Texas A&M heads into its final non-conference game of the year as a huge favorite over The Citadel, and that part of the matchup is hard to miss. This should be a lopsided one against an FCS opponent. But for an Aggie team that has plenty to clean up, the bigger question is whether this game gives Mike Elko’s squad a chance to start fixing some things.
The Aggie faithful have not been thrilled with how the season has gone, and a game like this offers a rare reset window in the middle of the year. If Texas A&M is going to leave this weekend feeling better, there are three clear boxes that need to get checked.
First, the defense should deliver a shutout.
The Aggies were able to blank Missouri State, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to do the same against The Citadel. Yes, the Bulldogs beat an FBS team earlier this year in Charlotte and put up 43 points in that game, but this is still the kind of offense Texas A&M should be able to smother.
The defense has looked noticeably better since the opener, and this matchup should fit that trend. Texas A&M’s starters have the athletic edge to overwhelm this group, but the backups will be worth watching too once they enter the game. A busted play can always happen - maybe a corner slips and The Citadel hits a deep ball - but short of something truly broken, the Aggies should keep them off the board.
The other area that has to show up is the downfield passing game.
Even against Missouri State, Texas A&M didn’t really uncover that part of the offense. In a game like this, though, the Aggies need some successful throws over the top. Reed should have time in the pocket, and the receivers ought to have space to work with.
The ground game can already do its job against teams like Arkansas, but one-dimensional offense doesn’t hold up when the defense gets faster and more athletic. That was the problem against Missouri, and this is exactly the kind of game where A&M needs to try to open things up a bit.
If Reed’s issues are partly mental, this is the place to work through them. With Tuscaloosa coming next week, the Aggies do not have room to carry the same problems forward.
And then there’s the simplest demand of all: no turnovers.
Reed has thrown at least one interception in four of the last five games, and two interceptions in three of the last four. That has to stop here.
It’s not about giving The Citadel a real shot at pulling an upset. It’s about Texas A&M playing to a standard that should be well above this level of competition.
This is the kind of game that should effectively be decided once the Aggies score their first touchdown, but that doesn’t mean the work is done. Texas A&M needs meaningful, confidence-building snaps on offense.
Giving the ball away would cut into that opportunity. And with a lot still to sort out, the Aggies can’t afford to waste a chance to build something useful before the stretch run.
If they don’t, the season could get even more complicated, including the risk of missing a bowl game.
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Miami is still pushing hard, with Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes continuing to make Matthews a priority. A trip to Coral Gables would not change anything immediately, but it would give another program a chance to make its pitch in a setting built to impress, which is exactly why Texas A&M supporters are watching this situation so closely. [Read more 🡒]
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Holmon Wiggins and Mike Elko have both pointed to younger players beginning to earn opportunities, which gives the offense some long-term optimism. Even so, the staff has been careful not to lean too hard on youth as a fix, and that caution says plenty about where Texas A&M still stands offensively as it tries to find a more dependable rhythm. [Read more 🡒]