The Eagle, Bryan, Texas, Robert Cessna Column: CESSNA: AandM-ISU Suddenly a Big Game

By Robert Cessna, The Eagle, Bryan, Texas

Oct. 27--It's fitting that Texas A&M and Iowa State are playing on Halloween.

No one thought this would be one of the Big 12's football treats before the season. Heck, the league's television partners just a week ago passed on the game for Missouri at Colorado and Nebraska at Baylor. What where they thinking? Those four teams have a combined two league victories.

Of course, who knew A&M would win in Lubbock for the first time since 1993 coming off a 62-14 thumping at Kansas State?

"I don't know after watching the K-State game if I would have made the trip out to Lubbock myself," A&M head coach Mike Sherman said at his Monday press conference. "I might have said, 'Hey, we'll pass this week on the Aggies.'"

Perhaps even more remarkable was ISU's 9-7 victory at Nebraska, its first triumph in Lincoln since 1977.

"As a team, you take steps and you get over hurdles," ISU head coach Paul Rhoads said. "The win last week vs. Baylor was a dang big win because it was our fourth win of the season. It was our first Big 12 win in a long time and it was our first Big 12 win of the season. Now we've got two of them. We're excited about that."

Those landmark victories help make the ISU-A&M clash the league's best and most intriguing matchup this week other than Texas at Oklahoma State, yet it's the only conference game that won't be televised. The TV executives were tricked into thinking that ISU and A&M would lose last week, maybe even in blowouts, potentially making Saturday's matchup at Kyle Field a real dud. Boy were they wrong.

The game could fizzle, but the buildup won't. Iowa State (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) can become bowl-eligible, while the Aggies (4-3, 1-2) can exceed last year's win total. It's also Military Appreciation Day. Temperatures are projected to be in the high 70s with no rain in the forecast.

The A&M-Colorado game Nov. 7 won't be on the Big 12's regular television outlets. That's bad news and good news.

Aggies surely want to see the game, but A&M is 4-0 when not on television and 0-3 when on the tube.

ABC exercised its second of three six-day windows for next week and is considering Kansas at Kansas State, Oklahoma State at Iowa State and Oklahoma at Nebraska for its 2:30 and 7 p.m. slots. Versus will show at 11:30 a.m. the game ABC doesn't select. FSN will show Central Florida at Texas at 11 a.m. Television also passed on Baylor at Missouri.

There's a chance the A&M-CU game will be broadcast by Fox College Sports with a 12:30 p.m. kickoff. If not, the game will start at 1:10 p.m., said a CU official. Fox College Sports broadcast the A&M-KSU game, which was available in Bryan-College Station only on DirecTV.

FSN will be showing a one-hour condensed telecast of A&M's victory at Texas Tech at noon Wednesday and again at 11 a.m. Friday. There also will be a two-hour showing at 7 p.m. Thursday.

A&M plans to start the same offensive linemen for a second straight game for the first time this season. Seniors Lee Grimes and Michael Shumard will be the tackles Saturday, senior Kevin Matthews the center, and sophomore Evan Eike and freshman Patrick Lewis the guards.

That group allowed A&M to rush for a season-high 321 yards against Tech.

"I'm not a big guy on moving offensive linemen around," Sherman said. "I hate it. I think they need to pretty much be in one position. It's been out of necessity that we've had to find the right combination."

Sherman was kidding about not making the trip to Lubbock, and was grateful for the fans who did.

"There were quite a few people out there to support us," he said. "I take my hat off to them, they were great Aggies to be out there after the showing the week before. It meant a lot to us."

Ditto for the fans who showed up at Easterwood Airport when the team arrived late Saturday night.

"It meant a lot to those kids," Sherman said.

A&M running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael were caught behind the line of scrimmage only once in a combined 47 carries against Texas Tech, and that wasn't a designed rush.

Gray, who also played quarterback at DeSoto, had a pass-run option on a first-and-10 play from the Tech 11-yard line on A&M's second drive. The receiver was covered, so Gray alertly ran the ball, losing a yard.

Gray caught a 12-yard touchdown pass on the next play. That jump-started the Aggies to scoring on all six of their red-zone opportunities. A&M had been only 5 of 11 in the red zone during its three-game losing streak.

Sherman was pleased with the punting of true freshman Ryan Epperson, who averaged 38.2 yards on four kicks Saturday.

"His approach to the ball is very consistent, his drop point is very consistent," Sherman said. "I think he'll get better as he gets stronger."

Freshman linebacker Sean Porter had a personal foul penalty after a 14-yard punt return that gave Tech the ball at the Aggie 24. It led to a score that pulled Tech within 38-22.

"In that situation, cooler heads have to prevail," Sherman said. "You can't put that ahead of the team and what we're trying to accomplish. He's very much a competitor. I thought he played a heck of a ballgame except for that one play."

Sherman and Porter had words on the sideline after the play.

"Yeah, he lost it, I lost it, and the two of us lost it together," a smiling Sherman said. "Hopefully we found ourselves this morning."

A&M senior cornerback Jordan Peterson, who is from Lexington, missed most of fall camp and the first five games of the season with an ailing shoulder.

He's played on special teams in the last two games and made two tackles late in the Tech game at cornerback. He played in only six games last year because of shoulder and ankle injuries.

Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud (swollen throwing hand) and running back Alexander Robinson (groin) are expected to play against A&M after missing the Nebaska game.

Rhoads said Monday on the Big 12 coaches' teleconference the school's training staff is working to reduce the swelling in Arnaud's hand. Robinson took part in Sunday's team running drills.

Iowa State linebacker Jesse Smith was the Big 12's defensive player of the week and teammate Mike Brandtner was the special teams player of the week.

Smith had 12 tackles, an interception and forced a fumble against Nebraska. Brandtner rushed for 20 yards on a fake punt that set up the team's lone touchdown. He also had five punts inside the 20.

Smith also was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation BCS Player of the Week

Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com.

TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL

--Saturday's game: Iowa State (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) at Texas A&M (4-3, 1-2), 2:30 p.m.

--TV/radio: None/WTAW, 1620 AM and Sirius Ch. 154

--Tickets: $60-$65 (half-price tickets available for veterans, active duty personnel and reservists for Military Appreciation Day; half-price tickets in the end zone also available)

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