Thanksgiving turkey, getting the family back together, and the Lone Star Showdown. One of the most exciting rivalries is now reinstated with the No. 3 Texas Longhorns join the SEC after a 13-year hiatus, and the stakes couldn’t be higher against the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday in College Station.
Not only are state bragging rights on the line, but also a ticket to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta, and potentially Texas’ hopes of making it into the College Football Playoffs. If Longhorns nation wasn’t already excited for the reunion of this rivalry, the postseason hopes for the burnt orange and white rest on it this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Central on ABC at Kyle Field.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73755880/2187041947.0.jpg)
The Aggies have had a surprisingly remarkable season. After paying Jimbo Fisher a $76 million buyout to not coach there, losing a handful of starters to the transfer portal, and losing to the Fighting Irish at home week one, many thought this game would be a layup for the Horns to finish off the season.
In his first year, however, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has turned in an impressive 8–3 season with big wins over Missouri, LSU, Florida, and Arkansas. Despite those successes, their biggest and most consequential game yet is against none other than their old rival. Poetic justice.
Offense
The Texas A&M offense under offensive coordinator Collin Klein runs through their dominant offensive line and running game. Dual-threat quarterback Marcel Reed has taken over the reigns for this offense, and despite his youth, he is accurate with the ball and creates problems as a thrower and a runner.
The Aggies like to pull guards and create extra blocking lanes for their rushing attack. Designed quarterback runs, reads, and delayed handoffs are their bread and butter as Klein retains the offensive identity from his time at Kansas State as a quarterback and then offensive coordinator. Despite injuries to running backs Rueben Owens and Le’Veon Moss, they are still a massive threat in the running game with both their quarterback and running backs.
Their passing game is simple, but effective. They get the ball out quick, and use motions to create leverage and mismatches in short and intermediate throws. Klein and the Aggies can create a chess match for opposing defensive coordinators before the snap.
Quarterback
The Aggies started the season under former consensus five-star prospect Connor Weigman, but an injury to Weigman and his poor scheme fit in Klein’s offense resulted in the freshman Reed taking over QB1 role for Texas A&M. The 6’2, 180-pounder from Nashville has completely changed the Aggies offense through the air and on the ground.
On the season Reed’s gone 105-of-175 passing (60 percent) for 1,426 yards, 12 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He’s highly accurate with the football and has great decision making for a freshman with six turnover-worthy throws resulting in those three interceptions. Reed is a true dual-threat option for the Aggies, Reed and the rest of this backfield are able to control the pace of the game on the ground and through long drives with short yardage plays.
Klein has done a great job at simplifying this offense for the young quarterback and creating mismatches for Reed in throwing situations by not asking too much, but allowing the veteran offensive line to create massive holes on designed runs and using motions to create mismatches for Reed in short and medium passing plays.
They don’t rely on Reed to make high-level quarterback decisions, standing tall in the pocket and going through his progressions. Instead, they use the threat of their rushing attack to create favorable matchups for A&M’s wide receivers.
Reed does the majority of his work in the middle of the field through slants and crossing routes, using the speed of his receivers to his advantage — 36 of his completions have been between the hashes within 10 yards with another 20 completions also in the middle of the field between 10 and 20 yards. These areas of the field also lend themselves to RPOs and play action opportunities.
Where he can struggle in the passing game is on the deep ball, going 25.8 percent on throws over 20 yards. However, he has yet to throw an interception on these long balls, and five of his 12 passing touchdowns have been on throws over 20 yards. His skill set is more set to short passes to the middle of the field, and his speed on the ground.
Reed is the team’s third-leading rusher with 93 carries for 441 yards and six touchdowns as an ever-present threat for the Aggies.
Running back
A massive loss for the Aggies is the loss of their big-play running back Le’Veon Moss, whose season was cut short after suffering a knee injury against South Carolina two weeks ago. Reed and Moss were a dynamic duo in the backfield and the running back’s absence has been a huge blow for the Aggies.
Amari Daniels is the first option for the Aggies after the loss of Moss. At 5’9, 215 pounds, Daniels has that old school running back size and speed. He keeps his legs churning and uses his low center of gravity to create yards after contact, with 442 of his rushing yards this season coming after a hit.
So far this season Daniels has totaled 126 carries for 640 yards and eight touchdowns. This workload however has drastically increased after the loss of Moss, as he totaled 27 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown last week against Auburn.
Daniels can run the ball well, but isn’t used much in the passing game with only six receptions all season. In fact, a dropped ball by Daniels in the end zone resulted in the Aggies double overtime loss to the Tigers last week.
The other A&M running back that will take Daniels’ old spot is son of Dallas Cowboys legend Emmit Smith, EJ Smith. After a slow start to his football career at Stanford, Smith transferred back to his home state, although in his senior year has still not been able to carve out a defining role living up to his father’s shadow.
So far, Smith has only carried the ball 48 times for 167 yards and zero touchdowns. Last week against Auburn he did not carry the ball once for the Aggies, as they will likely run the majority of the workload through Daniels.
Daniels has been a great replacement for Moss in the running game, but also as a lead blocker and back side blocker for the Aggies in designed quarterback run schemes along with pulling offensive linemen.
Wide receivers
The wide receiving corps for the Aggies has been great all season, and despite the lack of experience from their quarterback, this offense has been effective at not keying in on one guy and spreading the ball out among multiple different receivers.
They use motions and leverage plays to create mismatches in the defense, and find one of their speedy receivers lined up against a linebacker in the middle of the field. The strength of this passing attack comes in the middle of the field through crossing and slant routes.
Noah Thomas is the clear wide receiver one for the Aggies, leading the team in all receiving stats — 31 receptions for 514 yards has been a good turnout for the junior, but his ability to get into the end zone is his greatest feat with six touchdowns on the season. Thomas can score in multiple different ways in the pass catching game.
At 6’6, 200 pounds, he can use his height and athleticism to high point the ball over smaller receivers, making him a great red-zone threat in the rare case that the Aggies are not running it in the red area. And despite his tall frame, he still has remarkable speed and quickness and can use this athleticism to create yards after the catch as seen in his 73-yard, game-tying touchdown against Auburn last week.
Thomas primarily lines up out wide with 75 percent of his snaps out there, however especially based on the motions the Aggies like to run, he does some work in the slot as well with 25 percent of his snaps inside.
Junior outside receiver Jahdae Walker stands 6’4, 205 pounds and adds further size on the outside for the Aggies. With his 24 receptions for 277 yards and two touchdowns, Walker acts more as a possession receiver for the Aggies with only 85 yards after the catch this year.
Walker is another big-play threat for the Aggies with a lot of length and athleticism. Like Thomas, he has the ability to go up and grab contested catches and box out opposing defenders in cut back routes. He has a great ability off the line and is able to stay in front of defenders, lending itself nicely to this style of offense with Reed under center.
Another player on this Aggies offense with NFL family ties is senior slot receiver Jabre Barber. With 29 catches for 325 yards and one touchdown, Barber is another threat to worry about when trying to contain Noah and Thomas on the outside.
Tight end
Tre Watson adds more height and size for Texas A&M. At 6’5, 250 pounds, Watson is massive, yet still mobile as a vertical threat with 15 receptions for 200 yards and a touchdown, Watson can be a security blanket as Reed goes through his progressions on offense.
Offensive line
The key aspect of this Aggies offense is their strong offensive line with Klein employing gap schemes, pulling guards and backside tackles to create leverage and running lanes to the strong side for their dynamic ball carriers out of the backfield.
They have an ability to bunch formations showing run and still create running lanes and space for the rushing attack. They get the ball out quick with Reed in passing plays, and do a great job shifting and creating holes for both the running backs and quarterback. So far they have only allowed 10 sacks and have done a great job protecting the quarterback this season.
Junior left tackle Trey Zuhn (6’7, 315 pounds) handles the left side for the Aggies and has remarkable lateral speed for his size in addition to great length for his position, using his wingspan to stay in front of defenders off the edge. So far this season against some of the best pass rushers in the SEC he has only allowed two sacks and 14 pressures.
Sophomore left guard Chase Bisontis has missed times with injuries, but returned for the Aggies last week. At 6’6 and 320 pounds, he also has tremendous length, and incredible hand strength to create running lanes for Reed and Daniels. He was injured against Mississippi State in Week Eight and has missed every game this season until last week against Auburn. His absence has been felt for the Aggies and he still isn’t at fully health, listed as questionable on the Thursday injury report for Texas A&M. If he struggles to keep his legs this week, it could be a hole in an otherwise dominant offensive line.
Junior center Kolinu’u Faaiu is massive and creates a standalone wall at the center position. At 6’3 and 330 pounds, he is a force in the middle of the line. So far this season he has only allowed one sack and 11 pressures, but his size is integral in creating running lanes for this A&M backfield.
On the right side, junior guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams is 6’5 and 330 pounds and junior right tackle Dametrious Crownover stands 6’7 and 330 pounds. And they have only allowed a single sack on the right side. Reed-Adams frequently is used in swings to create leverage and extra blockers on the outside for oncoming ball carriers.
Defense
Jay Bateman and the Wrecking Crew have been a force for the Aggies this season, highlighted by their strong defensive line. They like to plug pass rush lanes and rotate players frequently making them a tough team for which to gameplan. With 23 sacks and 12 interceptions, they have plenty of game wreckers on the defensive line that can disrupt passing plays and plug running lanes.
Defensive line
This defensive front for the Aggies can be a force in both run support and pressuring the quarterback. So far this season this unit has accounted for 17 of the team’s sacks, making them one of the best defensive lines in the SEC.
And it all runs through junior edge rusher Nic Scourton, who has 31 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and five sacks.
Shemar Stewart works off the other edge for the Aggies and might be one of the better run stoppers in the nation with a grade of 86.9 from Pro Football Focus. So far this year he has accounted for 30 pressures, a sack, and 13 defensive stops.
Another impact edge that the Aggies like to rotate in and out is junior Cashius Howell. He lacks the traditional size of a big SEC pass rusher, but at 6’4, 245 pounds he has remarkable athleticism totaling three sacks on the year. From the defensive line and sometimes the box, he has accounted for six pass deflections by getting his the paws up and disrupting passing plays.
On the interior is big junior Albert Regis, a 6’2, 310-pound brick wall on the inside for run support and also uses his hands well.
The defensive line is the forefront of this Aggies defense, bringing the boom against opposing quarterbacks, plugging running lanes, and an interesting statistic of theirs, batting low passes down. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has had issues with batted balls at the line, including two tipped interceptions against Vanderbilt, and this defensive front can get their hands up if they can’t get all the way to the quarterback.
Linebackers
The Aggies run a lot of nickel with two linebackers on the field, sophomore Taurean York and junior Scooby Williams.
York has been the main factor for the Aggies defense in the middle of the field, leading the team with 65 tackles, 28 solo. He has great awareness for finding ball carriers after they get to the second level with only five missed tackles on the season.
York finds himself in multiple different defensive sets, as both a pass rusher, run defender, and dropping back in coverage with two sacks and an interception. He can however be burned by speedy slot receivers with 17 receptions allowed on 21 targets. He does well against tight ends and will likely be the man on Gunnar Helm in man coverage.
Williams often flanks York and is a premier run stopper for the Aggies, although he struggles to finish plays with 11 missed tackles on the season.
Secondary
Texas A&M typically plays with two high safeties and employs some ball hawks in the secondary with 12 interceptions on the year.
Senior defensive back BJ Mayes is the team’s primary corner and has the highest coverage grade on the team, allowing receptions on 60 percent of his targets while racking up three interceptions and three pass deflections on 25 targets.
Mayes works primarily against slot receivers with 267 of his snaps coming from the inside man. This is mainly due to his remarkable speed in space and also off the line. At 6’1, 195 pounds, he has the size to cover outside guys, but can struggle when high pointing the ball against taller receivers, making him well suited for slot defense.
Will Lee II is the lock-down corner for the Aggies, lining up on the outside on practically all of his snaps. Lee is aggressive on the outside with nine pass deflections and an interception, allowing 22 receptions on 46 targets.
At safety, Marcus Ratcliff, Dalton Brooks, and Bryce Anderson all factor into the rotation.
Ratcliff acts as a type of hybrid safety, lining up seemingly all over the field with 172 snaps at free safety, 233 in the box, 27 in the slot, and even 11 on the defensive line in blitz and goal-line formations. He has already racked up three interceptions, 33 tackles, and 13 defensive stops this season.
Brooks acts as more of the strong safety in run support and also coverage as well. Again he is also a type of hybrid safety, lining up in the box, corner, and safety positions this season. He has been effective in rushing the quarterback as well this year, totaling 39 tackles, six pressures, and a sack this year.
Anderson plays free safety, but has had some poor tackling games this season, missing three in the loss to Notre Dame and three more against Florida.
Special Teams
Kicker
The Aggies might have one of the best place kickers in the SEC, Randy Bond, only missing three field goals on 22 attempts this year with a career long of 55 yards. This year, he’s gone 2-of-3 on kicks over 50 yards this season.
Returners
Terry Bussey handles the majority of the returns for the Aggies and is yet to house a kickoff return yet, but does have six returns for 157 yards and a long of 52. On punts he has returned 6 punts for a total of 27 yards and a long of 10 yards.
Overall
This game will be won in the trenches — the Texas A&M defensive and offensive lines have played at a high level all season and disrupting them will be a tall task for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns.
On offense, this Texas offensive line has the ability to protect Ewers, but this might be their tallest test since Georgia. They cannot afford to have a similar game that they had against the Bulldogs or this game could get out of hand quickly. Establishing the run and protecting Ewers will be defining aspects of this football game. Quick passes in the flat to running back Jaydon Blue and in the middle of the field might be the best way to get this game started for the Longhorns.
On defense the Longhorns are going to have to find a way to disrupt their running game. against one of the best offensive lines in the nation. Luckily, the Aggies are missing Moss and are continuing to transition at one of their most vital positions.
Auburn was able to squeak out the victory last week not by limiting the offense, but by matching their scoring. This Texas defense should be able to slow Texas A&M down if they can limit the run and force this young quarterback into third and long situations to allow the pass rush a chance to tee off.
