Through nine games, the Top 25 has seen a variety of teams seeping in and being kicked out while playoff-contending teams shuffle between rankings themselves. Texas A&M is no exception, from sneaking into the Top 25 in Week 3 to jumping all the way to No. 10 in Week 10. However, after a tough road loss to the on-fire South Carolina Gamecocks, the Aggies now sit as the 15th-best team in the nation.
Coming off a bye week, A&M will look to get back in the win column and tune up its mistakes as New Mexico State comes into town. Here are some key players on both Aggies’ squads.
Amari Daniels, junior running back, Texas A&M
Fate is a cruel mistress and it struck again in the A&M running back room. Already without sophomore RB Rueben Owens, junior RB Le’Veon Moss — the Maroon and White’s most consistent offensive player and spark plug — was ruled out for the season after sustaining a leg injury against South Carolina.
With postseason approaching for the hopeful Aggies, all eyes will turn to now-expected RB1 Daniels. Part of the one-two punch in the backfield, the Miami native will now share touches with graduate RB EJ Smith.
“Losing Le’Veon is a big loss,” coach Mike Elko said. “That’s a lot of touches. We’re going to have to figure out the right way to handle that. There’s a lot of different opportunities and options for us to go about it. Amari is certainly one, [and] EJ is certainly one.”
As the season has chugged along, Daniels has played his best ball in the past two games, rushing for 91 yards against then-No. 8 LSU and 83 yards against South Carolina — including a 56-yard house call that revived A&M’s first-half efforts.
Though replicating Moss’s production is no easy task, Daniels has proven himself as a reliable threat on the ground. With New Mexico State ranking as one of the worst defenses against the run — letting up 204.8 yards a game — he’s due for potentially his highest rushing output this season.
Seth McGowan and Mike Washington, junior running backs, New Mexico State
Keeping it on the ground and in the trenches, New Mexico State’s offensive identity is akin to A&M: It runs through its backfield. The Crimson and White also boast a two-headed attack in their running back room between McGowan and Washington.
McGowan has hit at least 50 yards on the ground in all but one game and has gotten better as the season has progressed. He notched his first ever 100-yard game last week, pummeling Western Kentucky with 113 yards and a touchdown along with a season-high 47 receiving yards.
With Washington also joining the fun in rushing for 100-plus yards against the Hilltoppers — close to breaking his career high with 152 yards — New Mexico State’s offense will be kickstarted by McGowan as he takes on the formidable A&M defensive front.
Nic Scourton, junior defensive end, Texas A&M
As the NFL Draft approaches, Scourton has made a name for himself as one of — if not the — top edge rushers in this year’s stacked class for all the right reasons.
He leads the team in sacks with five, including a two-game span where he garnered 3.5 against Arkansas and Missouri, and also leads the defensive line in solo and total tackles. But he also saw his fair share of struggles against the Gamecocks despite having the numbers to solidify himself as a top prospect.
While South Carolina kept tabs on him on the scouting report, sending double teams whenever it could, redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers evaded Scourton’s clutches multiple times as the Bryan native failed to tack onto his sack totals.
However, coming off a rejuvenated bye week, Scourton is due for another big game to both bolster his draft stock and help A&M get back on track.
