Following the bye week and ahead of Texas A&M’s fifth game of the season on Saturday, Oct. 31, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher and players met with the media to discuss the matchup with Arkansas.
Here’s what we learned:
Offensive growth
A&M had its first win with Fisher against a top-5 team when it defeated the Florida Gators on Oct. 10. So far this season, the Aggies have totaled 1,001 passing yards and 689 rushing yards. Sophomore running back Isaiah Spiller leads the team in rushing yards with 430, and sophomore running back Ainias Smith is the team leader for receiving yards with 223.
Senior quarterback Kellen Mond said the offense has grown a lot recently due to the Aggies’ faith in one another.
“I think in this offense, the slightest details matter. Every angle of receiver can change based on what the defense gives us,” Mond said. “I think recognizing coverage mid-route is such a big thing in this offense. I think that we’re continuing to grow everyday and that trust is huge and is continuing to grow everyday and every time that we practice.”
Kyle Field
For the first time in eight years, the upcoming game against Arkansas will be played in Kyle Field. The past six years, the game between the Aggies and Razorbacks has been played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The home of the 12th Man is known to be loud, even with the 25 percent capacity rule. This could be seen during the Oct. 10 game against Florida, after which the Gators’ head coach Dan Mullen said the crowd influenced the game. With Arkansas not being used to playing in Kyle Field, the effect of the 12th Man remains to be seen on Saturday.
Senior offensive tackle Dan Moore said hosting the game at Kyle Field will enhance the competitive nature of both teams.
“The game atmosphere at home is always exciting, obviously we get Arkansas here instead of at AT&T Stadium so that’ll be fun as well,” Moore said. “The competitive spirit of both teams, both teams want to come out victorious, fighting until the end is so important, that’s what makes these games [against Arkansas] a battle.”
Mond’s biggest critic
In his last season at A&M, senior quarterback Kellen Mond has had a big year. The signal caller broke A&M’s all-time passing record and currently has 8,363 passing yards. During the past four games, Mond has thrown for 984 yards and nine touchdowns and has rushed 46 yards.
Mond said he is his own biggest critic which has contributed to his improvement as a quarterback.
“Me being a critic of myself and understanding that after my junior season I had to grow for myself to feel a lot better and for us to improve as a whole entire team and offense,” Mond said. “I studied a lot of different quarterbacks in the NFL and [worked] on understanding a lot of defenses more.”