Last season, the Texas A&M Aggies entered Bryant-Denny Stadium on a two-game losing streak. It was looking for its first win in nearly a month, however, what occurred was a defeat that shocked the country and was the second largest defeat in Texas A&M’s history.
The 59-0 loss showed that the Aggies will need to be more intense on the defensive side of the ball, an intensity that has been missing from College Station, Texas. This offseason, Texas A&M made sure to address those problem with the addition of defensive coordinator John Chavis. Chavis, the former defensive coordinator for LSU, is one of best nationally.
This acquisition could prove to be special for Texas A&M this season.
This season, the Aggies will welcome the Crimson Tide to the newly-renovated Kyle Field with redemption on their minds. In the eight installment between these two rivals, Texas A&M will look to continue building on the success it has had in the last two seasons at College Station.
Offense: Kyle Allen was one of the biggest surprises in all of the SEC last season. This year, he will look to build off an impressive first year and look to the outside speed of receiver Speedy Noil and school single-season touchdown reception leader Josh Reynolds.
Despite failing to score a touchdown for the first time in the Kevin Sumlin era, offensive firepower won’t be an issue for the Aggies this season. The biggest factor for Texas A&M will be sustaining a rushing attack.
The Aggies were ranked 12th in rushing last season, totaling under 2,000 yards. The ground game will be led by the duo of Tra Carson and Brandon Williams, who combined for eight rushing touchdowns in 2014.
Defense: For a defense to become great, it needs a leader to take control. For Texas A&M, the man taking the leadership role will be sophomore defensive end Myles Garrett.
Garrett recorded an SEC-record 11.5 sacks last season as a freshmen, and was voted the defensive MVP for the Aggies. Along with Garret, Texas A&M will look to sophomore safety Armani Watts to provide leadership in the secondary. Watts will try to build on a solid true freshman season, in which he grabbed three interceptions.
The potential for success is high for Texas A&M. Its goal is to erase a horrid performance on defense, as the Aggies allowed 450.8 yards per game last season. With leaders on the defensive line and in the secondary, the Aggies will look to return to the glory days of the “Wrecking Crew” defense and earn the right to carry that moniker.
Game Preview: Texas A&M has the talent and coaching staff to be a dangerous team in the SEC West this season. However, with the lack of consistency on the defensive side of the ball, the road to becoming a major power in the West might take more than one season.
In this matchup, look for the Aggies’ defense to be energized with the thought of a 59-0 defeat on their minds. However, with the lack of depth and consistent play at linebacker, look for the Aggies to give up a lot of 10 to 15 yard passes unless the linebacker position improves vastly.
Alabama will look to attack the Aggies with physicality and power. The defensive line led by A’Shawn Robinson will wreak havoc on Texas A&M, while keep the tempo at their pace.
On offense, the rushing attack will certainly be a point of emphasis for Texas A&M. Look for the Aggies to try and rush 20 or more time with some quick options to Noil to keep the defense on its heels.
Look for the Crimson Tide rushing attack led by Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake to have a good day on the ground and average around seven yards a carry. Multiple receivers will have at least two catches for the Tide, to take advantage of the Aggie linebackers.
Game Prediction: Alabama 29, Texas A&M 24
Ivan L. White is a contributor for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @ilwhite1.
