Texas A&M gets back to non-conference play this weekend, but there’s nothing soft about the challenge waiting at Kyle Field.
The Aggies, coming off a 1-3 start in SEC play, close out their non-conference slate against The Citadel Bulldogs in a game that should still demand real attention in College Station. The Bulldogs enter at 2-4 and sit No. 10 in the Southern Conference, but that record doesn’t tell the whole story. Maurice Drayton’s team already has an FBS upset on its résumé after knocking off Charlotte in a triple-overtime thriller in Week 2, and the Aggies can’t afford to treat this like a routine tune-up.
Drayton brings a notable coaching background, too. He spent time coaching special teams with the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders, and his team has enough grit to make life inconvenient if Texas A&M lets the game drift.
On offense, The Citadel has been searching for answers, much like the Aggies have at times. The Bulldogs rotate Quentin Hayes and Nick Billoups at quarterback, while Gavin Garcia has handled a heavy workload at running back.
Hayes has the bigger arm, but his accuracy has lagged behind; he’s completed just 49.2% of his throws. He can still hurt defenses on the move, though, and his 292 rushing yards rank second on the team.
The production has been uneven, to say the least. The Citadel’s offense managed only 16 points against ETSU, 14 at Wofford and eight against Chattanooga.
Defensively, though, this group has enough bite to make Texas A&M work. Raleigh Jackson’s unit is physical, tough at the line of scrimmage and capable of creating problems for opposing quarterbacks. The Bulldogs have piled up 14 sacks this season, with Maurice Bonneau Jr. helping set the tone up front.
The linebacking corps is the clear strength of the defense, led by Zyion Brown. Brown has racked up 51 total tackles, along with four sacks, one pass deflection, one interception and one forced fumble. Senior linebacker Jalen Wright adds another layer of difficulty, and together the two present a real test for Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed and the Aggies’ offense.
Texas A&M may be the heavier favorite on paper, but The Citadel has already shown it can drag teams into a fight.
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Six of the seven new absences are starters, which is where the real concern starts to show. Even with a manageable opponent on paper, Texas A&M is trying to navigate injuries while keeping enough depth intact for the tougher stretch ahead, and this week offers another reminder that the roster is being tested in ways the Aggies cant really afford. [Read more 🡒]
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Marcel Reed will be the most watched name on the Aggies side, with kicker David Olano and running back Gavin Garcia also part of the important details. The Citadel brings its own pieces to track, including kicker Evan Kiely and running back Rueben Owens, and the matchup offers Texas A&M a final chance to look sharper in the areas that tend to decide games it should control. What the Aggies cannot afford is a flat afternoon that leaves more questions than answers heading into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Saw Something Encouraging In A Blowout That Fans Needed
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The defense also had an encouraging stretch, even with The Citadel moving the ball on the ground enough to top 100 rushing yards. Texas A&M still kept the scoreboard clean, and that kind of response matters when a team is trying to steady itself after a few uneven weeks. Add in the reliability of David Olano on kicks, plus the fact that some players were unavailable, and it was the sort of game that offered more than a lopsided final score. [Read more 🡒]