Texas A&M Football: How can the Aggies prevent a second half swoon?

Texas A&M football and the 2017 season is now into October. What does the team need to prevent a midseason swoon and build on their successes?

The season and the future of Kevin Sumlin with the Aggies will be determined over the next five weeks. Some would say his job is toast already. I would disagree. Depending on who you spoke to in the offseason a 4-1 start was unlikely. What would we be saying if we made a play or two to close out UCLA?

This football team has battled through some highs and some lows, but after watching them rally against South Carolina there’s still a chance with a little luck this season could be a great one. I mentioned in a couple of my earlier pieces that I think 9-3 is out there. I also think beating Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State and LSU is not out of the realm of possibility.  They will all be challenging and yes we will be an underdog in three of them but if the team plays like they did in the fourth quarter against South Carolina we will have a shot to win all of them.

What do we know about the team so far?

Kellen Mond has solidified himself as the starting quarterback. That in itself should make for another fun offseason discussing the quarterback situation. Hopefully Sumlin and the staff have learned from decisions surrounding the quarterback position in the past.

John Chavis and the defensive staff have found a pass rush. The Aggies lead the conference and our fourth nationally in team sacks. With the losses of Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, did anyone see that stat coming after five games?

And how about the rushing offense and defense?  The Aggies rank 14th nationally averaging 255 yards per game.  With the emergence of the quarterback run game along with flashes from Kendall Bussey and Jacob Kibodi the offense is averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

As for the defense, and yes they haven’t played a team that really wants to run the ball, they have been solid. They’re only giving up 95 yards per game on the ground. This will be an interesting stat to look at in five weeks. If the number is still around 100 yards per game we may be 8-1.

What would make this season a success?

I want you to look past the obvious of beating Alabama and LSU. Wins against both schools from the magnolia state is a must and finding a way to defend your home turf against Auburn would be nice for a change.

Can or will the staff survive? The talk from the leaders of Texas A&M University have not been good. I remember having this exact conversation with Coach Sumlin the week he took this job. There are some at this school that know nothing about football and usually they are the ones with the most influence. Do I want that dreaded vote of confidence? Of course not, I want those in leadership positions to say something positive for once. Remember we’re playing a true freshman quarterback.

Lets get back to football. Here three things that need to be address to give this season a chance at success.