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What I See With Texas A&M

Cane4life18

Cane4life18

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With our huge matchup fast approaching I decided to dive into the film of Texas A&M and see what stands out to me. I reviewed their games against ND, Auburn, UF, Arkansas, South Carolina and Texas. Before getting into it, I would like to preface this by saying I'm not @Lance Roffers so I won't be as good breaking it down to the bare bones of the X's and O's so bare with me.











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Texas A&M's Offense

Texas A&M's RBs don't really scare me. They have a solid stable of backs who can gash you repeatedly but no back that can hit their head on the goal post. Their best and most dynamic back, Levon Moss, has been dealing with injury since the UF game so it'll be interesting to see if he plays against us. Rueben Owens, Amari Daniels and EJ Smith are steady backs that will keep the offense on track. Daniels seems to have lost his RB3 spot to EJ Smith. Their most dangerous weapon in the run game isn't even a RB it's their QB.

QB Marcel Reed is as dynamic of a runner we have seen all year. When he gets loose, he has the potential to rip off a 40yd rub with relative ease.

Reed is much improved year over year but still deals with inconsistencies with passing the ball. Our pass rush needs to be on point and keep lane integrity when pressuring him. Reed has shown the ability to deliver strikes on the run. Reed seems to struggle when asked to throw in the intermediate(10-20yds) area of the field. He excels on throws deep vertical throws(30yds+). Reed also has a strong enough arm to fit throws into small windows but you rarely see him throw into tight windows unless it's a deep ball. Reed can be inaccurate at times which lead to costly ints for A&M. There are also times where you see Reed get happy feet in the pocket leading to inaccurate throws.

The two biggest threats on A&M's offense are WRs Mario Cramer and KC Concepcion. They are truly dynamic players who can break a game open anytime they have the ball in their hands. They rack up YAC in a hurry. Concepcion is utilized all over the field, not only in the slot position. Same with Cramer. They'll get the ball on jet sweeps, quick screens, etc... Solid tackling will be key against these two, especially Concepcion as he seems to be more shiftier on film.

Cramer and Concepcion rightfully get the most attention but don't sleep on their WR3 Ashton Roman-Bethel. He's productive and fast. He was huge in A&M's comeback win versus USC. Terry Bussey is a playmaker with the ball in his hands. He gets the quick LOS throws and makes plays.

Something that stuck out to me after watching the games is A&M isn't intentional on getting the ball to their RBs in the passing game. They prefer a quick outlet pass to one of Cramer, Bussey or Concepcion.

Texas A&M's TEs are solid blockers. They don't flash much on flim. They aren't emphasized in the pass game. They become more of a factor in the redzone but outside of the play at ND I can't recall much from them.

The much ballyhooed Texas A&M OL is good. I didn't really see too many breakdowns on their lines but the UF, USC, and Texas game showed they can be tested on the edges. South Carolina and Texas chose to really come after Reed and send blitzes. USC twisted and stunted a good bit. Dylan Stewart's initial burst gave A&M problems. Something that helps their OL as well is Reed's mobility. Their OL has plenty of experience.


Texas A&M's Defense

Texas A&M's DL is good and that starts with their star pass rusher Howell. Something that surprised me on film is how many times A&M actually dropped Howell in coverage to be the flat or curl/hook defender. Whenever Howell dropped in coverage there was a blitz coming from depth behind it more times than not. Howell's tenacity as a passer rusher is his superpower. His motor runs very hot. The rest of A&M's DL is strong. DJ Hicks shows up in the middle of A&M's line on film. #50 pops on film as well. Outside of Howell, I don't see any true game wreckers that can disrupt an OL single handily.

Texas A&M's LBers are as aggressive as you will see. They bite hard! You can tell they're trained to get after the QB. You see multiple times on film when they're tasked to mirror a RB or TE and the RB or TE stays in as an extra blocker they're coming as an extra rusher. UF used this tendency against A&M with delay releases with their TE Hasan and hit for a nice chunk play twice. I'd expect to see something similar when we play them. Playaction also worked well on film. ND, UF and Texas all had success utilizing the playaction game.

A&M's DBs were good collectively on flim but I was not overly impressed by any one player. I know Des Ricks is a former 5-star but Hill stuck out more to me. This group does struggle with run support out on the edges. The safeties don't always come down the alley with urgency. Arkansas and Texas both had mobile QBs that tested A&M's DBs eye discipline and led to big plays over the top. USC and Texas really tested them vertically and they seemed to struggle with that. I don't recall seeing any interceptions made by A&M's DBs in the 6 games I watched. Again, solid group but no notable playmakers on flim.


Special Teams

KC Concepcion is a problem on punt returns. He made a play during the Texas game that was very impressive.

A&M's kicker is suspect on any kick longer than 40yds. He missed 3 kicks(43, 49, 50yds) from the film I watched.


Key Takeaways
Key in on Marcel Reed's legs, KC Concepcion and Mario Cramer.

A&M wants to be explosive, their offense isn't built for 10+ play drives. Make them work their way down the field and Reed's inconsistencies will rear it's head.

Texas A&M scored 41 on a good ND defense. Scored 16 on a good Auburn defense. Scored 34 on a respectable Florida defense. Scored 17 on an above average Texas defense. A&M's offense can be hot and cold at times. When rolling, they can put points on the board with the best of them.

Cashius Howell vs. Markell Bell is going to be a key matchup in our game.

How will Brockermyer, Okunlola and McCoy hold up versus A&M's talented DL?

How will Beck respond to the pressure Texas A&M will try and bring on a down to down basis.

We HAVE TO BE ABLE to run the ball to win this game.

Our receivers have a chance to make a strong impact on this game. A&M'S DB group is solid but can get got over the top.
We need to challenge them vertically.

ND scored 40, Arkansas scored 42, South Carolina scored 30, and Texas scored 27. Points can be scored on this defense. We can't leave points on the field. We need to take the points when available because there will be other opportunities to get into the end zone.

Our ability to tackle in space and rally to the ball will be the difference in the game.

Special teams will factor into the game. Will their kicker hit kicks on 12/20? Also, we have to contain Concepcion on punt returns.

Let me know what you guys see on film. I'd love to know if we're seeing the same things.
 
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Cane4life18 said:
With our huge matchup fast approaching I decided to dive into the film of Texas A&M and see what stands out to me. I reviewed their games against ND, Auburn, UF, Arkansas, South Carolina and Texas. Before getting into it, I would like to preface this by saying I'm not @Lance Roffers so I would be as good breaking it down to the bare bones of the X's and O's so bare with me.

Texas A&M's Offense

Texas A&M's RBs don't really scare me. They have a solid stable of backs who can gash you repeatedly but no back that can hit their head on the goal post. Their best and most dynamic back, Levon Moss, has been dealing with injury since the UF game so it'll be interesting to see if he plays against us. Rueben Owens, Amari Daniels and EJ Smith are steady backs that will keep the offense on track. Daniels seems to have lost his RB3 spot to EJ Smith. Their most dangerous weapon in the run game isn't even a RB it's their QB.

QB Marcel Reed is as dynamic of a runner we have seen all year. When he gets loose, he has the potential to rip off a 40yd with relative ease.

Reed is much improved year over year but still deals with inconsistencies with passing the ball. Our pass rush needs to be on point and keep lane integrity when pressuring him. Reed has shown the ability to deliver strikes on the run. Reed seems to struggle when asked to throw in the intermediate(10-20yds) area of the field. He excels on throws deep vertical throws(30yds+). Reed also has a strong arm to fit throws into small windows but you rarely see him throw into tight windows unless it's a deep ball.

The two biggest threats on A&M's offense are WRs Mario Cramer and KC Concepcion. They are truly dynamic players who can break a game open anytime they have the ball in their hands. Conception is utilized all over the field, not only in the slot position. Same with Cramer. Solid tackling will be key against these two, especially Concepcion as he seems to be more shiftier on film.

Cramer and Concepcion rightfully get the most attention but don't sleep on their WR3 Ashton Roman-Bethel. He's productive and fast. He was huge in A&M's comeback win versus USC. Terry Bussey is a playmaker with ball in his hands. He gets the quick LOS throws and makes plays.

Something that stuck out to me after watching the games is A&M isn't intentional on getting the ball to their RBs in the passing game. They prefer a quick outlet pass to one of Cramer, Busses or Concepcion.

Texas A&M's TEs are solid blockers. They don't flash much on flim. They aren't emphasized in the pass game. They become more of a factor in the redzone but outside of the play at ND I can't recall much from them.

The much ballyhooed Texas A&M OL is good. I didn't really see too many breakdowns on their lines but the UF, USC, and Texas game showed they can be tested on the edges. South Carolina and Texas chose to really come after Reed and send blitzes. USC twisted and stunted a good bit. Dylan Stewart's initial burst gave A&M problems. Something that helps their OL as well is Reed's mobility. Their OL is experienced as well.

Texas A&M's Defense

Texas A&M's DL is good and that starts with their star pass rusher Howell. Something that surprised me on film is how many times A&M actually dropped Howell in coverage to be the flat or curl/hook defender. Whenever Howell dropped in coverage there was a blizt coming from depth behind it more times than not. Howell's Tenacity as a passer rusher is his superpower. His motor runs very hot. The rest of A&M's DL is strong. DJ Hicks shows up in the middle of A&M's line on film. #50 pops on film as well. Outside of Howell, I don't see any true game wreckers that can disrupt an OL single handily.

Texas A&M's LBers are as aggressive as you will see. They bite hard. You can tell they're trained to get after the QB. You see multiple times on film when they're tasked to mirror a RB or TE and the RB or TE is an extra blocker they're coming as an extra rusher. UF used this against A&M with delay releases with their TE Hasan and hit for a nice chunk play twice. I'd expect to see something similar when we play them. Playaction also worked well on film. ND, UF and Texas all had success utilizing the playaction game.

A&M's DBs were good collectively on flim but I was not overly impressed by any one player. I know Des Ricks is a former 5-star but Hill stuck out more to me. This group does struggle with run support out on the edges. The safeties don't always come down the alley with urgency. Arkansas and Texas both had mobile QBs that tested A&M's DB eye discipline and led to plays over the top. USC and Texas really tested them vertically and they seemed to struggle with that. I don't recall seeing any interceptions made by A&M's DBs in the 6 games I watched. Again, solid group but no notable playmakers on flim.

Special Teams

KC Concepcion is a problem on punt returns. He made a play during the USC that was very impressive.

A&M's Kicker is suspect on any kick longer than 40yds. He missed 3 kicks(43, 49, 50yds) from the film I watched.


Let me know what you guys see on film. I'd love to know if we're seeing the same things.
Click to expand...
I've shared a little of this on different threads, but will add here and hopefully one thread sticks.

You said:
QB Marcel Reed is as dynamic of a runner we have seen all year. When he gets loose, he has the potential to rip off a 40yd with relative ease.
Truth. What you don't mention is what I'm scared we'll see. They use a ton of motion, fake jet sweeps, and even motions into zone-reads to widen the gaps of a defense. Just like their OC liked when he used to play. Our LBs sometimes have struggled to stay sound in their gap. Our DTs need to play an outrageous game so that when these motion plays happen with the intent of Reed really keeping and picking an A or B gap to push through vertically, our DTs have disrupted the play.

You said:
Cramer and Concepcion rightfully get the most attention but don't sleep on their WR3 Ashton Roman-Bethel. He's productive and fast. He was huge in A&M's comeback win versus USC. Terry Bussey is a playmaker with ball in his hands. He gets the quick LOS throws and makes plays.
I agree and said as much on a thread where another poster asked me if we should sit Lucas, who the poster presumed would struggle with the smaller, quicker change direction guys. I said he should match up with ARR. I think the guy can make plays and, when they decide it, is a weapon. Vertical threat who I hope Lucas hangs with stride for stride.

You said:
Texas A&M's TEs are solid blockers. They don't flash much on flim. They aren't emphasized in the pass game. They become more of a factor in the redzone but outside of the play at ND I can't recall much from them.

I think you're underestimating their TE. I think he's a viable threat against us. I wouldn't discount him because he's rarely targeted. I think he has less than 20 catches on the year, but if you look through their games from this and last year, he can get down the seam and is a big target - the type of guy who I'd use to attack the busted zones we've shown. He caught a TD against USCe on a nice sit down route. Look out for it on 3rd downs and in the RZ (which you noted). IIRC, he was lined up at Hback. Sneaky play that puts pressure on our LBs.

You said:
Texas A&M's RBs don't really scare me. They have a solid stable of backs who can gash you repeatedly but no back that can hit their head on the goal post. Their best and most dynamic back, Levon Moss, has been dealing with injury since the UF game so it'll be interesting to see if he plays against us. Rueben Owens, Amari Daniels and EJ Smith are steady backs that will keep the offense on track. Daniels seems to have lost his RB3 spot to EJ Smith. Their most dangerous weapon in the run game isn't even a RB it's their QB.
I think this is a mistake. How they're used in other games doesn't always predict how they'll be used against us. There is sufficient talent and it's how other coaches (e.g. Lashlee, Brohm, Malzahn) have attacked us. First of all, I expect TAMU to try to use Concepcion's jet sweep motion or QB fake running to isolate one of our LBs on one of their RBs. I mentioned the surprise could be Rueben Owens. With our pass rush, I can see him slip out into the flat for matchups with our LBs. Stuff that makes Reed's reads (lol) easier and keeps him upright. Look at their 2 minute drill against USCe. Ownes catches a pass in the flats and takes it for chunk play.

I'll have more as I continue to watch more. Saving the defense stuff for later and maybe a standalone post because I continue to say their Offense looks more dangerous than fans/people are giving them credit...
 
Good stuff.. I dont think I been motivated to watch an opponent and breakdown in yearsss, good to see soo many others adding legit thoughts.. I agree with most added here. I will say looking thru whatever analytics I see, stats and games.. Craver gets ALOT of love but noticed he started the year hot against UTSA, Utah St. and his monster national game against ND. Obviously put nation on notice going 20 catches for 443 and all of his seasons 4 TDs 22 yards a catch..

In conference he has been held more in check, never broke over 100 yards rest of season. Against miss st. he had 80 and UF 77 on 2 catches but other games never went over 60 yards, no TDs. So 24 catches for 225 yards, NO Tds 9.3 Yards a catch.. Hmm

Plus he has been nicked up later in year, think he came out of USCe game and thats where burner Roman Bethel RS FR stepped up. Has verified 21.17 200m which converted on 100m is around 10.4 speed. He avg 23 yards a catch and he was a big reason in SC game comeback.

They are an explosive offense and their OC schemes up some easy stuff for QB, like really good easy one read stuff.. Texas fans call their QB Marcel "One" Reed.. They gloat how they made him uncomfortable in pocket, took away first read and made him very uncomfortable forcing him left for erratic throws..

Also we HAVE TO win special teams battle, Their kicker is erratic and they still are unsure which they will depend on, they still have two I guess. One is 66% the other who they roll with for 40 plus is 61% and 5-11 forty + (45%, though we know how kickers perfor against us, smh).. They also had 2 punts blocked in ND and LSU games, They have gone for fake punts so Im punt safe in most situations, and Concepcion has made impact on games returning punts, I think Bussey on kick also..
 
skyman said:
Good stuff.. I dont think I been motivated to watch an opponent and breakdown in yearsss, good to see soo many others adding legit thoughts.. I agree with most added here. I will say looking thru whatever analytics I see, stats and games.. Craver gets ALOT of love but noticed he started the year hot against UTSA, Utah St. and his monster national game against ND. Obviously put nation on notice going 20 catches for 443 and all of his seasons 4 TDs 22 yards a catch..

In conference he has been held more in check, never broke over 100 yards rest of season. Against miss st. he had 80 and UF 77 on 2 catches but other games never went over 60 yards, no TDs. So 24 catches for 225 yards, NO Tds 9.3 Yards a catch.. Hmm

Plus he has been nicked up later in year, think he came out of USCe game and thats where burner Roman Bethel RS FR stepped up. Has verified 21.17 200m which converted on 100m is around 10.4 speed. He avg 23 yards a catch and he was a big reason in SC game comeback.

They are an explosive offense and their OC schemes up some easy stuff for QB, like really good easy one read stuff.. Texas fans call their QB Marcel "One" Reed.. They gloat how they made him uncomfortable in pocket, took away first read and made him very uncomfortable forcing him left for erratic throws..

Also we HAVE TO win special teams battle, Their kicker is erratic and they still are unsure which they will depend on, they still have two I guess. One is 66% the other who they roll with for 40 plus is 61% and 5-11 forty + (45%, though we know how kickers perfor against us, smh).. They also had 2 punts blocked in ND and LSU games, They have gone for fake punts so Im punt safe in most situations, and Concepcion has made impact on games returning punts, I think Bussey on kick also..
Click to expand...
Good analysis
 
LuCane said:
I've shared a little of this on different threads, but will add here and hopefully one thread sticks.

You said:
QB Marcel Reed is as dynamic of a runner we have seen all year. When he gets loose, he has the potential to rip off a 40yd with relative ease.
Truth. What you don't mention is what I'm scared we'll see. They use a ton of motion, fake jet sweeps, and even motions into zone-reads to widen the gaps of a defense. Just like their OC liked when he used to play. Our LBs sometimes have struggled to stay sound in their gap. Our DTs need to play an outrageous game so that when these motion plays happen with the intent of Reed really keeping and picking an A or B gap to push through vertically, our DTs have disrupted the play.

You said:
Cramer and Concepcion rightfully get the most attention but don't sleep on their WR3 Ashton Roman-Bethel. He's productive and fast. He was huge in A&M's comeback win versus USC. Terry Bussey is a playmaker with ball in his hands. He gets the quick LOS throws and makes plays.
I agree and said as much on a thread where another poster asked me if we should sit Lucas, who the poster presumed would struggle with the smaller, quicker change direction guys. I said he should match up with ARR. I think the guy can make plays and, when they decide it, is a weapon. Vertical threat who I hope Lucas hangs with stride for stride.

You said:
Texas A&M's TEs are solid blockers. They don't flash much on flim. They aren't emphasized in the pass game. They become more of a factor in the redzone but outside of the play at ND I can't recall much from them.

I think you're underestimating their TE. I think he's a viable threat against us. I wouldn't discount him because he's rarely targeted. I think he has less than 20 catches on the year, but if you look through their games from this and last year, he can get down the seam and is a big target - the type of guy who I'd use to attack the busted zones we've shown. He caught a TD against USCe on a nice sit down route. Look out for it on 3rd downs and in the RZ (which you noted). IIRC, he was lined up at Hback. Sneaky play that puts pressure on our LBs.

You said:
Texas A&M's RBs don't really scare me. They have a solid stable of backs who can gash you repeatedly but no back that can hit their head on the goal post. Their best and most dynamic back, Levon Moss, has been dealing with injury since the UF game so it'll be interesting to see if he plays against us. Rueben Owens, Amari Daniels and EJ Smith are steady backs that will keep the offense on track. Daniels seems to have lost his RB3 spot to EJ Smith. Their most dangerous weapon in the run game isn't even a RB it's their QB.
I think this is a mistake. How they're used in other games doesn't always predict how they'll be used against us. There is sufficient talent and it's how other coaches (e.g. Lashlee, Brohm, Malzahn) have attacked us. First of all, I expect TAMU to try to use Concepcion's jet sweep motion or QB fake running to isolate one of our LBs on one of their RBs. I mentioned the surprise could be Rueben Owens. With our pass rush, I can see him slip out into the flat for matchups with our LBs. Stuff that makes Reed's reads (lol) easier and keeps him upright. Look at their 2 minute drill against USCe. Ownes catches a pass in the flats and takes it for chunk play.

I'll have more as I continue to watch more. Saving the defense stuff for later and maybe a standalone post because I continue to say their Offense looks more dangerous than fans/people are giving them credit...
Click to expand...
Good analysis
 
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skyman said:
Good stuff.. I dont think I been motivated to watch an opponent and breakdown in yearsss, good to see soo many others adding legit thoughts.. I agree with most added here. I will say looking thru whatever analytics I see, stats and games.. Craver gets ALOT of love but noticed he started the year hot against UTSA, Utah St. and his monster national game against ND. Obviously put nation on notice going 20 catches for 443 and all of his seasons 4 TDs 22 yards a catch..

In conference he has been held more in check, never broke over 100 yards rest of season. Against miss st. he had 80 and UF 77 on 2 catches but other games never went over 60 yards, no TDs. So 24 catches for 225 yards, NO Tds 9.3 Yards a catch.. Hmm

Plus he has been nicked up later in year, think he came out of USCe game and thats where burner Roman Bethel RS FR stepped up. Has verified 21.17 200m which converted on 100m is around 10.4 speed. He avg 23 yards a catch and he was a big reason in SC game comeback.

They are an explosive offense and their OC schemes up some easy stuff for QB, like really good easy one read stuff.. Texas fans call their QB Marcel "One" Reed.. They gloat how they made him uncomfortable in pocket, took away first read and made him very uncomfortable forcing him left for erratic throws..

Also we HAVE TO win special teams battle, Their kicker is erratic and they still are unsure which they will depend on, they still have two I guess. One is 66% the other who they roll with for 40 plus is 61% and 5-11 forty + (45%, though we know how kickers perfor against us, smh).. They also had 2 punts blocked in ND and LSU games, They have gone for fake punts so Im punt safe in most situations, and Concepcion has made impact on games returning punts, I think Bussey on kick also..
Click to expand...
special teams they are good at, sign of a good coached team. I wonder how we plan to defend the short game. Seems like we like to play our corners off a bit, the bend dont break type of secondary, but I do think the defense has had issues when the other team gets the ball out quick. Which is such an obvious thing to do, you arent getting 4 seconds to survey the field with our DL.

So if I had one issue about the defense its when the bigger corners, lucas, brown, are playing 8 yards off and give up and easy catch. The tackling has been solid but this will likely be the best WR core we have faced that specalize in missed tackles. Cant let them catch a 2 yard slant and go for a big play. Need our bigger corners to re-route these guys, disrupt the timing and get Reed into panic/scramble mode quick because the first read wont be there.
 
I think a key to this game is to keep their offense off the field. I think we will find a way to control the TOP. Thanks for your breakdown OP. I was just watching their game vs UF, though UF moved on them well to start the game. Didn't see a ton of pressure either. I'll work my way to watch some of the games you posted as well. Go Canes
 
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I know our schedules isn't exactly murderer's row, but I had no idea their schedule was so bad. They could be anything from legit but untested to overrated.

Their nonconference schedule was 1-11 Samford, 6-6 Utah State, 6-6 UTSA, and ND.

9 SEC teams finished 4-4 or worse in conference play. A&M played 7 of them, including the bottom 5 teams in the SEC.

Including nonconference opponents, they played one team with a winning record in conference play. That was Texas, who they lost to.
 
Cane4life18 said:
With our huge matchup fast approaching I decided to dive into the film of Texas A&M and see what stands out to me. I reviewed their games against ND, Auburn, UF, Arkansas, South Carolina and Texas. Before getting into it, I would like to preface this by saying I'm not @Lance Roffers so I would be as good breaking it down to the bare bones of the X's and O's so bare with me.











- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
youtu.be youtu.be

Texas A&M's Offense

Texas A&M's RBs don't really scare me. They have a solid stable of backs who can gash you repeatedly but no back that can hit their head on the goal post. Their best and most dynamic back, Levon Moss, has been dealing with injury since the UF game so it'll be interesting to see if he plays against us. Rueben Owens, Amari Daniels and EJ Smith are steady backs that will keep the offense on track. Daniels seems to have lost his RB3 spot to EJ Smith. Their most dangerous weapon in the run game isn't even a RB it's their QB.

QB Marcel Reed is as dynamic of a runner we have seen all year. When he gets loose, he has the potential to rip off a 40yd rub with relative ease.

Reed is much improved year over year but still deals with inconsistencies with passing the ball. Our pass rush needs to be on point and keep lane integrity when pressuring him. Reed has shown the ability to deliver strikes on the run. Reed seems to struggle when asked to throw in the intermediate(10-20yds) area of the field. He excels on throws deep vertical throws(30yds+). Reed also has a strong enough arm to fit throws into small windows but you rarely see him throw into tight windows unless it's a deep ball. Reed can be inaccurate at times which lead to costly ints for A&M. There are also times where you see Reed get happy feet in the pocket leading to inaccurate throws.

The two biggest threats on A&M's offense are WRs Mario Cramer and KC Concepcion. They are truly dynamic players who can break a game open anytime they have the ball in their hands. They rack up YAC in a hurry. Concepcion is utilized all over the field, not only in the slot position. Same with Cramer. They'll get the ball on jet sweeps, quick screens, etc... Solid tackling will be key against these two, especially Concepcion as he seems to be more shiftier on film.

Cramer and Concepcion rightfully get the most attention but don't sleep on their WR3 Ashton Roman-Bethel. He's productive and fast. He was huge in A&M's comeback win versus USC. Terry Bussey is a playmaker with the ball in his hands. He gets the quick LOS throws and makes plays.

Something that stuck out to me after watching the games is A&M isn't intentional on getting the ball to their RBs in the passing game. They prefer a quick outlet pass to one of Cramer, Bussey or Concepcion.

Texas A&M's TEs are solid blockers. They don't flash much on flim. They aren't emphasized in the pass game. They become more of a factor in the redzone but outside of the play at ND I can't recall much from them.

The much ballyhooed Texas A&M OL is good. I didn't really see too many breakdowns on their lines but the UF, USC, and Texas game showed they can be tested on the edges. South Carolina and Texas chose to really come after Reed and send blitzes. USC twisted and stunted a good bit. Dylan Stewart's initial burst gave A&M problems. Something that helps their OL as well is Reed's mobility. Their OL has plenty of experience.


Texas A&M's Defense

Texas A&M's DL is good and that starts with their star pass rusher Howell. Something that surprised me on film is how many times A&M actually dropped Howell in coverage to be the flat or curl/hook defender. Whenever Howell dropped in coverage there was a blitz coming from depth behind it more times than not. Howell's tenacity as a passer rusher is his superpower. His motor runs very hot. The rest of A&M's DL is strong. DJ Hicks shows up in the middle of A&M's line on film. #50 pops on film as well. Outside of Howell, I don't see any true game wreckers that can disrupt an OL single handily.

Texas A&M's LBers are as aggressive as you will see. They bite hard! You can tell they're trained to get after the QB. You see multiple times on film when they're tasked to mirror a RB or TE and the RB or TE stays in as an extra blocker they're coming as an extra rusher. UF used this tendency against A&M with delay releases with their TE Hasan and hit for a nice chunk play twice. I'd expect to see something similar when we play them. Playaction also worked well on film. ND, UF and Texas all had success utilizing the playaction game.

A&M's DBs were good collectively on flim but I was not overly impressed by any one player. I know Des Ricks is a former 5-star but Hill stuck out more to me. This group does struggle with run support out on the edges. The safeties don't always come down the alley with urgency. Arkansas and Texas both had mobile QBs that tested A&M's DBs eye discipline and led to big plays over the top. USC and Texas really tested them vertically and they seemed to struggle with that. I don't recall seeing any interceptions made by A&M's DBs in the 6 games I watched. Again, solid group but no notable playmakers on flim.


Special Teams

KC Concepcion is a problem on punt returns. He made a play during the Texas game that was very impressive.

A&M's kicker is suspect on any kick longer than 40yds. He missed 3 kicks(43, 49, 50yds) from the film I watched.


Key Takeaways
Key in on Marcel Reed's legs, KC Concepcion and Mario Cramer.

A&M wants to be explosive, their offense isn't built for 10+ play drives. Make them work their way down the field and Reed's inconsistencies will rear it's head.

Texas A&M scored 41 on a good ND defense. Scored 16 on a good Auburn defense. Scored 34 on a respectable Florida defense. Scored 17 on an above average Texas defense. A&M's offense can be hot and cold at times. When rolling, they can put points on the board with the best of them.

Cashius Howell vs. Markell Bell is going to be a key matchup in our game.

How will Brockermyer, Okunlola and McCoy hold up versus A&M's talented DL?

How will Beck respond to the pressure Texas A&M will try and bring on a down to down basis.

We HAVE TO BE ABLE to run the ball to win this game.

Our receivers have a chance to make a strong impact on this game. A&M'S DB group is solid but can get got over the top.
We need to challenge them vertically.

ND scored 40, Arkansas scored 42, South Carolina scored 30, and Texas scored 27. Points can be scored on this defense. We can't leave points on the field. We need to take the points when available because there will be other opportunities to get into the end zone.

Our ability to tackle in space and rally to the ball will be the difference in the game.

Special teams will factor into the game. Will their kicker hit kicks on 12/20? Also, we have to contain Concepcion on punt returns.

Let me know what you guys see on film. I'd love to know if we're seeing the same things.
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One thing these SEC teams are missing is a Malachi Toney. AM defense will have alot to handle
 
SCarolina Ibis said:
I know our schedules isn't exactly murderer's row, but I had no idea their schedule was so bad. They could be anything from legit but untested to overrated.

Their nonconference schedule was 1-11 Samford, 6-6 Utah State, 6-6 UTSA, and ND.

9 SEC teams finished 4-4 or worse in conference play. A&M played 7 of them, including the bottom 5 teams in the SEC.

Including nonconference opponents, they played one team with a winning record in conference play. That was Texas, who they lost to.
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USCe was also one of their last 3 games. So in the last 3 games of the season, they had to pull a miraculous comeback against a poorly coached Beamer team who had them on the ropes at 30-3, beat an FCS school, and lost to their rival.

While not trying to diminish their talent and good coaching, I do think they are a team that is trending downward and if we are able to take the lead on them early, Reed will start to rush throws/start seeing Sam Darnold-esque ghosts.
 
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