Texas A&M heads into its third and final non-conference game at Kyle Field looking to finish the job before a huge road test against an SEC heavyweight. On the other sideline, The Citadel arrives trying to chase one of the season’s biggest shocks.
For Mike Elko and the Aggies, the assignment starts with the basics: keep the Bulldogs from finding any rhythm and don’t let a few explosive plays turn this into something uncomfortable. Texas A&M’s offense and defense have already handled non-conference opponents well enough to move to 2-0, and a third straight win will come down in part to how well the Aggies contain three key Citadel playmakers.
Gavin Garcia is the engine of the Bulldogs’ ground game. The senior from Catawissa, Pennsylvania, leads the team in rushing and has already piled up more than 500 yards on the season. He’s averaging more than five yards per carry and has been one of the program’s top scorers, which makes him the obvious focal point whenever The Citadel needs a play.
That responsibility may only grow because of how limited the passing attack has been. Garcia’s value comes from his ability to produce in traffic, bounce runs outside and use his speed, power and patience to create something out of little. Texas A&M should have plenty of answers up front, with DJ Hicks, Anto Saka, TJ Searcy and Marco Jones among the players likely to spend plenty of time tracking him.
The Bulldogs also have a quarterback who can change the feel of a possession. Quentin Hayes, a junior from Enterprise, Alabama, brings a run-first approach, but he isn’t just there to hand the ball off.
The 6-foot-2 scrambler can make plays with his legs, extend broken plays and hurt defenses when they lose focus on his arm. He hasn’t put up eye-popping numbers, but he does enough to keep drives alive and occasionally make defenses pay.
Through Week 7, Hayes is completing 49.2 percent of his passes and averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. He has a long completion of 55 yards, along with four touchdown passes and two interceptions. He has gone 31 of 63 through the air this season.
When The Citadel does look to throw, Damir Abdullah is usually part of the plan. He has eight catches for 159 yards, a 19.9-yard average per reception, and could be involved early as the Bulldogs try to get their passing game moving. Hayes will look his way when he drops back, but that figures to be a tough ask against a Texas A&M secondary featuring Marcus Ratcliffe, Dalton Brooks and Julio Humphrey.
Abdullah, a 6-foot-5 speedster from Los Angeles, California, brings size and a wide catch radius to the table, even if his role often includes plenty of blocking in The Citadel’s offense. When he gets a chance to work as a receiver, he can make himself a problem. No. 82 is the kind of player the Bulldogs will hope can help them establish some early momentum.
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Mizzou Win Sent Texas A&Ms Coach Into Damage Control
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Two days later, Elko was back at the podium doing damage control, apologizing for his comments and taking responsibility for how the team played. With Texas A&M now turning its attention to a nonconference matchup against The Citadel, the focus shifts from the reaction off the field to how the Aggies respond on it. [Read more 🡒]
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Texas A&M Has An Offense Problem It Can't Hide Anymore
Texas A&Ms offense is now impossible to shrug off after another uneven showing left the Aggies trying to keep pace in a crowded SEC picture. In a week 6 power ranking that shuffled teams based on recent form and what lies ahead, the leagues middle and upper tiers are being judged as much by momentum as by record, and Texas A&M no longer looks like a group that can simply outlast its issues.
Around the conference, Arkansas earned respect for pushing Tennessee in a close loss, Vanderbilt took its lumps against Ole Miss, and Mississippi State is already turning the page toward LSU. For the Aggies, the concern is more internal than comparative: the rankings make clear there is only so much room to hide offensive inconsistency in a league this deep, and Texas A&M still has to prove it can solve that problem before the standings harden. [Read more 🡒]