Texas A&M Routs Lamar
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The largest crowd ever to gather for a college game in the state of Texas didn’t see much of a contest Saturday night as ninth-ranked Texas A&M overwhelmed Lamar 73-3.
The crowd of 104,728 even patiently withstood a two-hour plus lightning delay, which started moments after the opening coin toss. Although there were only a few sprinkles, meteorologists counted 188 lightning strikes in the area before officials allowed the game to continue.
They cheered mightily when the announcer at Kyle Field noted that the crowd was the biggest in state history. The University of Texas, the Aggies’ old rival, had the previous record of 101,851.
“The fans were great,” Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. “They gave us a lot of energy to start the game. Setting a record tonight was a big deal; it was a big deal to these guys. We’re real appreciative of our fans.”
As the game finally unfolded, the Aggies’ offense was almost as electric as Mother Nature. They piled up points with the first team. And they rolled with the backups and players who usually only see reps on the scout team in
practice. Walk-on running back Brice Dolezal scored the final points, sprinting 41 yards for the touchdown.
The rain delay bothered no one wearing maroon. The 70-point victory was the largest margin in an Aggie win since 1993.
“We just had to refocus,” said A&M receiver Sabian Holmes, who caught three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. “It’s part of the game. Nothing’s ever perfect. We couldn’t take these guys for granted, no matter what their record is or what conference they’re in.”
Lamar, which revived its football program in 2010 after a two-decade absence, is considered a mid-level team from the FCS. A&M paid the Cardinals $325,000 for the appearance.
Lamar scored its only points on the second drive of the game. The Cardinals missed a field goal attempt on the final snap of the first half. From that point, they never were close again.
“I learned we have a lot of work to do,” Lamar coach Ray Woodard said. “We’ve got some things that we need to shore up. We didn’t particularly play well in some areas.”
A&M quarterback Kenny Hill, starting his second career game, played almost three quarters. He threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns, completing 17 of 26 passes. Hill was an unknown on the national scene until he led A&M’s upset of South Carolina on Aug. 28. That’s when he threw for a school record 511 yards.
The A&M defense limited Lamar’s passing attack to 153 yards. The Cardinals gained only 90 on the ground. In contrast, A&M gained 630, with 405 of it coming via the air on passes from three quarterbacks.
“Their coaches taught them well,” Lamar receiver Mark Roberts said. “They fly around to the ball real well. … We made some mistakes we have to clean up. But we have to keep fighting and not get down on ourselves.”
Lamar faces a much easier task next week, taking on Texas College. A&M stays at home for a game against Rice, then travels to Southern Methodist to face the struggling Mustangs. Then Southeastern Conference play starts again.
