As Saturday approaches, Texas A&M is working to get back into a winning mindset after a 28-26 fall to No. 2 Clemson in the final minutes of last week’s game.
Head football coach Jimbo Fisher said that with the loss behind the Aggies, the team is looking to put their best foot forward and make improvements against this weekend’s opponent — The University of Louisiana­ at Monroe.
“Our job this week is to get better, correct those mistakes and expect to play a great football game,” Fisher said. “They’ve won two very tightly contested games and they’re going to come in here ready to play.”
Against Clemson, A&M rushed for 74 yards and junior running back Trayveon Williams was contained in the back field, rushing for 31 yards on 17 attempts. Fisher said he’s looking to create a game plan that involves Williams more in the run game rather than just the passing or screen game.
“We have to get the ball to [Williams] in different ways,” Fisher said. “He’s becoming a weapon out of the backfield in the passing game. Getting that ball to [Williams] is critical in what we do in our screens and our other players.”
Despite the ULM game being sandwiched in between A&M’s matchups with the No. 2 and No. 1 teams in the country, Fisher said he isn’t overlooking the Warhawks.
“There’s a game,” Fisher said. “There’s a scoreboard being played and a practice being played. If you want to play well, that’s the message that has to get across. It doesn’t matter who you play. Every game is a huge game because it is the next game. … How you prepare should never matter on who the opponent it is.”
Sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond threw a career-high 430 yards against Clemson.
But for Mond, personal accolades aren’t as crucial as the team’s overall improvement.
“I feel like we took a huge step forward and each and every one of us got better and we proved that we can play with the best in the country,” Mond said. “We want to win and that’s the main goal, but we took a step forward.”
ULM head coach Matt Viator said as he watched the game film from last season’s LSU and Belk Bowl games and compared it to A&M’s most recent film, he could see the difference in the program since Fisher’s arrival.
“I give coach Fisher and his staff a lot of credit for [the program’s progress],” Viator said. “To be able to transform a team in basically in eight months, they have totally transformed their team into a physical football team when you look at it.”
Viator said he’s looking forward to visiting Aggieland and playing on the national stage, but most of all he enjoys A&M’s rich traditions.
“Texas A&M is a huge challenge,” Viator said. “I’ve been fortunate to go to a lot of places to play and I can’t think of one that I’ve enjoyed more than Texas A&M. I like the tradition, the pageantry, the whole deal. It’s just a fantastic place to play football. We’re looking forward to it.”
Texas A&M will host ULM Saturday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 P.M. at Kyle Field. The game will be televised on SEC Network.