|
|
Texas A&M vs. Texas, November 11th, 11:00 a.m. @ Texas DKR...Memorial Stadium (ABC-TV) The Aggies are coming off back-to-back, heart-breaking losses against two ranked teams - OU and NU - by a combined two points. They're a measly 6 points from an undefeated season and having the right to play Texas for the Big12 South Championship. They've been close, very close actually, to turning the program and moving it in the upward direction that all Aggie fans expect. In similar fashion, you can look back to last year and see where A&M played the defending national champion Texas Longhorns off their feet and down to the wire, out-gaining the Horns in total yardage, 395 to 336, and rushing for a whopping 275 yards on the ground against one of the nation's better units. Heisman Trophy candidate Vince Young was stymied, completing only 13 of 24 passes for 162 yards. But the Ags still came up short, 40-29. Let's get right to the punch line......In today's college football world, where head coaches make an exorbitant amount of money in leading the nation's elite programs, close is never good enough. Dennis Franchione's combined 1-13 record against the Ags' most fierce Big 12 rivals - Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas Tech - is as clear and noticeable as the block ATM on the 50 yard line at Kyle Field. Many power-conference coaches have had to endure the load of the big-game monkey at one time or another. Mack Brown was 0 for his last 5 vs. the Oklahoma Sooners (outscored by an average margin of 38-11) before finally breaking through and winning his first-ever conference championship and Texas' first National Championship since 1970. Just like Tom Osborne at Nebraska and Bobby Bowden at Florida State - Mack Brown eventually broke through. The Ags have made tremendous strides on the defensive side of the ball. The offensive skill talent is, or should be, the envy of every Big 12 offensive coordinator. This group of A&M players has played harder for its coaching staff than any I can remember. As if the scores weren't indicator enough, it's clear that you can at least feel the tide beginning to shift. But there's no real reason to sugarcoat it --- Fran and the Aggies need a big win! Will this be the one? When Texas has the ball: The Longhorns have one of the most talented offensive lines in the country. You can probably point the finger in that direction when trying to figure out how redshirt-freshman Colt McCoy has enjoyed the early success he has. Not to take anything away from McCoy, he's a great talent, but without the protection of Justin Blaylock and the rest of the Horns' offensive line, he would have had to grow up that much quicker. Speaking of McCoy, there's at least some question as to whether he'll be ready to play after sustaining a "stinger" in the game against Kansas State. I can assure you, the A&M coaching staff is preparing as if he's going to be in the starting lineup. What the young Texas QB has done to this point in the season is nothing short of spectacular. After the loss of Vince Young, it was initially thought that the QB position at Texas would among the bigger questions facing the Longhorns this season, but McCoy's 69% completion rate and 2102 passing yards has quickly erased those thoughts. Limus Sweed (42 catches for 717 yards) is McCoy's favorite target, but there are plenty of other options at his disposal. Billy Pittman and Quan Cosby each have 31 catches on the season and both have combined for an additional 813 receiving yards. Texas will also utilize their running backs in the passing game as Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young have combined to catch an additional 36 passes. The Aggie defense will not only have the unenviable task of trying to stop the Longhorn ground game - currently 20th in the country, averaging 179.45 yards per game - but will also need to match-up with Sweed (11 touchdowns) in order to keep he and the rest of the Longhorn receivers from burning them over the top. If the Aggies expect to keep this one close, I think they'll need to get off to a quicker start and bring it for four full quarters. Advantage Texas Key Match-Ups: A&M cornerbacks Jordan Peterson and Danny Gorrer against Texas wide receiver Limus Sweed. A&M Linebackers Justin Warren and Misi Tupe against Texas running backs Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young. When A&M has the ball: The Aggies have moved the football on everyone they've played. They're 8th in the country at rushing the football, and as mentioned above, were able to pile up 275 yards on the ground against Texas just last season. However, what has been an A&M strength earlier in the year - producing touchdowns in the redzone - has suddenly come into question against the better defenses of the Big 12. Compounding that is Texas' #3 national rank in scoring defense. Field goals will simply not get the job done against Texas in Austin. Last season's success aside, I don't believe the Aggies can just line up and run the football in this one. The Horns are currently #2 in the nation in rush defense, allowing just 45 yards per game on the ground, so I think keeping Texas off-balance will be a high priority, especially in the middle of the field. Then again, those great rush numbers by Texas could be attributed to the opponent having large doses of success through the air. Inexplicably, the Longhorns are suddenly one of the worst pass defenses in the country, ranking 108 (of 117) and giving up 249 yards per game. It would be nice if the Aggies were able to sustain a running threat, thus making it easier to expose Texas' over-aggressiveness at the safety position, but it will certainly be interesting to see A&M's approach evolve during the course of this game. I believe Martellus Bennett, Stephen McGee and Michael Goodson must all have big games for A&M to steal the win. Goodson is the one player, by himself, that can make Texas defenders look silly. If Jorvorskie Lane can combine with Goodson in helping A&M's run game early, then the Ags should be able to play off that success and open up the other areas of their offense. You can bet that Texas will try and force the action at the point of attack, so it could be important that A&M take advantage of that in their game-planning and look for ways to stretch the Texas defense vertically. I think they will. Advantage Texas A&M Key Match-Ups: Michael Goodson against the Texas linebackers. Stephen McGee and Martellus Bennett against Aaron Ross and the Texas secondary. Special Teams-Other Intangibles: Texas is 7th in the country in punt returns and 10th in turnover margin (+1.0). The Aggies are 3rd in kick returns and 27th in turnover margin (+.55). I think the key point to make here is that the Longhorns are always among the national leaders in punt blocks. They've had two the last two seasons against A&M and both have turned momentum in the game. This might be the understatement of the year, but in order for A&M to keep this one close they'll need to minimize turnovers and play a game against Texas without having a punt blocked. Advantage Texas Predicition: Texas has won 29 straight Big 12 games at home. The Aggies will no doubt need to play a complete game in Austin and probably be as close to perfect for four all quarters if they expect to pull the upset. However, as last week's loss to KSU would indicate, this Texas team is not near the finished product it was last season. There's plenty of opportunity, but A&M must start strong and then continue to show the gritty, fight-till-the-end type of personality that they've exhibited all year long, specifically in the second-half the last two weeks. Secure the football and catch a couple breaks and, well, you just never know…….. Texas A&M 27 - Texas 24 Texas A&M Roster Texas A&M Depth Chart Texas Roster Texas Depth Chart |