Texas A&M Football: What the Aggies Should Be Thankful for in 2014
The Texas A&M football team is experiencing a season of transition as its young players gain experience. The Aggies still have a lot to be thankful for during the 2014 season.
The Aggies are 7-4 during the regular season with a 3-4 record in the SEC. They have one game left in the regular season, which is against LSU on Thanksgiving Day.
The game against LSU will help determine which bowl game the Aggies play in. With seven wins, they are bowl-eligible for the sixth season in a row.
This is a look at a few things that the Aggies should be thankful for during this holiday season.
Playing Arkansas Early in the Season
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The SEC schedule makers did the Aggies a favor in 2014 by scheduling the Arkansas Razorbacks for a game in September. Arkansas has been one of the hottest teams in the country during the month of November.
The Arkansas defense has been playing lights out. In the last four games, it has allowed an average of 273.3 yards and 8.5 points per game. The Razorbacks had consecutive shutouts against SEC West teams.
The Aggies beat Arkansas in September by the score of 35-28. It stands to reason that the outcome would be different if the two teams met on Saturday. The Aggies should be thankful they played Arkansas before the Razorbacks put it all together.
Freshmen Who Live Up to Their Billing
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The Aggies brought in two of the top-rated freshman recruits in the 2014 class in Myles Garrett and Speedy Noil. They were part of the fifth-ranked recruiting class that the Aggies signed.
Both players have lived up to their lofty rankings as true freshmen. They have been impact players on offense, defense and special teams.
Garrett leads the Aggies in sacks with 11 and has recorded 12.5 tackles for loss. He also blocked a field goal that was returned for a touchdown against Auburn.
Noil has caught 40 passes for 513 yards and four touchdowns. On special teams, he is averaging 13.6 yards per punt return. Both Garrett and Noil have made plays that have helped the Aggies win games. They have more than lived up to their lofty billing when they were recruited out of high school.
Myles Garrett
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Myles Garrett is the best football player on the Aggies football team. Every Texas A&M fan should give thanks during the holidays that the true freshman defensive end plays for the Aggies.
Garrett, a 6'5", 255-pound freak of nature, shattered Jadeveon Clowney's SEC record for sacks by a freshman. He has recorded 11 sacks in 10 games.
Garrett has given the Aggies a pass rush that they lacked in 2013. He has lived in the opposing backfield during his freshman season. Aggies fans need to be thankful for him and enjoy him while he is wearing the maroon and white.
If Garrett stays healthy, he will likely be a top-10 draft pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
The Future
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All Aggies fans should be excited about the future. The best player in almost every position group on the current team is a true freshman.
The best player on the team is defensive end Myles Garrett. The best linebacker on the team is true freshman Otaro Alaka. The best defensive back on the team is true freshman Armani Watts.
The best quarterback on the team is Kyle Allen. It can be argued that the best wide receiver on the team is true freshman Speedy Noil.
The Aggies have a very bright future because they have so many talented freshmen on their team. If they stay healthy, they should be able to compete for conference and national titles over the next three years.
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