Aggies DB Jaylon Jones and Texas A&M Defense Are Honed in on Finishing
Texas A&M Aggies' junior defensive back Jaylon Jones is one of the veteran leaders on this young, talented Texas A&M team. He didn't expect to play much though, as he was recovering from an injury, but some suspensions and two first-half targeting ejections forced head coach Jimbo Fisher's hand. As much as they might want to rest him, the Aggies needed Jones.
Luckily for them, their star cornerback answered the call in typical fashion. Jones would play most of the game, leading all players on both sides with nine tackles and making a key deflection late in the game. That's nothing new for Jones though, he was second on the team in passes defended last year (8) and had two picks as well.
For the Aggies, Jones has been a godsend. As for Jones, he just feels blessed himself.
"I just feel blessed. I couldn't do this without God," said Jones after the win. "I couldn't do this without my teammates, my coaches, and everybody around me. So I feel very blessed being in this position."
Jones' return after missing Week 2 to lead the Aggies to a 17-9 win over Miami is a good sign for Texas A&M's season. The Canes came into this one averaging 50 points per game and the Aggies barred them from the end zone for the game's entirety. Despite making four red zone trips, Miami was held to a meager nine points on three field goals.
A&M may have been favored, but few expected them to extinguish the Hurricanes' high-octane passing offense and quarterback Tyler Van Dyke the way that they did. Few, except for Jaylon Jones perhaps. When asked how the Aggies contained the Canes, Jones said it was basically business as usual.
"Just in practice with preparation, great defensive scheme," said Jones of their ability to stop Miami. "Guys executing their assignment, things like that. So we came out here and did what we're supposed to do."
The Aggies did allow over 400 yards to Van Dyke and company, but they shined near the goal line, stifling Miami's every attempt to cross the plane. Jones said that's one of their biggest focuses and it's also that mentality that allowed them to bounce back from their loss to Appalachian State so quickly.
"One thing we hone on is finish. Don't look at past plays, don't live in the past," explained Jones. "Move on to the next play and finish. That's our motto. That's how we go about ourselves...Like what happened last week, one thing about us, we weren't letting that define us. We said we were going to finish the season the way we wanted to and that's what our plan was."
Texas A&M will move on now to Week 4, when they'll host the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks in College Station, Tx. It'll be their first SEC matchup of the season and Jones is ready to keep this momentum going.
"We've got to keep stacking," says Jones. "Stack weeks, stack days, and go about preparation next week and get the job done next Saturday."
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