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Auburn Football: Texas A&M at #3 Auburn Preview and Predictions

By Nathan Deal

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Nov 1, 2014; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Speedy Noil (2) vs Louisiana Monroe Warhawks during the second quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M’s Keys to Victory

1. Get the ball to Speedy Noil. This electrifying freshman has had a terrific season so far, snagging 36 catches for 461 yards and four touchdowns. Two of his touchdowns have been on highlight-reel catches against Mississippi State and UL-Monroe. Auburn’s secondary started the season strong, but in the last two games against South Carolina and Ole Miss have given up 378.5 passing yards per game and seven touchdowns. South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson was consistently able to hit open receivers, while Ole Miss’s receivers shook off tackles by the Auburn secondary like they were nothing. A&M’s offense has struggled mightily in the last month, and with a true freshman on the road, it’s important for Kyle Allen to target Speedy Noil early and often.

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    • 2. Establish a consistent ground attack. Ole Miss had the same problem going into their game against Auburn, and it ultimately proved to be costly. The Rebels couldn’t get consistent yards on the ground. Twice in the second half, in Auburn territory, Ole Miss lost the ball to Auburn while attempting to run the ball in a short-yardage situation (a 4th-and-1 stop in the 3rd quarter and Bo Wallace’s fumble in the 4th). A&M’s running attack has been mediocre this year as well. The Aggies run for 150 yards a game, good for 82nd in the FBS. Texas A&M can’t be one-dimensional and expect to win, because being one-dimensional against Auburn has proven to be a fatal flaw in the past few seasons.

    3. Win the special teams battle. I was going to say something along the lines of “play better defense”, but I really don’t like the Aggies’ odds of stopping the Tigers on offense. So, A&M will need a big day from their special teams. Texas A&M is ranked 15th in the FBS this season in kickoff return yards and 8th in punt return yards, and although they haven’t taken one back to the house yet, they’ve shown they can create big momentum swings and give their offense great field position. According to ESPN.com, Texas A&M has the 5th most efficient special teams unit in the nation ( and the best in the SEC). They’ll need to step up in order to keep pace with Auburn.

    Next: Auburn's Keys to Victory

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