Texas A&M football: 4 stats that prove Aggies are better in 2018
By Jeff Shull
Texas A&M football was 5-2 after seven games last year, but there are many ways the Aggies are better than they were a season ago.
In a lot of ways, Texas A&M football is similar to the team that got Kevin Sumlin fired in 2017 after seven games. You might not like hearing that, and you probably vehemently disagree if you’ve watched any of the Aggies this season. We’ll get to that.
The similarities are a little striking: both teams were 5-2, 3-1 in conference play after seven games; both teams lost to Alabama; both teams beat Arkansas and South Carolina by slim margins; both teams got a close road win against a tough opponent.
There are some differences in the record. This year’s squad led by Jimbo Fisher lost a conference game to Clemson, but didn’t blow a 34-point second half lead in the process. The 2017 Aggies struggled beating lesser non-conference opponents while the 2018 version demolished their two.
That’s all on the surface and can be figured out just by looking at the schedule. Those who have watched the Aggies both this year and last know how much better the product on the field has looked.
Fisher preached “it ain’t gonna be like it used to be” when he first stepped onto the practice field in College Station. His message was obvious — they were going to practice harder, better and smarter. Those qualities have mostly manifested themselves on the field.
No, the 2018 Aggies are not perfect. The two losses and close win against a terrible Arkansas team reflect that. But what they have done in is make winning plays late in games. This was an area in which Sumlin’s teams struggled. His offense is not built to wear teams down or sustain long drives to control the clock.
This is just one are where Fisher has excelled. Let’s examine that further plus look at some other stats that prove how much different this version’s 5-2 team is much, much better.