COLLEGE STATION — The Twentieth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies have a shot to succeed in the Southeastern Convention championship sport for the primary time since becoming a member of the league in 2012.
The one factor standing of their means: archrival No. 3 Texas.
Texas A&M and Texas will meet for the primary time since 2011 on Saturday evening at Kyle Discipline, the place a frenzied crowd anticipated to exceed 110,000 will welcome again a storied rivalry that dates to 1894.
“We all know that that is going to be historical past if we make it,” Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed stated. “And … lots of people do not have religion and did not have religion simply because it is the primary yr with the brand new coach, new OC, new DC, all of the issues and type of a rebuild season (however) we’re right here now and we have an opportunity to go make this chance what we would like it to be.”
The winner advances to face No. 6 Georgia on Dec. 7 in Atlanta.
“I believe it is nice for faculty soccer that this sport with us and them goes to matter on a grander scale than what’s simply taking place within the state of Texas,” Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian stated. “However I additionally understand how a lot it means to each family within the state of Texas.”
Texas A&M is trying to bounce again after dropping a four-overtime thriller at Auburn final week. Texas has received 4 straight after its solely lack of the season in opposition to the Bulldogs on Oct. 19.
“You hope to get to the final sport of the yr enjoying for the whole lot,” stated Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, who was employed after Jimbo Fisher’s firing final yr. “And we’re within the final sport of the yr and enjoying for the whole lot.”
The Longhorns will face a hostile crowd that has waited greater than a decade for payback after Texas got here to Kyle Discipline for the final assembly in 2011 and left with a 27-25 victory.
“It is most likely going to be just like the Alabama sport, the Notre Dame and the LSU sport on steroids,” Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York stated.
Texas has loads of latest expertise in coping with powerful street crowds. The Longhorns beat Alabama at residence in 2023 and received at Michigan and Arkansas this season. In all, Texas has received 10 straight on an opponent’s residence discipline.
AP Picture/Eric Homosexual
“I imply, it should be wonderful,” Texas defensive again Jahdae Barron stated. “, these are the kind of moments you reside for.”
Although these Longhorns and Aggies have been all in grade college the final time these groups locked horns, the gamers all appear to get the gravity of this rivalry.
“At first a number of the guys weren’t absolutely greedy what this sport means and the way necessary it’s,” Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III stated. “However now that we have gotten shut and now it is sport week, I believe everybody understands how massive this sport is and the way a lot they should lock in and focus for this sport.”
Floor sport
Texas put the sport away in opposition to Kentucky with a 15-play drive within the fourth quarter that included 12 runs and chewed up greater than 8 minutes off the clock. Quintrevion Wisner had a career-high 158 yards, which was simply the fourth time this season a Texas again has hit the 100-yard mark.
Explosive performs
Elko is concentrated on eliminating explosive performs after his protection allowed move performs of 31, 44 and a 63-yard landing within the loss to Auburn.
“Simply cannot allow them to occur,” he stated. “You may’t let the ball go over your head.”
The Aggies have been robust in opposition to the run this season however have struggled at occasions in opposition to the move and rank 81st within the nation by permitting 227.7 yards passing per sport.
Turnovers
The Texas secondary has allowed simply 4 passing touchdowns this season however taken away 17 interceptions. However the Longhorns are having their very own points. Texas has fumbled the ball seven occasions within the final two video games, six in opposition to Kentucky, which returned one 25 yards for a landing.
“We simply could not maintain onto the dang ball,” Sarkisian stated. “We have to get that fastened.”
Stout entrance
Texas A&M’s defensive entrance is a power of the crew and the Aggies are seventeenth within the nation with 78 tackles for loss. Defensive finish Nic Scourton leads the group with 14 and linebacker Scooby Williams has seven.
Kicking sport
Texas received the 2011 matchup on Justin Tucker’s final-play discipline objective from 40 yards that cut up the upright with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Texas kicker Bert Auburn has struggled on lengthy discipline targets this season. He’s 9 of 13 general, however simply 4 of 8 from 40 yards or longer. Towards Kentucky final week, he made one from 49 yards but additionally missed one from 47.
AP Sports activities Author Jim Vertuno contributed to this report.
