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The Texas A&M Aggies mounted a comeback to win the 2019 Texas Bowl on Friday.
Down 14-0 at one point and 14-7 at the half, the Aggies rallied to score 17 unanswered points the rest of the way. That 17-point barrage was en route to a 24-21 victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and a win that props them up to an 8-5 finish on the year.
Okie State got things started with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Dru Brown to Braydon Johnson. The opening score combined with Texas A&M folding in the opening sequence made for tense times for the Aggie faithful. As did the play of Chuba Hubbard, who ran for 53 yards in the first quarter, including an impressive 37-yard scamper on the Pokes’ second drive of the game. Brown tacked on a nine-yard rushing touchdown to make it 14-0 near the end of the first quarter.
A fumble by Kellen Mond early in the second quarter did not help matters. But Oklahoma State saw things crumble after that. Dru Brown misfired on three of his next four passes, two in the direction of Johnson and the other to Hubbard. Brown was then promptly sacked by Tyree Johnson for a loss of 11 that backed the Cowboys up to the five yard line. What followed was a, uh, 17-yard punt that gave A&M some damn good field position to say the least.
Unsurprisingly, A&M capitalized. After a couple of rushes by Mond, Isaiah Spiller punched it on from one yard out to make it 14-7. Oklahoma State would chew up clock on their next drive, but Matt Ammendola missed a 46-yard field goal wide left to squander a 10-play, 46-yard drive.
The Aggies forced a three-and-out on their first defensive drive of the second half. With the defense buckling down, the Aggie offense had to take the mantle. Take the mantle they would. Seven plays later, Mond found Jhamon Ausbon for a 10-yard receiving touchdown that tied the game on up.
The game would be tied going into the fourth quarter, with pressure mounting all around. The Cowboys couldn’t make good on their first drive, but the Aggies would shoot ahead on the ensuing possession. Mond ran 67 yards to paydirt for the go-ahead score, and the Aggies wouldn’t soon look back. They would then tack on a field goal by Seth Small on their next drive to make it 24-14 in their favor. Despite a late touchdown by Johnson, the Aggies would collect the onside kick and run things on out.