Texas A&M Football: 4 things to watch for in Week 2 vs. Appalachian State

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COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 03: Jordan Yates #13 of the Sam Houston State Bearkats scrambles from Fadil Diggs #10 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at Kyle Field on September 03, 2022 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

Contain opposing QB

The Aggie defense dominated Sam Houston State. Their weakness was keeping the QB contained in the pocket and not letting him scramble down field. There is one area that the defense needs to improve on, and that’s containing the quarterback. On Saturday, A&M gave up 107 yards rushing to the Bearkats and 60 of those were from the quarterback.

Appalachian State QB Chase Brice does not seem like as much of threat with his feet as he only had 36 yards rushing against North Carolina. That was partly due to the fact that the Mountaineers did not need him to run ball as their running backs totaled 252 yards last week.

If the Aggies’ defensive line stops the run game, Brice will likely rely on his feet more to gain crucial yards. A&M needs to prove they can contain him in the pocket, forcing him into situations where he is more likely to make mistakes.

The Aggie defense played great against SHSU. Although they struggled to contain the QB, the DL was able to pressure the QB and come up with timely turnovers. This allowed the defense to pitch a shutout. However, it will be much harder to shutout Appalachian State as they seem to have a well-rounded offense.