It has been five days since the Aggies trip to Death Valley East in Clemson, South Carolina and I still don’t like how we played in that game. I could not even bring myself to watch the full game again. But the schedule lines up well as we get a FCS opponent this week in the Lamar Cardinals. This is exactly the type of “get-right” game that the Aggies need after a scorching afternoon in Clemson that saw lots of injuries, cramps, and poor play on the field.
What I Am Looking For
This matchup amounts to a glorified practice due to the caliber of competition. The game should never be in doubt. You won’t be able to learn much from this game due to the talent differential. However, there are several different things I am looking for that might help this team as they move into another top 10 matchup against Auburn next week. This is a great opportunity to work on some of the flaws we saw last week and gain confidence back.
The aspect I am really looking forward to watching this week is the running game. We have struggled in the early part of the season to move the ball on the ground even against Texas State. Now with starting running back Jashaun Corbin out for the season with a hamstring injury, the battle for carries just got a lot more interesting. I want to see the offensive line exert their will and just flat dominate the line of scrimmage. They should be opening holes that are big enough for a Mack truck to fit through. True freshman Isaiah Spiller will get the first crack at replacing Corbin, but the other running backs will get plenty of carries as well. Jacob Kibodi is a redshirt sophomore that will have to step up and take some of the pressure off of Spiller. He is a tough runner and a bigger body, but is versatile enough to still be a factor in the passing game out of the backfield. Cordarrian Richardson is the transfer from UCF that has been puzzling thus far. He is without a doubt the biggest back on the roster checking in at over 240 pounds and had offers from Clemson, Alabama, LSU, and Georgia but has gotten very limited carries this year. Both of these guys as well as fleet-footed Deneric Prince will all probably get a chance at showing what they can do so Jimbo and company can get a better idea of what they have in their arsenal moving forward. The running back that is able to pick up blitz protections and do the little things well will be the one to split carries with Spiller for the foreseeable future.
I am very interested to see many of the new players on the roster. Jimbo brought in some highly rated recruits in the 2019 class (rated third in the nation) and many of them are just itching to get on the field and show the coaching staff what they can do. This game should be practically over by half so the whole second half can be used to focus on getting the backups some work and building depth for later in the year. Many of the players that were banged up and injured against Clemson should be sitting out entirely this game to give them two weeks to heal up for the big home game against 8th ranked Auburn. I will be keeping a particularly close eye on true freshman Zach Calzada as he was the one who came in as backup quarterback against Texas State. His arm talent is elite, but I want to see how he controls the offense, makes his checks at the line of scrimmage, and how he handles the flow of the game. I also want to see some of the young receivers step up and make some plays when they get their chance. Jalen Preston and Caleb Chapman both are in their second year under Jimbo Fisher and should have a better grasp of the complicated offensive system at this point. They have received high praise during fall camp and each possess a unique play-making ability so now is the time to let it show.
The most important thing I want to see in this game is a clean, well-executed game from both sides of the ball. Against Clemson, our own mistakes killed lots of drives and came at very bad times with false starts on third down, bad snaps, and the roughing-the-passer penalty. Both the offense and defense need to come out and make sure they take care of the little things like avoiding dumb penalties, making the extra block, and protecting the ball and not turning it over. It would not be encouraging for Kellen Mond to have his third straight game with a turnover. Overall, should be a blowout win that sees lots of younger guys get experience while hopefully gaining confidence heading into the Auburn game.
Quick Whits 