2011 Texas Bowl: Texas A&M Survives Northwestern’s Late Rally, 33-22

12: Yards gained in the three Texas A&M drives during Northwestern’s fourth-quarter comeback. We all enjoy a little comfort and reliability in our lives, things we know are going to happen, beyond a shadow of a doubt. It makes us feel like we have some semblance of control in this completely uncontrollable world. So when A&M began to falter in the fourth quarter, it just felt right. One last collapse in a season of collapses. And if it happened, A&M fans couldn’t really even feel too badly about it -- they’ve already got a new coach lined up next year, and there will already be a decent amount of turnover in on-field personnel. Next season will see a new team regardless, so why not go out with a bang? And for about ten minutes, it looked like that was exactly what would happen.

After Texas A&M went up, 30-7, they followed up with a three-and-out possession. Northwestern did the same, but on their first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter, Tannehill was picked off by Brian Peters at the A&M 40. Nine plays (and a two-point conversion) later, it was 30-15. A&M went three and out again, and Northwestern followed with a 10-play, 80-yard drive. With 5:22 left, it was indeed a one-possession game.

Texas A&M tried to give away another big lead. Northwestern’s Cardiac Cats tried to stage another comeback. Neither happened in the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl, as the Aggies countered two late Northwestern touchdowns with a field goal to ice a 33-22 victory.

The Aggies, playing little more than a week after the death of offensive lineman Joseph Villavisencio and in the last game most of fired head coach Mike Sherman’s staff will caoch at A&M, led 30-7 in the fourth quarter, and were on the verge of yet another collapse in a 2011 season full of them after Northwestern scored twice in the period.

Northwestern is still alive despite a huge early deficit in the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl, which is about what one would expect when the team on the other sideline is Texas A&M’s 2011 iteration. The Wildcats scored again in the fourth quarter to draw within a possession at 30-22 with under six minutes to go.

After the touchdown, Northwestern had a 105-5 advantage in total yards in the fourth quarter. And Texas A&M fans probably had a potent case of deja vu.

It is time for Texas A&M to panic. Northwestern is back within two touchdowns in the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl, at 30-15, and there’s no chance that the Aggies are holding on to win this one, right?

Northwestern failed to recover the ensuing onside kick, but got a stop on the subsequent Texas A&M drive. For the Wildcats, the dream of a first bowl win since 1949 remains alive — and for the Aggies, the living nightmare of playing the second halves of their games in 2011 continues apace.

Texas A&M might have to do some serious work to blow the lead the Aggies have established on Northwestern in the third quarter of the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl. Texas A&M leads 30-7 in the third after opening the scoring in the second half with a 93-yard touchdown drive and adding a field goal.

But Texas A&M has been better at nothing in 2011 than building a formidable lead only to watch the other squad reduce it to dust, and Tannehill’s last throw before Randy Bullock’s field goal, a dart right at a Northwestern defender, is a remind that there’s plenty of time left for the Aggies to do that, too.

Texas A&M briefly trailed Northwestern in the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl. At halftime, with the score 20-7 in the Aggies’ favor, that seems like a distant memory.

Texas A&M’s established a trend of blowing every lead possible in the second half in the 2011 season, though, so it’s probably completely premature to write off the Wildcats, who also have their fair share of comebacks under Pat Fitzgerald.

After a slow start, the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl has turned into a back-and-forth affair. Texas A&M leads in the second quarter, 10-7, after the Aggies’ first touchdown of the day.

Pat Fitzgerald’s Northwestern squad is struggling early against Texas A&M in the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl, but at least Fitzgerald knows where to turn for answers from the officials. GIF after the jump.

That would be up, in case you were wondering.

NOTE: Confused? See the quick glossary at the bottom.

This past summer, my Northwestern preview focused on the Wildcats’ odd ability to consistently win close games from year to year. There was a bit of regression toward the mean this year; Northwestern went just 2-3 in one-possession games but still holds a 23-12 record in such games over Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure. Contrast that with Texas A&M, which would have been a national title contender if third quarters, like 13th floors on elevators, just disappeared; the Aggies went 0-5 in one-possession games this season, and instead of heading off to the SEC following a breakthrough season, the Aggies fired Mike Sherman and brought in Kevin Sumlin. The closer this game is, the more everyone in Houston’s Reliant Stadium, including potentially both teams, will begin to assume Northwestern is going to win.

Game date, time: 12:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 31st

Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

For more on the Texas A&M Aggies visit SB Nation’s Aggies blog I Am The 12th Man. For more on the Northwestern Wildcats visit SB Nation’s Wildcats blog Sippin’ On Purple.

Additionally, Northwestern will join in the tribute, wearing the same helmet stickers as the Aggies.