Texas A&M Football is coming off a weak performance against Mississippi State. With the Auburn Tigers coming into town off a bye week, how can the Aggies right the ship?
Last week was not good. No way around it, it was just bad. The defense tried their best to keep the Aggies in the game, but they couldn’t keep it up after the offense was unable to sustain drive after drive.
1. Don’t let Nick Fitzgerald run wild
I had hoped that the Aggie defense could keep Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald under wraps for the most part. The sad part is, he really didn’t kill the Aggies. He was 12-21 with 141 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 105 and a score on the ground. He wasn’t contained, but he also didn’t take over. Again, if the offense was able to do anything, his impact would have been far less than it was. 1-0
2. Christian Kirk turns it around
He is still due for a big game, but this wasn’t it. The Aggies tried to get him involved, but he wasn’t able to make much of his five catches. The good news about his struggles this year is that he may not leave early, so that he can prove his worth to NFL teams. But, Texas A&M could use his production with their struggling offense. 1-1
3. Force three turnovers
The Aggies forced one turnover, and gave up three. They did not do a good job of stealing possessions. It looked like there was hope, with the first interception on the first drive, but the defense couldn’t do it again. The offense was more than willing to give the ball up, with Mond throwing two picks and Starkel throwing a late pick 6. 1-2
Hopefully, the offense can find a rhythm against the Auburn Tigers, who are coming into Kyle Field this Saturday for an early kickoff. This game is kind of special to me. My mother is joining me in the stands (she went to Auburn) and car rides home are much more fun after the Aggies win than when they lose. Case in point, we went to Auburn last year to watch, and that trip was irresponsibly fun.
Beyond that, let’s take a look at the three keys to victory, and a sad Mama Britton.