt Conference play at 3-0. What looked so promising for Texas State after their 2-0 start has turned out to be very mixed results ever since. They can get one away from bowl eligibility with four left if they can win this weekend. #EatEmUpCats

The Mustangs won another ACC game. 28-27, in overtime at Duke on Saturday night. The Ponies are 7-1 and perfect in ACC play at 4-0. 

And did you see the dramatics of how that game ended? Duke had a chip-shot, 30-yard field goal lined up to win as time would expire, but oh! SMU blocked the kick and the game went to extra time. The ‘Stangs then scored to go up, 28-21, followed by Duke scoring and then deciding for go for two and the win. No, sir! Denied! 

SMU left town with the overtime win. College football, man. #PonyExpress

The Cards won their conference road game at SE Louisiana over the weekend, 34-31, to move into first place alone in the Southland Conference standings. UIW boasts an overall 6-2 mark, including a 3-0 record in conference play. And that’s how big the game was! First place in the standings was on the line, so give it to the Cards. They sit atop the situation with Houston Christian and Lamar visiting campus the next two weeks. #TheWord

Other observations…

Baylor has won two straight, finding their way back to .500 ball after beating Oklahoma State, 38-28, Saturday in Waco. Head coach Dave Aranda just might be doing enough to hang around another season. 

Houston also won again. Don’t bring on Cougars hoops just yet! Utah, of course, isn’t the same without injured star QB Cam Rising, but UH did still got it done in a 17-4 THRILLER! I’m not joking about them, for once. It was a 43-yard, game-winning FG! COOOOOOOOOGS! Don’t get used to it.

Looking forward to Week 10! Ten, already? Yup, 10 already.