Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss Complete Game Preview
The Texas A&M football team will take on the undefeated Ole Miss Rebels at Kyle Field on Saturday, October 11. This is a pivotal matchup for both teams as they compete to win the SEC West.
The Aggies are 5-1 with a 2-1 record in the SEC. They dropped to No. 14 in the coaches poll with their 48-31 loss to Mississippi State. The Rebels are 5-0 with a 2-0 conference record and moved up to No. 4 in the country with their win over Alabama.
It is very unlikely that anyone will qualify for the SEC Championship Game with two losses in the west division. The game against the Rebels is a "must-win" for the Aggies if they want to remain in consideration for the College Football Playoffs in 2014.
This is a look at how Texas A&M and Ole Miss match up with each other.
Texas A&M's Keys to Victory
1 of 6
If the Aggies want to beat the Rebels then they will have to play much better than they did against Mississippi State. The Aggie wide receivers have struggled to catch the football for two games in a row. They had 15 drops against Mississippi State.
It goes without saying, but the Aggies must catch the ball against the Rebels as the passing game is a major part of the offense. On defense, they need to stop the run and get consistent pressure on Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace.
The Rebels are averaging 143 yards rushing per game. If the Aggies can stop the Rebels from running the ball and force their offense into third and long situations, they will increase their chance of getting Ole Miss off the field.
Wallace will throw the ball to the other team when he is pressured. He has thrown six interceptions in five games in 2014. If the Aggies put pressure on him, he will turn it over.
On offense, the Aggies need to vary their play-calling and stick with the run even if it is not working. The Aggie running backs only had 19 rushing attempts in their loss to Mississippi State. They averaged 6.6 yards on those attempts but went away from the run in favor of the pass.
The Ole Miss defense favors speed over size. The Aggies will have a size advantage on offense, and they need to utilize that by running the ball throughout the game.
Ole Miss Keys to Victory
2 of 6
If Ole Miss wants to leave Kyle Field with a victory, then they need to stop the Aggies' running game. If they can force the Aggies into third and long, their exotic blitzes should have success putting pressure on Aggie quarterback Kenny Hill.
The Rebels should have some success on offense passing the ball to wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and Evan Engram. Treadwell leads Ole Miss with 362 yards on 25 receptions. Engram has caught 17 passes for 246 yards.
The Aggie linebackers have had trouble covering tight ends this season. The Aggies allowed Arkansas' tight ends AJ Derby and Hunter Henry to catch seven passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Engram is a bigger receiving threat than any of Arkansas' tight ends.
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Dave Wommack has given the Aggies issues during the past two seasons. Wommack's defenses have accumulated five sacks and forced three interceptions in two games against the Aggies.
Ole Miss needs to continue to change their schemes up on defense in an effort to confuse and frustrate Aggie quarterback Kenny Hill.
Texas A&M Players to Watch
3 of 6
Malcome Kennedy is the Aggies' leading receiver with 33 catches for 378 yards in five games. He missed the Mississippi State game with a shoulder injury, and the Aggies struggled to consistently move the ball on offense.
Kennedy acts as a security blanket for Kenny Hill, so the Aggies need him to play against Ole Miss. Junior running back Tra Carson led the Aggie running backs in carries against Mississippi State with 11. The Aggies coaches need to continue to feed the bigger running back the ball to take advantage of his size against a smallish Ole Miss defense.
The Rebels play in a 4-2-5 base scheme on defense with 5'9", 219-pound junior Serderius Bryant playing as one of their outside linebackers. If Carson can get past the defensive line, he will have a size advantage over the Rebels' back seven.
On defense keep an eye on the Aggies' middle linebacker Jordan Mastrogiovanni. The Aggies have faced two power-running teams in a row, and in those two games, Mastrogiovanni has only made seven total tackles. Although he is a middle linebacker, Mastrogiovanni has always struggled against the run and been better in coverage.
If you do not hear his name called against Ole Miss then that is a bad sign for the Aggie defense. He will have to have a good game against the Rebels' zone-read running game if the Aggies want to get the Ole Miss offense off the field.
Junior cornerback De'Vante Harris has not had a good junior season. He missed the first four games with an injury, and he has played poorly in his first two games back. He will likely be matched up with Laquon Treadwell for much of the game on Saturday and will have to play much better than he did against Arkansas and Mississippi State.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Ole Miss Players to Watch
4 of 6
While Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell gets a lot of the media attention, Cody Core has quietly put together a heck of a season. The 6'3", 196-pound junior receiver has caught 20 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns.
He is tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns with four, and along with Treadwell and Evan Engram, he gives the Rebels a huge target in the passing game. Those three at the skill positions will make up the best receiving threats that the Aggies have faced in 2014.
Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace is a streaky passer who can get hot and really hurt a defense. He is averaging 304.4 yards passing per game and has thrown 14 touchdowns passes. If he gets comfortable then he could have a prolific day against the Aggies.
Rebel senior cornerback Senquez Golson is having an All-American type season with four interceptions in five games. The 5'9", 176-pound athlete with be at a size disadvantage to most of the Aggies' receivers, but his playmaking ability cannot be ignored.
Cody Prewitt was an All-American at safety in 2013 when he intercepted six passes. He has registered 25 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and one interception in 2014.
What They Are Saying
5 of 6
Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin during the Mississippi State post-game press conference:
"We were extremely inconsistent across the board but I thought Mississippi State had a lot to do with that. It doesn't take a coach to see that Malcome Kennedy is a pretty important player for us. Not just as a player from a leadership standpoint on the field. We didn't play very well but Mississippi State had a lot to do with that.
"
Alabama head coach Nick Saban on Ole Miss at the Alabama-Ole Miss post-game press conference: We "did not play the way we needed to play down the stretch, they made the plays they needed to make and we didn't. They have got a really good football team and that is why they won the game."
Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace in Alabama post-game press conference: "It was just a normal week. We feel like we have athletes that can play with anybody. So now we have to come in, prepare and get back to work on Texas A&M."
Predicted Outcomes
6 of 6
The Aggies struggle on defense to stop bigger teams who try to grind out long drives with the running game. They faced two consecutive teams like that in Arkansas and Mississippi State. The Ole Miss Rebels do not fit that profile. They are a spread team on offense and are a little smaller than the average SEC team on defense.
This is a much more favorable matchup for the Aggies than the Mississippi State game was. If the Aggie receivers decide to catch the ball, then they should be able to get open and make plays against Ole Miss.
Look for the Aggie to respond to their first loss of the season with a win at home. The defense will force some turnovers, and the offense will be able to score enough to get a comfortable win.
The Aggies will beat Ole Miss 38-27 to move to 3-1 in conference play.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
