Aggies hoping to bounce back
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M’s last Saturday off came at a bad time for the Aggies, considering they’ve had to stew about their latest one-score loss for two weeks now.
South Carolina arrives at Kyle Field at a good time for A&M, however, considering the Gamecocks are one of the Southeastern Conference’s worst teams, and often have proven the tonic for what ails the Aggies. Let’s start there:
Revenge on tap?
A&M no matter its season always could take solace in facing South Carolina every year as its so-called “cross-division rival,” and the Aggies won the first eight meetings between the two. Then came last year, when South Carolina jumped to a 17-0 lead a little more than five minutes into the contest and held on for a 30-24 victory.
After the game four A&M players were caught smoking marijuana in the South Carolina visitors locker room using a vape pen (four players are no longer with the team), according to multiple program insiders, and it became evident Jimbo Fisher needed to get a grip on his loose program.
Whether he truly has is still be determined, but so far it has not been reflected in more discipline on the field. The Aggies nonetheless are twotouchdown favorites and should make it 9-of-10 in the lopsided “rivalry.”
Rattling Rattler
A&M is among the national leaders with 29 sacks and South Carolina is among the nation’s worst teams in sacks allowed with 30. Something has to give, and it likely will be the Gamecocks’ sieve-like offensive line (again).
The Aggies should have a field day — should — pressuring South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, who has the potential to be one of the SEC’s top quarterbacks when he’s not scrambling for his life.
Special teams
Fisher has taken pride at A&M in not having a full-time special teams coach, but maybe it’s time.
Much like special teams let the Aggies down early last year at South Carolina, they’ve been especially poor of late with A&M falling out of SEC West contention.
In A&M’s last game two weeks ago at Tennessee senior punter Nik Constantinou averaged 32 yards on four punts, with a long of 38 yards. Only two years ago Constantinou averaged 47 yards on 51 punts, so he has regressed.
Kicker Randy Bond is 2-of-7 on attempts between 40-49 yards over the first seven games, and Fisher needs more accuracy from that vital range in oft-tight SEC games.
Offensive timing
The Aggies looked terrible two weeks ago on offense behind quarterback Max Johnson, from multiple poor snaps by center Bryce Foster to backpedaling linemen stepping on Johnson’s cleats to running backs running the wrong direction.
Why did Fisher hire offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino again? Because many of the Aggies’ woes and dysfunction appear similar to last season, when Petrino was still head coach at Missouri State.
A&M needed to use every bit of its two weeks between games to finetune its offense behind Johnson; whether the Aggies truly did will be more apparent in a week on the road at Mississippi more so than on Saturday against the SEC’s worst defense statistically (as the Gamecocks allow 447 yards per game).
Atmosphere
Based in large part on their ongoing mediocrity, the Aggies are scheduled to play five 11 a.m. games this season — nearly half their regular season.
Some families in the Houston area and BryanCollege Station are at least appreciative of as much this particular weekend, because it allows them to squeeze in both A&M football and some Saturday night Halloween activities.
Kyle Field has a reputation as one of the nation’s most intimidating venues for visitors so the Gamecocks, too, are appreciative of the late morning kick, when yawn-stifling fans will still be filing in through the first half.