It was a disastrous 2013 campaign for the Texas A&M Aggies defense, during which they were repeatedly torched by the likes of Alabama, Auburn and even Arkansas during SEC play. This year, it’s crucial that the defense take some of the pressure away from the offense that has carried this team to 21 wins in the past two seasons.
During the 52-28 win over South Carolina on opening day, all the talk was about the offense becoming only the second team in SEC history to score over fifty points in Columbia. But for the Aggies defense to be able to hold the home side to just 28 points was also impressive by the low standards of this unit. Admittedly, they were vulnerable to lapses, especially in pass coverage. They gave up touchdowns on big plays due to what appeared to be breakdowns in communication over the type of coverage.
However, it’s in the trenches where the biggest improvements have taken place; over their first two games, the Aggies have given up an average of just 78.5 yards per game. Last year’s average was 222.3 yards per game (sixth worst in the nation) so the improvement is fantastic, even if one of the two games so far was against a middling FCS team. This unit struggled last year because they were unable to stop teams on the ground with any sort of consistency, which lead to huge problems in defending the pass; this was especially noticeable against play-action.
The second key improvement is the pass-rush. The Aggies’ coaching staff has gone with youth in the front four and had early success. Last year’s sack leaders amassed just three sacks apiece over the whole season, but true freshman defensive end Myles Garrett has already equaled that total in just two games. Garrett was a five-star recruit from Arlington, Texas. On the opposite side of the line, sophomore Daeshon Hall has also impressed with his abilities to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The depth along the defensive line has also been bolstered by the latest recruiting class, which was ranked fourth-best in the nation.
This Saturday, Kyle Field will host the Rice Owls, who are renowned for having a strong running game, and it will present an interesting test for this revitalized defense. Last year they won 52-31 despite Johnny Manziel being suspended for the first half, but had real problems in dealing with stopping Rice’s offense. Even if Saturday’s game isn’t a close one on the scoreboard, it will be intriguing to see how the new-look defense performs.
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