DALLAS — A sure sign that a season has not met expectations is when the coach has to deny everything has turned into a hot mess.
Mired in Texas A&M’s longest losing streak in 50 years and with no bowl appearance coming, coach Jimbo Fisher was disputing the perception — despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.
“It’s not in disarray,” Fisher said during his weekly press conference on Monday afternoon. “We’ve got very good players here. We’ve got good guys that we’ll keep coaching, good young players. …
“We’re not in disarray in recruiting. We’re not in disarray in our team. Our guys are playing their tails off, playing hard. We’ve got to continue to help them play better. They’ve got a great attitude and demeanor. It looks very good.”
Time will tell. During a 3-7 season, five of the losses have come by one score.
“Is it far away?” Fisher asked rhetorically. “It can be, but it’s also very close, too. It’s not like it’s unreachable.”
The present isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of glory days, close losses notwithstanding. Fisher, the $95 million man with an $85.95 million buyout, is making Aggies actually miss the Kevin Sumlin Era. Even a win over UMass on Saturday will barely register.
If you remember, A&M started the season ranked sixth in the AP Top 25, a remarkable fall from grace.
Even before then, there were all kinds of incidents that should have triggered alarm bells and screeching sirens. Here’s a look at how things unraveled:
— The end of the 2021 season. The whole thing got glossed over when Texas A&M signed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in December, but things simply did not end well. A&M dropped its final two games against FBS opponents, including an inexcusable blown lead against LSU. Then the Aggies opted out of the bowl with a depleted roster. The momentum going into 2022 slowed.
— Unreasonable high expectations. While no one expected 3-7 after 10 games, a No. 6 preseason ranking looks almost delusional in hindsight. A&M had nagging question marks at quarterback, the offensive line, receiver and the defensive line from an 8-4 season. Even with the No. 1 recruiting class, history said instant help was unlikely to come from true freshmen feeling their way.
— Coaching musical chairs. Fisher unveiled new assignments for offensive coaches Darrell Dickey, Dameyun Craig and James Colley as preseason camp started. Yes, it was odd for changes at that point. “We’ve mixed it around in different ways,” Fisher said, downplaying the news at the time. In retrospect, it might have showed something wasn’t quite right with the offense.
— Appalachian State. It wasn’t just the 17-14 loss to a Group of Five school as much as everything surrounding it. As evidenced by their current 5-5 record, the Mountaineers weren’t some powerhouse. They still dominated A&M far more than the score indicated, doubling the Aggies in time of possession and plays run. To call it humbling was an understatement.
— Discipline. Four freshmen were suspended for an incident before the Miami (Fla.) win in September and four more for a reported locker room incident after a loss to South Carolina last month. Accountability has ranged from lax for incidents with police to strange, like Moose Muhammad III being benched against Auburn for wearing sleeves.
— Injuries. The Aggies have experienced more than their share from quarterback to the offensive line to the defense. Maybe the biggest injury was to Ainias Smith, who was lost for the season with a right leg injury sustained against Arkansas in September. While Smith was A&M’s top receiver and a multi-talented performer, he was also a key leader in the locker room.
— The offense. Yes, the offense. Did we mention the offense? If there’s a No. 1 reason A&M finds itself buried in the SEC standings, it’s the offense. The Aggies are last in the SEC in scoring (21 points per game) and next to last in total offense (350.7 yards per game) and passing efficiency rating. You can fold the uncertainly and inconsistency at quarterback into the equation, which Haynes, Max Johnson and freshman Conner Weigman all getting chances to start with mixed results. Whether by choice or strong suggestion, Fisher is likely to hire a true offensive coordinator in the offseason and give up play-calling duties. But how much will the offense seriously change.
— The run defense. Some wondered when defensive coordinator Mike Elko left after four successful seasons to become the coach at Duke. Now he has the Blue Devils 7-3 and bowl eligible. Replacement D.J. Durkin has fashioned an OK defense that cannot stop the run. A&M is allowing 221.5 yards per game and nearly 5.0 yards per rush. It’s gotten worse throughout the season, too, allowing an average of 319.3 yards in the past three games. Blame the youth or the injuries but getting gashed on the ground is not a winning formula in the SEC.
