Auburn Football: Scouting the Texas A&M Offense
Sep 27, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin on the sidelines against the Arkansas Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Much of the talk during the early portion of the Auburn football season surrounded the brutal second half of the schedule that lay ahead for the Tigers. One of those top-notch opponents was the Texas A&M Aggies, who rode a high-powered offense to a 5-0 start and reached No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25.
Since then, the Aggies have struggled. Now 6-3 and unranked, Saturday’s matchup against Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium is not expected to be difficult for the Tigers. In fact, Auburn is currently a 22-point favorite at most Las Vegas sports books.
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However, the A&M offense is still very dangerous. The Aggies have scored 36.4 points per game this season, which is the fourth best average in the Southeastern Conference and ranks in the top 20 nationally. Statistically speaking, Texas A&M has the SEC’s third best offense with 485.4 total yards per contest so far in 2014, which ranks 22nd in the nation.
Most of the team’s success has come through the air. The Aggies lead the SEC in passing yards per game with 335.4, an average that ranks in the top ten in the country, but the ground game has been far less successful. With only 150 rushing yards per game, A&M has the league’s second worst rushing attack.
Additionally, things are not trending well for Texas A&M on offense. The team’s last two games – an embarrassing 59-0 loss to Alabama and a not-so-impressive 21-16 win over UL Monroe – the Aggies have had their two worst offensive performances of the Kevin Sumlin era. A&M managed just 172 yards of total offense against the Crimson Tide and was held to 243 yards against the 3-5 Warhawks.
Next: Texas A&M Quarterbacks