Bowl game
When asked about prospect of facing the University of Texas in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, head coach Kevin Sumlin said who his team faces in the impending bowl matchup is of no concern to him.
“I’m going to be excited whoever we play just because it’s a bowl game,” Sumlin said. “Right now, as I said before, we’re focused and I’m focused on trying to beat LSU. That’s a big deal in this program right now.”
Senior wide receiver Malcome Kennedy said that after watching the Aggies and Longhorns face off annually growing up, he wouldn’t be opposed to ending his college career against A&M’s former conference foe.
“The last time when I was here when we played Texas we lost,” Kennedy said. “That bit me for awhile. It’d be nice to play Texas. I think it’d be great for the state. Everybody wants to see that game. Nobody can deny that they want to see that game, I promise you. I think it’d be a great game to end my season on.”
Defense heals up
The Aggies were without both freshman defensive end Myles Garrett and senior defensive lineman Ivan Robinson due to injury in their game against Missouri, and freshmen linebackers Otaro Alaka and Josh Walker both missed time against the Tigers after getting banged up in-game. Sumlin said that Walker is done for the season because of a broken foot, but that Garrett, Robinson and Alaka are likely to return for next week’s game.
“I would say all three guys are probable for this game,” Sumlin said. “Alaka is dealing with more pain than anything. It’s a pain-tolerance situation. Ivan, we’ll see. Myles, I think he’ll be ready to go for sure.”
LSU rivalry
The Aggies are slated for a Thanksgiving night game against the LSU Tigers, and the question as to whether or not they are A&M’s rival has resurrected itself regarding the matchup.
“I think if you want to call a game a rivalry, you better beat them first,” said defensive coordinator Mark Snyder. “This group right here has yet to beat LSU. If you want to make it a rivalry game, you’ve got to go beat them — if it even is a rivalry game. We’re relatively new in this league. I do know this, if you do want to make it a rivalry game, you’ve got to win the game to make it a rivalry, or it’s not a rivalry.
Sumlin said that, in college football, rivalries change over time.
“For people who have been involved in Aggie football for years they might see things a little bit differently,” Sumlin said. “I can remember being at Oklahoma and growing up and watching Oklahoma-Nebraska and now thinking, ‘Who would have thought at this point that this game doesn’t even exist?’ Rivalries over the course of the college football landscape have changed. That’s just to name one. When you change leagues, obviously, you get involved in certain games. Proximity usually weighs in to what becomes a rivalry. Anytime you move a game to the end of the year I think you’re insinuating something there, particularly on Thanksgiving.”
As far as the game taking place on Thanksgiving, Sumlin is a fan.
“Thanksgiving is a traditional time for family, friends and football,” Sumlin said. “I think it’s a great honor. Somebody’s got to play, why not us? And in a great venue in front of 100,000-plus at night. It’s something to be excited about and are proud of, and I know our guys are excited to be playing.”