COLLEGE STATION, Texas – When redshirt freshman Ashton Bethel-Roman led No. 3 Texas A&M in receiving, it was a standout performance that illustrated the Aggies’ depth.
As Texas A&M prepares to visit No. 20 LSU (5-2), the Aggies know contributions from role players will be important as they chase their first national title since 1939.
“We have a group of guys on offense that could do anything with the ball on any given day,” receiver Terry Bussey said. “Everyone is ready to step up when called.”
Bethel-Roman had receptions in just three games this season with 86 receiving yards before his performance in which he had 83 receiving yards and his first touchdown of the year. His work helped the Aggies win 45-42 at Arkansas, improving their record to 7-0 for the first time since 1994.
He said waiting his turn was a little difficult, but he was glad to finally be able to contribute in a big way.
“It feels great because everyone in that locker room can do anything,” he said. “That’s what we came here to do, play soccer at a high level. So at first it can be a little frustrating, but it’s part of the game. It’s a team sport. When we’re called on, we just play at our level.”
Coach Mike Elko said he talked to his team about the importance of this type of attitude after the game and again in a team meeting.
“When you talk about what a championship program is like, that’s what it looks like,” he said. “It seems like a group of guys made a commitment to be ready when the time comes.”
Elko must remind his players of this concept frequently, especially on offense, where they are always coming to him to tell him they aren’t getting the ball enough.
He shared what he tells those players.
“There will come a time when the game is on the line, the ball will come to you and your challenge will be to be ready to make that play,” he said. “I don’t know when it will be. I don’t know how it will happen, but you have to be ready to make that play, because inevitably that play could be the difference between winning and losing, and it could be the difference between going to the playoffs or not. That’s football.”
And it’s not just the youngest players on the team who fit the role player mold. Sixth-year running back EJ Smith, son of NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, also had a strong performance for the Aggies in the first game since Le’Veon Moss suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him indefinitely.
Smith had seven carries for 52 yards, both season highs, against Arkansas. After the Razorbacks cut the lead to three points early in the fourth quarter, Smith’s 2-yard run on fourth-and-1 kept alive a drive that led to Texas A&M’s final touchdown that clinched the victory.
“I’m sure EJ Smith isn’t getting all the attention he dreamed of as a senior,” Elko said. “I’m sure he wishes he were the lead running back carrying the ball 20 times a game. But… here he is, fourth-and-1 at Arkansas, in our own territory, and he has to convert, and that’s a championship play. That play and that player will have as much to do with our success as anyone.”
Elko values players like that as much as the stars on his team. He believes his team’s selflessness has helped propel the Aggies to their undefeated start. And as Texas A&M heads to Baton Rouge for the second of three straight road games and attempts to win in Louisiana for the first time since 1994, Elko hopes these unsung heroes continue to help.
“Those things matter,” he said. “And in this world, where we try to identify that every player is selfish and every player is only out for their own benefit, I think within this program right now, we have a lot of players who are breaking that, who are showing you that they’re really here for Texas A&M. They’re here for this team and they’re going to compete and they’re going to be ready when their number is called.”
