Texas A&M vs. Northwestern State fearless prediction and game preview.
Broadcast
Date: Thursday, August 30
Game Time: 8:30 pm ET
Venue: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
Network: SEC Network
– 2018 CFN Preview | Texas A&M Preview
Texas A&M (0-0) vs. Northwestern State (0-0) Game Preview
Yeah, it’s the debut of the Jimbo Fisher era at Texas A&M, but more than that, this is the scrimmage the team needs to get ready for when Clemson comes to town the following week.
The Aggies need to settle in the quarterback situation, get the ground game rocking, and make sure all the new coaches are in sync with all of the other parts.
This is the game to get the kinks worked out – the team didn’t have that break last year going against Josh Rosen and UCLA.
Northwestern State is scheduled here to get beaten on and to give up a ton of yards and points. However, the offense should be a wee bit more explosive than it was last season – at least that’s the hope to keep this from getting out of hand too quickly.
One Reason Why Northwestern State Will Win
The one big question mark for Texas A&M after last season is a secondary that was hammered for big yards in game after game. There’s experience and skill among the Aggie defensive backs, but the production has to follow.
Northwestern State is speeding up the attack this year even though the offensive side wasn’t too much of a problem, averaging 364 yards per game highlighted by a solid passing attack. Clay Holgorsen is a good enough passer to stretch the field a little bit.
One Reason Why Texas A&M Will Win
This is the game to get both the starting quarterbacks some real work, and both of them will produce. Don’t get hung up on the starting situation too much – both Nick Starkel and Kellen Mond will look great throughout the game against the soft Demon defense that will generate pressure, but can get hit for big plays.
The Aggie D will live in the Demon backfield and force a few early turnovers to put this away early on, and then it’s practice time. A&M will be able to call its shot and put up as many yards as it wants to. Northwestern State doesn’t have the defensive horses up front, and its offense that wants to go faster will get off the field faster, too.
What’s Going To Happen
How about a 28-point first quarter for the Aggies?
Texas A&M will want to establish a nasty tone from the start, and not just to make things look great in Jimbo’s first game. It will want to establish the confidence for what’s coming next against Clemson. This game will be just that sort of a confidence booster.