The Aggies need to bring their A game to pull out a win
The Lone Star Showdown. One of the bitterest rivalries in sports. First meeting since 2011. 13 years of pent-up hatred. College Gameday. Night game at Kyle Field. And to top it all off, the winner goes to the SEC Championship game. The importance of this game cannot be overstated. Let’s break down what Texas A&M needs to do to take down the Texas Longhorns.
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Survive the First Quarter
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian is known for being excellent at authoring the opening scripts for his offense. Not just the first drive, but even the first 20-25 plays of the game sometimes. Expect to see the Longhorns throw the kitchen sink at A&M in the first quarter with motion, misdirection, trick plays, etc.
The Texas offense is prone to stalling out in the middle of games, so if the Aggie defense can hold up for the first few drives it will give them a fighting chance and take the pressure of the offense. In their two most recent losses, the A&M defense has come out flat. That just can’t happen tomorrow night.
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Defend the Perimeter
The Texas offense is most effective going east and west and that goes for the running game and the passing game. QB Quinn Ewers has struggled getting the ball downfield this season but has been very successful in screens and quick passes to the running backs. The backs, Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue, are not the biggest of backs, but they catch the ball well, run hard, and excel at limiting negative plays. The Aggies HAVE to wrap up on those perimeter plays and not let a one- or two-yard gains turn into big plays.
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Get After the Quarterback
Ewers isn’t great at escaping pressure and that will be even further magnified by an apparent ankle injury. The Texas offensive line is one of the best in the country but can be vulnerable to speed and stunts on the right side. If A&M can put Texas in obvious passing situations, they have a chance to really do some damage and get the ball back for their offense.
Every NFL scout is going to have their eyes on this game. Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart have an excellent opportunity to boost their stock by going against future first-round LT Kelvin Banks. Big time players, big time plays, big time games.
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Can Reed Rise to the Occasion?
The Texas defense has put up incredible numbers on the season, there is no question about it. However, the list of quarterbacks they have faced is uninspiring to say the least. The Texas run defense is somewhat vulnerable up the middle, but you have to imagine they stack the box against A&M, forcing Marcel Reed to beat them.
Reed has gotten a little bit better in each outing, but he will need to continue that trend tomorrow night, and he is going to have to run it and throw it to keep the Longhorn defense on their heels. More importantly, he needs those around him to help him out. No dropped passes and no missed blocking assignments.
With an electric home crowd behind him, can Reed put together the best performance of his young career? If he can, then we just might see the Aggies score the biggest of wins and punch their ticket to Atlanta.