Texas A&M No. 5 finished their best season so far under coach Jimbo Fisher with a 41-27 win over North Carolina No. 14 In an orange bowl.
After the New Year’s six-bowl match, arguably Fisher’s biggest win for three years at College Station, Agiz players enthusiastically attempted to flood Fisher with the traditional Gatorade bath after the match – but the coach didn’t have that.
The 55-year-old cheerfully swept away with surprising agility, staying dry before going to shake hands with North Carolina coaches. In the end, as the compliments with Tar Heels ended, the players caught up with Fisher in the finish area and got a very small amount of liquid on the coach.
At the cup celebration, Fisher cracked that he had “not run that fast in 25 years” but he also said he had cut himself while running away from the inundation. Fischer said he pulled his hamstrings, jokingly saying, “Someone over there is going to pay for it.”
Fischer joined Scott Van Pelt at SportsCenter later Saturday night, and confirmed that he had pulled his hamstring.
“I didn’t pull it badly, but I pulled it off,” Fisher told Van Bilt.
His reasons for escaping from the Gatorade bathroom?
“This thing’s cool,” Fisher said. “I liked it, but I had to go in there and do after the game and do that bowl. It’s so cold. I don’t mind they get it, but if they don’t, you won’t get it.”
Fisher said the last time he injured a hamstring was when he was running on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the 2014 BCS National Championship, when Kermit Whitfield of Florida reprized the kick-off for landing against Auburn.
Texas A&M fans are hoping that Saturday night’s win is the first of many of the six major New Year awards for Fisher in College Station. He’s now won the Orange Bowl three times – two of which are coming in Florida. At FSU, Fisher also won the Peach Bowl (then named Chik-fil-A Bowl) and the National Championships for the 2013 season.
The Texas A&M team (9-1 overall) will almost certainly finish in the top five and hold a lot of momentum through 2021.
“Our goal is to win the national championship. That’s why we came here. That’s why A&M is here,” Fisher told Van Bilt. “We’ve gone 8-1 in the SEC, Best Associate League, Best Division Included. We know we have work to do when Alabama is there, we know Auburn, we know LSU, we know Mississippi, Mississippi and Arkansas all with them.”
“We can play with anyone. We are not arrogant, but we are confident of what we got. We are recruiting very well, and this is the next step, we have to take, and tonight was a big step.”
Contribution: Mike Briham
“Mikyung has a deep love for alcohol and shares her knowledge of various beverages. While sometimes known as a troublemaker, her introverted personality resonates with many. She has gained diverse experience as a student and is active on social media and the web. She also loves bacon and demonstrates leadership skills.”
