Texas A&M Football will begin their first year under head coach Jimbo Fisher and will have a tune-up game before a quick test in Week 2.
The buzz surrounding the Texas A&M Aggies is for good reason. A brand new and prestigious coach and a treacherous schedule lies before them in the 2018 college football season.
While the Aggies may not be on anyone’s preseason radar to make a CFP run in 2018, the schedule ahead of them presents a unique opportunity in that if they can pull a few (major) upsets, they can control their own destiny. That is how college football works. Winning the games in which you are not favored to win can help take a team to new heights.
The Aggies will have a tune-up game against FCS school Northwestern State in week one before welcoming the No. 2 ranked Clemson Tigers to College Station in week two. Following the Clemson games, two weeks later the Aggies will have to travel on the road to take on No. 1 Alabama. Again, the opportunities are there- but let’s start with the Northwestern State Demons.
Date: Thursday, August 30
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: College Station, TX
Venue: Kyle Field
TV: SEC Network
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to the Game
For the Aggies, it is important that the team comes out strong and does not look ahead to the Clemson Tigers. It might be safe for fans to assume that Texas A&M should have no problem in this one and will enter the Clemson showdown 1-0, but for these players, it is all about instilling confidence. Scoring early and preventing the Demons from getting any quick strikes will keep this squad fired up and prepared for their next week’s showdown.
Prediction
Both teams are going to want to push the tempo and strike as often as they can, all while giving their defense the best possible positioning on the field. One storyline entering the game is what head coach Jimbo Fisher is going to do with his quarterback situation. While Kellen Mond has been named the official starter in this game, a dual-quarterback system between him and Nick Starkel could be in the making.
It usually never works when two quarterbacks are rotating back and forth, but this could be the perfect time for Fisher to see who will produce in a real-game situation.
Final Score: Texas A&M 55, Northwestern State 14