Texas A&M football will once again look to right the ship on Senior Night against New Mexico. Here’s our preview of the matchup.
The Aggies fell to Auburn in blow out fashion, 42-27 in Week 10 at Kyle Field. This was just one of the multitude of division losses at Kyle Field Kevin Sumlin has to his name since joining the SEC in 2012. Texas A&M has all of three wins against division opponents in that time frame, a number they aren’t necessarily proud of.
They will return to Kyle Field on Saturday, but not against an SEC opponent. Instead they will take on the Lobos of New Mexico as they celebrate and honor the 2017 senior class. This game should be a victory for the Aggies, one that will push them to bowl eligibility, but you never know.
Either way, we will get to see the reemergence of Nick Starkel as the Aggies starting quarterback and that will be interesting to say the least. Here is how you can watch the Aggies final home game of the season.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Texas A&M vs. New Mexico game:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: College Station, Texas
Venue: Kyle Field
TV: ESPNU
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
For the Aggies, Nick Starkel will need to keep the offense on a consistent course for all four quarters. He will need to open up the passing game more than Kellen Mond has of late, finding more players than just Kirk. This will allow them to establish a more successful running game as they aren’t relying on it as much.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Aggies will need to establish the pass rush they had going at the start of the UCLA matchup and all through the Alabama game. Zaycoven Henderson and Jarrett Johnson will be big keys in this match up in terms of pressuring the quarterback.
For New Mexico, beating the Aggies will be a tall order. They are coming off a loss to New Mexico State and a three game losing streak. However, it is not impossible. They will need to keep Nick Starkel off balance, not allowing him to complete the downfield passes that he will be looking for. They will also need to take advantage of the weaknesses in the Aggies secondary for big passing plays and conversions.
Prediction
This game will be a big one for Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies. Looking at the schedule a few months ago, one would not have circled this one as important yet here we are. Look for Nick Starkel to rack up at least four passing touchdowns and Keith Ford to find his way into the endzone at least once.
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On the defensive side of the ball, Tyrel Dodson will have yet another big game to add to his list. Armani Watts will show that he has first round talent. The big guys up front will limit the New Mexico rushing attack to 50 yards, at most. All of this will give way to a big victory for Texas A&M that pushes them into bowl eligibility.
Final Score: New Mexico 10, Texas A&M 42