Texas A&M draws a ranked foe for their first SEC home game – what needs to happen in the trenches to secure a win?
Thanks to an extremely solid effort by both trench units in the 4th quarter, Texas A&M came out of Jerry World with another win over Arkansas and a 2-0 SEC start.
Now the Aggies head back home to face Mizzou in their first battle against a ranked team since Notre Dame came to Kyle Field to kick off the season. The 4-0 Tigers provide a stiff test for Texas A&M and this game will likely set expectations for the rest of the season.
Let’s talk about the battles in the trenches in this one and what the Aggies need to do in order to find a win at home this Saturday.
Offensive Line
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Texas A&M’s offensive line didn’t have their best performance of the season against Arkansas, allowing three sacks and putting up only 134 yards. A big part of the struggles there came courtesy of a strong Arkansas front seven anchored by defensive end Landon Jackson.
Missouri is currently ranked #3 in the country in total defense, so the Tigers are no slouches. The Aggies will have their work cut out for them once again. However, I do think this is a slightly more favorable matchup for Texas A&M.
Once again, the Aggies will hope to establish the run against a defense that has performed well against rushing attacks thus far. The level of offense faced by Mizzou to this point of the season hasn’t been spectacular but credit to this team for performing well even after the loss of their defensive coordinator.
Along the defensive line, Chris McClellan has been the leading tackler for the Tigers. I do have some concerns about the interior offensive line for the Aggies with TJ Shanahan still out and Ar’maj Reed Adams listed as questionable. However, I do think Texas A&M will be able to generate some push up front. The key will be getting those blocks at the first level and getting to the linebackers.
In the passing game, I expect Marcel Reed to have time. Mizzou only has eight sacks to this point of the season and they don’t have an imposing threat on the edge quite like Landon Jackson. The secondary has proven to be susceptible to big plays at times – though I still don’t have faith in the passing game of the Aggies to exploit it.
This one is likely going to be a slog similar to the Arkansas contest. However, if the offensive line can take over in the 4th quarter once again, look for Le’Veon Moss to break off some more big runs to boost A&M’s chances.
Defensive Line
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The Texas A&M defensive line had an incredible game on Saturday with Nic Scourton showing up on the stat line in a big way. The Purdue transfer had four TFLs and two sacks, numbers he’ll look to recreate against a stout Mizzou offensive line.
The first big concern for me in this Mizzou matchup is running back Nate Noel and the Tigers’ tendency to leverage their offensive tackles in the run game. My worries about the perimeter run defense haven’t been fully assuaged just yet and if Missouri can get outside, I do think A&M could find themselves in serious trouble.
My second concern is Luther Burden at wide receiver. While Mizzou hasn’t been able to get him the ball nearly as much as they liked and their offense hasn’t been explosive as a result, he is still very much a player capable of taking over a game.
Texas A&M’s pass rushers will need to make the secondary’s job easier on Saturday by pressuring Brady Cook early and often. Mizzou has allowed just four sacks on the year, so this won’t be an easy task. However, the pass-rushing duo of Stewart and Scourton has only stepped up their game as the season has gone on and I think they will be able to turn up the heat in front of a raucous home crowd on Saturday.
Expect another nail-biting finish on Saturday in College Station. I have a feeling we’re in for another low-scoring affair that comes down to the fourth quarter.