Arkansas State defeated Texas A&M 18-14 and ruined Mike Sherman’s debut as head coach.    No analyst expected the Aggies to be awesome this year.  No one expected the wheels to drop off of Sherman’s West Coast offense so soon.

Sherman has no excuse for losing.   He came to Aggieland after coaching at the Green Bay Packers and as an offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans.   He fielded a team loaded with freshmen, but Arkansas State had just as many freshmen on their two-deep line up.

The difference was the intensity and the lack of mistakes on ASU’s part.  The Aggies turned the ball over four times, twice on fumbles and twice on interceptions.   Aggie quarterback Stephen McGee was sacked four times.   He was sacked for a 17 yard loss to start off the third quarter.  The offense never recovered from that sack.  It went on to record only 109 yards in 29 plays.

Massive fullback Jorvorskie Lane was a non-factor.  He entered the game twice to block.  He was not available in the third quarter to punch it over when the Aggies were second down and goal on the two yard line.  Instead, Sherman went with Goodson who lost a yard.  The next play McGee was sacked for a five-yard loss.  Sherman settled for a field goal attempt by Richie Bean, who missed wide right.

It was a terrible debut for quarterback McGee as a drop back passer.  He lost 29 yards on four sacks.  He was intercepted two times.  He passed for 170 on 19 completions on 27 passes.

All the Arkansas State points came off of Aggie mistakes.   Wide receiver Howard Morrow fumbled on a third and six in the third at the Aggie 47.  That led to an 27 yard ASU field goal by Josh Arauco.   The Aggies responded on the ensuing kickoff by going three and out.

The best drive of the night started at 12:17 in the fourth quarter.  After a penalty that put the Aggies on the ASU 47, they managed to take it to the two yard line where Bean missed a 27-yard field goal.

What’s left of Sherman’season now?

He most certainly will absorb losses to Miami, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Colorado, and Kansas State.   The real contest will be with Baylor over who will be in the cellar of the Big 12 South. 

Sherman’s main goal may be to keep these players’ confidence up.   A collapse in spirit may result in horrible blowouts every Aggie came to expect under failed coach Dennis Franchione.