Next week, the Texas A&M Aggies will face off against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Kyle Field. The Aggies are currently favored by more than four touchdowns in this matchup; they will feature a new offense with quarterback Haynes King now at the helm. Texas A&M holds an eight-game winning streak from last season, and the Aggies look to continue that run before SEC play. Although this is the first matchup ever between Kent State and Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher should expect his squad to win comfortably based on talent. However, there are crucial matchups on both sides of the ball that will decide who wins this game.
Kent State’s Passing Game vs. Aggies’ Defense
The Golden Flashes have one of the most lethal offenses in the Group of 5. In the past two years, quarterback Dustin Crum has thrown for 32 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Kent State’s offense, while less talented, will be a fierce matchup for Mike Elko’s defense. On the other hand, Texas A&M’s defense was the best in the SEC last season. The Aggies did not allow any team to score more than 30 points in their last five games; that’s pretty impressive in the modern offensive era. Texas A&M returns nine starters on the defensive side, so the Aggies are bound to have one of the top defenses in the country.
The front seven including DeMarvin Leal, Michael Clemons, and Jayden Peevy will need to control the line of scrimmage. Texas A&M’s secondary will be responsible for limiting wide receiver Nykeim Johnson and tight end Aaron Hackett to any big plays in this game. High-powered passing offenses have posed a problem to the Aggies, but they can hold down the Golden Flashes’ offense.
Haynes King vs. Kent State’s Defense
Haynes King’s first game as a starting quarterback will come against Kent State, which should allow him to ease into the position. Kent State only played four games in the Spring of 2021. The Golden Flashes’ defense allowed 70 points against Buffalo and 35 against Akron. The strategy here for the Aggies is simple; start the game running the ball. Handing the ball off to Isaiah Spiller consistently will work tremendously for Texas A&M behind that big, mean offensive line. Texas A&M cannot afford to get off to a slow start, especially with a new quarterback. Moreover, getting athletes like Chase Lane and Ainias Smith in space will catch Kent State off guard and create big plays for the Aggies. Hopefully, Demond Demas can finally be featured in Texas A&M’s offense later in the game; doing the simple things right will lead the Aggies to a win in this game.
Concluding Thoughts
Texas A&M enters the season ranked sixth in the AP Poll. The first game of the season looks like an easy win for the Aggies, but they will need to be firing on all cylinders to make a statement to the rest of the country. Jimbo Fisher is now in his fourth year as head coach for A&M, and he actually won the national championship during his fourth year with Florida State. Aggies’ fans have high expectations for their team this season; including beating Alabama, winning the SEC, and making a run for the national championship. The trend for success starts by taking each game a step at a time, which is crucial for the Aggies to end the season at the top.
[pickup_prop id=”8841″]
