What happens if an immovable object meets an unstoppable force?
In this case, it’s Texas A&M’s stingy defense led by junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper going up against the best offense in the country conducted by LSU senior quarterback Jayden Daniels.
All eyes will be on Daniels as he boasts the No. 1 quarterback rating in the country and is one of the top candidates to win the esteemed Heisman trophy.
The dual-threat quarterback has done it all this season, throwing for 3,577 yards and adding on another 1,014 on the ground. Daniels has been a one-man scoring machine, accounting for 46 touchdowns. Going up against one of the country’s best talents, A&M coach Elijah Robinson praised the quarterback’s dual-threat ability.
“[Daniels] is extremely talented,” Robinson said. “He’s rushed for over 1,000 yards, threw for over 3,500 yards and has a great coach in coach Kelly. He’s a problem, he’s a true weapon and we’ll need to be at the top of our game to give ourselves a chance [to win.]”
While Daniels has soaked up the spotlight with his dynamic play, his main target, junior wide receiver Malik Nabers, has also accumulated similar success. This season has been tilted in Nabers’ favor, as he’s posted career highs with 80 receptions, 1,424 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s also leading the country in receiving yards while his co-star wide receiver, junior Brian Thomas Jr., leads the country in receiving touchdowns with 14.
Looking to halt Daniel’s Heisman campaign is a rocky Maroon and White defense led by Cooper. The painfully dangerous linebacker has been one of the main reasons why A&M’s front seven has been one of the best in the country, racking up ranks of No. 2 in sacks and No. 15 in rushing yards allowed per game.
However, A&M’s defensive backfield has been inconsistent throughout the season. They’ve struggled with pass-heavy teams such as Ole Miss and Alabama. Both games featured career-high stats from Alabama senior wide receiver Jermain Burton and Ole Miss senior wide receiver Tre Harris. Stopping Nabers and Thomas will be a tall task for the Aggie secondary.
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Maroon and White’s offense. Though initially promising with the emergence of sophomore quarterback Connor Weigman, injuries have hampered the quarterback room and now duty calls for sophomore Jaylen Henderson to finish out the year.
In his recent action, Henderson has been impressive, scoring four touchdowns against Mississippi State and tacking on two more last week against Abilene Christian.
Though the quarterback’s been serviceable for A&M, the question will be on the offensive line and if they can protect Henderson from start to finish. Just from the first pass against the Wildcats last week, a blitzing ACU player went unprotected and forced an errant Henderson pass leading to a pick-six.
If the Aggies hope to keep up with an offensive juggernaut like LSU, protecting Henderson will be the first priority. However, Robinson said that protecting the quarterback lies on all of the offense’s shoulders, not just the offensive line.
“It can be either my call, tight ends, running backs, it can be how routes are being ran [and] it can be the quarterback’s decision on holding on the ball too long,” Robinson said. “It’s a collection of everything and what we have to do as coaches is narrow it down to where we put our players in the best situation where we don’t have to worry about [Henderson] holding on to the ball [for too long] and getting the ball out his hands.”
With Daniels looking to add to his Heisman campaign as one of the country’s best players and A&M trying to finish out the season strong in the absence of Jimbo Fisher, it will be an interesting matchup come Saturday, albeit heavily favored for the Tigers.