Riding a four-game win streak, Texas A&M football hits the road this weekend to take on the Ole Miss Rebels in a matchup between two of the country’s top-ranked teams. Here are five things to look for this Saturday, Nov. 13:
1. Slowing down Corral, Ole Miss offense
The biggest key to an A&M victory on Saturday will be slowing down the Rebels’ high-powered offense, which ranks second and third in the Southeastern Conference in rushing and passing yards, respectively. Leading an offense that has averaged nearly 40 points per game this season is junior quarterback Matt Corral, who has thrown for 16 touchdowns this season while doubling as the team’s leading rusher. The Heisman hopeful has amassed 528 yards and ten touchdowns using his legs, boosting an Ole Miss rushing attack that features junior Snoop Conner, another ten touchdown rusher.
The Aggies look to carry over their defensive success from their Nov. 6 matchup against Auburn in which they held them to a mere 226 yards with four sacks and two forced turnovers. The Tigers could only scrape together three points despite entering the contest with a 35-points-per-game average. Graduate defensive lineman Michael Clemons accounted for the game’s only touchdown after recovering a fumble and returning it 24 yards for a score.
“We’re preparing as if it was any other team,” freshman linebacker Edgerrin Cooper said. “We need to get our job done and do what we need to do.”
2. Aggies look for offensive improvement
Senior kicker Seth Small was the MVP of the A&M offense versus Auburn, making four of his five attempted field goals. However, the Aggies were unable to find the end zone against the Tigers, despite a 112-yard rushing performance from junior running back Isaiah Spiller and 98 yards from sophomore running back Devon Achane. The matchup did see the return of junior wide receiver Caleb Chapman, a dangerous deep threat when he can stay healthy.
For the Aggies to leave Oxford, Miss., with a victory, the A&M offense must put together a more productive performance on Saturday with points to show for it. Against the Rebels, taking advantage of opportunities and scoring early and often will be key to coming out on top.
“I would say we just have to execute,” junior wide receiver Ainias Smith said. “It all comes down to a mental thing. It’s really about your want-to if you want to win, if you want to succeed as bad as you say you do, then shooz, you’ve got to go out there, perform and execute. There’s not really too much to say about it. We just have to do our best.”
3. 12th Man’s impact
The 12th Man set a new A&M record during last week’s sold-out contest as 109,835 fans packed Kyle Field, the second largest crowd ever at the Aggies’ stadium. The A&M faithful were roaring from start to finish, drawing high praise from CBS college football reporter Josh Pate.
“If I were to take you to one place on the college football map that perfectly encapsulates what makes this sport so different, it would be Kyle Field,” Pate said. “It’s a different universe over there.”
With the Rebels’ stadium having a capacity of just 64,038, A&M fans traveling to the game have an opportunity to match the intensity of the Rebels. Cooper spoke about the impact of the 12th Man on the road during Monday’s press conference.
“All the fans that travel on the road, I feel like they’re just as loud [as the opposing team’s fans],” Cooper said. “We love having them there.”
4. Aggies take national spotlight
The maroon and white have been thrust into the national spotlight for their matchup against the Rebels, earning the ESPN primetime TV slot at 6:30 p.m., as well as an appearance on the ESPN preview show “College Gameday.” All eyes will be on Oxford this weekend, as an A&M win could push the Aggies into the top 10 of the playoff rankings. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has already voiced his opinion for who should be “College Gameday”’s celebrity guest for this weekend.
“It would be Katy Perry,” Kiffin said. “I’ve seen this script before, this movie where Katy Perry shows up and Ole Miss wins. I was on the other side of it. It worked before, let’s do it again.”
The pop singer appeared on “College Gameday” in 2014 when the Rebels upset then-top-ranked Alabama. At the time, Kiffin was the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide.
5. Possible SEC Championship
With their defeat of then-No. 1 Alabama and recent string of success, the Aggies have quickly reentered the race for the SEC West division. Should A&M win out and the Crimson Tide drop another contest, then the Aggies would likely represent the division in the SEC Championship game versus Georgia. While A&M has Ole Miss, Prairie View A&M and LSU left on their schedule, Alabama must take on New Mexico State, Arkansas and Auburn.
“None of that matters if we don’t play well at Ole Miss,” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “It doesn’t matter if we don’t play well against Prairie View, and it doesn’t matter if we don’t go to LSU and play well. What’s going to help me is getting focused on what I’ve got to do today to get Monday’s practice the best it can be and get the players ready.”