Aggies square off against Appalachian State
The Mountaineers are a much stiffer test than the Aggies saw in week one.
By: The Hammer
Photo via Jamie Maury, Texags
After dispatching Sam Houston 31-0 last weekend, the Aggies welcome one of the best and most consistent group of five teams in the country, Appalachian State. The Mountaineers took North Carolina to the brink a week ago before ultimately falling 63-61 to the Tar Heels. If you didn’t see any of this game, do yourself a favor and at least watch the 4th quarter. It’s complete bananas as App State scored 40 points in the final quarter, but failed to convert two separate two point conversions with under one minute remaining, sealing their fate.
The Mountaineers are no pushover, and will be a nice step up in competition compared to week one, especially for the Aggie defense. In new defensive coordinator DJ Durkin’s first game, A&M’s defense looked dominant but it’s hard to take much away when the opponent is Sam Houston. I’m going to be keeping a very close eye on the Aggie front seven this weekend, especially with starting linebacker Andre White out with an injury. Veteran Chris Russell is poised to step in for White, but if there is any position where depth could be a concern, its linebacker. A&M really needs Russell and Edgerrin Cooper to remain healthy.
Will the defensive line continue to rotate in that many guys? Can they continue to get pressure against a better offensive line? I think so, but we need to see it first. Given how much App State moved the ball against North Carolina, this will be a great test heading into the Miami game. I loved seeing all the young defensive lineman rotate in last week and hope that continues. UNC looks like it has one of the worst defenses in the country so far, but putting up 61 points on a power five team is not easy, regardless of how soft their defense might be. Mountaineer quarterback Chase Brice, formerly of Clemson and Duke, looked really good against the Tar Heels, and if given time could be dangerous. I trust the defensive line to bring some pressure, and in his prior stops, Brice has been turnover prone so I think the Aggies should have an interception or two in this one.
On the offensive side of the ball, consistency is the key here in all facets. Haynes King needs to be more consistent with his decision making and clean up the turnovers. The offensive line needs to be more consistent in the run game and give Achane and co holes to run through. North Carolina totaled 561 yards of offense on App State, including 215 rush yards with an average of 6.1 yards per carry It’s there for the taking. For as terrible as the UNC defense is, their offense can play ball. I would love to see A&M put up similar numbers here on the ground. Scoring 63 is unlikely, but A&M should be able to move the ball consistently in this game. If not, the Aggie offense could be a weak link again in 2022.
This game should play out pretty similar to the Sam Houston game, albeit with some more scoring. I don’t see a shut out incoming but I’ve got A&M covering the spread here. I like App State and root for them typically, but coming off that heartbreaking loss at home to UNC and traveling down to College Station the very next week is a tall task. The Aggies’ talent will show out here and pull away in the second half after wearing down the Mountaineers.
Texas A&M 44
Appalachian State 17