Kevin Sumlin has a 6-game win streak in 11 a.m. games at home or neutral sites

When the news broke yesterday that this year’s Arkansas vs. Texas A&M game was another 11 a.m. kickoff, there was hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing all over the Aggie Internet. “How dare they! We should play every game in prime time under the full accordance of respect we deserve!” and so forth.

Well, folks, it ain’t all bad news.

You have to go all the way back to Sumlin’s first season to find an 11 a.m. game he’s lost at home or a neutral site. That was to #6 LSU in October of that year, and was the final loss of that season.

Since then, he’s rattled off six straight 11 a.m. victories in the State of Texas:

• In 2013 he beat a sparky Vandy team led by James Franklin in an 11:21 kickoff.
• In 2014 he used an 11 a.m. kick against ULM in early November to right a keeling ship after a disastrous 3-game October skid.
• In 2015 he took down Nevada in a September early kick and then we witnessed magic against South Carolina as we wore glow-in-the-dark uniforms under the dull morning sun.
• Last season we dispatched both UTSA and Prairie View A&M in 11 a.m. kickoffs.

We play Louisiana-Lafayette this Saturday at 11 a.m.

Sumlin is 7-1 overall in 11 a.m. kicks in the State of Texas during his tenure, with a couple other noon wins thrown in for good measure.

Scoff all you want, but it’s clear that for whatever reason: body chemistry, the angle of the sun, personality disposition, whatever; Kevin Sumlin excels at early-morning football games. Just as long as they’re not at an opponent’s stadium. No need to check those stats. Just trust us.