ALL CAPS PREVIEW-NEW MEXICO

ON THE PULSE WE’VE HEARD JIMBO SAY “LOVE IS THE REASON FOR THE FIGHT”.

AND ON ITS SURFACE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CORNY WAY OF KEEPING HIS TEAM TOGETHER.

BUT EVENTS LIKE THIS WEEKEND INDICATE THAT THE BOND THAT THESE PLAYERS HAVE WITH EACH OTHER AND THE LOVE THAT THEY HAVE FOR EACHOTHER CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE OUTCOME OF A GAME.

AFTER THREE YEARS OF BEING IN A SUPPORT ROLE, ZACH WAS THRUST INTO THE LIMELIGHT AND I CANT IMAGINE THAT WAS A EASY EXPERIENCE. QB OF A TOP 5 TEAM ON THE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN ITS SOLELY HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE THE OFFENSE GO.

AND HE STRUGGLED. STRUGGLED PRETTY MIGHTILY.

BUT LOVE IS THE REASON FOR THE DADGUM FIGHT.

WE SAW IT IN THAT BRIEF MOMENT WHERE WE THOUGHT WE’D SEEN ZACH RUN INTO THE ENDZONE FOR A TD. THE TEAM ENGULFED THEIR QB. NOT OUT OF RELIEF. NOT OUT OF PENT-UP FRUSTRATION. BUT LEGITIMATE JOY. THEY KNEW HOW MUCH ZACH WANTED IT AND THEY WANTED IT FOR HIM. AND EVEN THOUGH THAT MOMENT DIDNT COME TO FRUITION, IT SHOWED SOMETHING ABOUT THIS TEAM.

LOVE IS THE REASON FOR THE FIGHT.

LAST WEEK I TALKED ABOUT HOW FOOTBALL AT THIS LEVEL OFTEN BECOMES A MATTER OF CHOOSING BETWEEN RELIEF AND DISAPPOINTMENT. MOMENTS LIKE THIS WEEKEND. SEEING ZACH FEED OFF THE ENERGY OF HIS DEFENSE TO GO 8/14 FINISHING WITH A SPECTACULAR BALL TO SPILLER IN THE ENDZONE MAKE ME REALIZE THAT THE PROCESS OF GETTING TO A WIN MATTERS. THAT PROCESS IS BUILT ON ALL THOSE THINGS THAT JIMBO PREACHES. TOUGHNESS. EFFORT, DISCIPLINE, PRIDE, AND GRIT. IT’S ABOUT THE TEAM PLAYING FOR TEXAS A&M BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, PLAYING FOR EACHOTHER...AND PLAYING FOR EACHOTHER TO HAVE A MOMENT WHERE THEY SLICE THROUGH AND KNOCK A GUY BACK FOR A LOSS LIKE ANTONIO JOHNSON, OR WHERE THEY BULLY TWO DUDES INTO THE QB LIKE JAYDEN PEEVY OR PANCAKE A GUY COMING TO MAKE A TACKLE LIKE BRYCE FOSTER OR FIND THE TINIEST CREASE AND BANG HES GONE LIKE DEVON ACHANE.

OR WHERE, AFTER SLOGGING THROUGH THE MUD AND STRUGGLING ALL GAME LONG, PUT TOGETHER A GAME-WINNING DRIVE LIKE ZACH MFING CALZADA.

I DONT KNOW WHAT THE REST OF THE SEASON HOLDS. I DONT KNOW IF EXPECTATIONS SHOULD CHANGE. BUT I DONT PARTICULARLY CARE.

I KNOW THAT THE DNA OF THIS TEAM IS SOLID. I KNOW THIS TEAM IS BUILT TO WIN BOTH FROM A TALENT PERSPECTIVE AND ATTITUDE.

WE’RE BUILT FOR THIS. ADVERSITY AINT SHIT. WE’RE BUILT FOR THIS.

2 OPPORTUNITIES DOWN. 10 MORE TO GO.

IT’S TIME FOR OUR GUYS TO GO OUT AND DO WHAT THEY DO BEST. PLAY FOR EACHOTHER AND FOR THE 12TH MAN.

LET’S GO BEAT THE EVERLIVING

EVERLOVING

COMPOUND

COMPLEX

FIGHTIN TEXAS AGGIE HELL OUTTA

new mexico