Jimbo Fisher fails the Aggies

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At some point, it’s time to blame Jimbo Fisher.

That time is now.

The quarterback guru with a national championship on his resume certainly doesn’t look like he’s playing the part after Texas A&M suffered their embarrassingly second straight loss. The No.15 Aggies were beaten at Kyle Field 26-22 by a Mississippi State pedestrian team on Saturday night.

In fact, it’s Fisher’s team looking ordinary right now.

Texas A&M started the season fifth in the nation, with plans to compete for an SEC title and a playoff berth. Now the Aggies are 3-2 and 0-2 in conference and deserve to get out of the top 25.

Much has been said and written about a rebuilt offensive line and a backup quarterback taking the reins. These facts hold true, but that ignores the call to lackluster play, an uninspired group, and the failure of creative planning.

Fisher hinted after the 20-10 loss to Arkansas that he needed to better coach.

Well?

“I am disappointed with the result,” Fisher said on Saturday night. “We have to play better. In these games where every possession counts, every play counts, every situation matters, and we have to play better, execute better, and we have to coach better and find ways to help them find their games.

This is where Fisher is supposed to step in and make a difference. A $ 9 million a year trainer counts for something.

Zach Calzada now has three starts to his name. He was also on campus for three years. It is not a beginner thrown to the wolves without knowing what to do and how to do it.

However, Calzada has not progressed, especially during his last two outings. He was ineffective against Arkansas and even worse at home against the Bulldogs. (By the way, that Arkansas loss looks even worse now after Georgia demolished the Hogs.)

Calzada missed open receivers in a game the Aggies could have pulled out. His knockdown of Ainias Smith late in the fourth quarter would have given A&M the lead. Instead, the Aggies settled for a field goal to be in the 24-22, forcing the defense to get another save.

It did, but the Aggies imploded in the road that followed. Looking down their own 11-yard line with 2.5 minutes, Isaiah Spiller was called a run on the first down. The game dropped a yard and immediately put A&M behind the chains.

Calzada badly missed Smith in cover on the second down before being sacked in the end zone for decisive safety in the next game.

With the match in play, Fisher made up the same unimaginative play streak that didn’t work out for much of the evening. To make matters worse, it wasn’t Georgia’s or Alabama’s defense.

It was the state of Mississippi. Mike Leach does not always know the names of his defensive players.

Despite the problems on the line and at quarterback, Fisher’s offense – and, yes, it’s his – doesn’t seem to be finding a rhythm. Calzada passed for just 135 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per throw. His best piece didn’t even come from the air; it was a 25 yard touchdown in the third quarter.

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