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Lamar at No. 9 Texas A&M
(Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, SEC Network)
RELATED: Video — Aggies gives fans inside look at preparation, travel and postgame vs. South Carolina
THE SKINNY: Will the freight train of momentum continue for the Aggies? Texas A&M’s first outing was college football’s biggest statement in Week 1, a 52-28 victory at ninth-ranked South Carolina which catapulted Kevin Sumlin’s squad into the Top 10. Despite entering the season as arguably the SEC West’s fifth-best team, Texas A&M’s already been mentioned as a possible College Football Playoff buster so there’s pressure to perform as a surprise contender.
KEY PLAYER: What does Kenny Hill do for an encore in his second collegiate start? Coming off a 511-yard, three-touchdown masterpiece post-Johnny Manziel, the Aggies’ facilitator on offense is matched up against a less-talented defense, but no longer has the cloak of being an unknown. Hill won’t play all four quarters like he did against the Gamecocks and his workload should be relatively light. Expect hefty numbers with numerous early opportunities down the field.
WHAT TO WATCH: If there’s a chink in the armor for Texas A&M, it’s the secondary. Mark Snyder expects the back end to play more fundamentally sound on Saturday after a few breakdowns that led to scores against South Carolina. True freshman Armani Watts is already proving his worth as an enforcer and now has the backing of 100,000 plus at Kyle Field.
FINAL SAY: The first of three straight cupcakes will be decided by halftime, but it’s important the Aggies take the killer instinct approach. As we’ve already seen in the AP Top 25, winning pretty boosts outside opinion and is a reflection of a dominant football team.
