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Just like Clemson, Texas A&M a tough assignment defensively for Auburn
By John Crist
Published:
Even in a losing effort, Auburn deserves a tip of the cap for shackling an explosive Clemson offense to 19 points.
That was the season opener Sept. 4, when Heisman Trophy candidate — and soon-to-be No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft — Deshaun Watson was held to 19-of-34 passing for 248 yards. He was also neutralized as a runner with 21 yards on 11 carries.
The Tigers will have to come up with another Herculean effort defensively Saturday, as they host a reinvigorated Texas A&M squad that’s off to a 2-0 start. After the Aggies opened the schedule with a 31-24 upset of then-No. 16 UCLA in overtime, they crushed overmatched Prairie View to the tune of 67-0 in Week 2.
TAMU is No. 1 in the SEC in scoring offense and total offense, posting 49 points and 557 yards per game. A&M has risen to No. 17 in the AP Poll.
Taking control is transfer quarterback Trevor Knight, who went through his ups and down at Oklahoma — nobody will ever forget how he had his way with Alabama in the Sugar Bowl — before ultimately losing his job to Baker Mayfield.
While Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray both brought a lot of ability to the huddle last season in College Station, neither provided much leadership. They were too busy battling each other for the starting job to bother being good teammates in the locker room. Even as a first-year Aggie, Knight is the authority figure offensively.
Of course, his transition has been smooth because coach Kevin Sumlin’s scheme is similar to what he ran with the Sooners.
But it’s more than the system. Knight also has the supporting cast necessary to succeed. Texas A&M might have the nation’s best quartet of wide receivers in Christian Kirk, Speedy Noil, Josh Reynolds (below) and Ricky Seals-Jones.
Kirk, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound stick of dynamite, is a tremendous pass catcher and return man. Noil — he came back last week after a one-game suspension — has a similar build and skill set to Kirk. Reynolds offers a dangerous downfield threat at 6-foot-4 and 193 pounds. Seals-Jones might as well be a tight end at 6-5, 240.
Based on where they line up in Sumlin’s wide-open offense, cornerbacks and safeties have to account for a broad spectrum of attributes.
“The analogy is a basketball team,” said Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, according to 247Sports. “They’ve got a point guard. They’ve got a shooting guard. They’ve got a 3. They’ve got a post player. They’ve got it all. They didn’t get them all alike. They’ve got them all. They utilize that.”
While Knight is only the ninth-ranked quarterback in the SEC through two games in terms of efficiency — a low completion percentage of 54.4 has hurt him — he’s done a good job distributing the pigskin among all his weapons.
Kirk, the primary target, leads the Aggies with 13 receptions for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s only played one game, but Noil caught 4 passes and got into the end zone. Reynolds continues to be a handful downfield, averaging 21.8 yards and scoring 1 TD on his 6 catches. Seals-Jones has grabbed 6 balls for 90 yards.
“I’d be wrong if I just ventured out and said (they’re the best in the nation) because I don’t see the West Coast teams,” Steele said. “I will say this: They’re a very, very impressive group. Just to watch them, I don’t know how you could put together four or five guys that would present any more problems than they do. They’re very, very good.”
While TAMU is known for operating the spread and throwing the ball liberally, its ground game has showed improvement in 2016.
A season ago, even with the departed Tra Carson rushing for 1,165 yards, Texas A&M was only eighth in the conference running the ball. Using a committee-style approach thus far, the Aggies are now third at 240 yards per game.
“That group is performing at a level that we expect them to perform across the board, all five of those guys in that room,” Sumlin said, according to 247Sports. “There’s only one football. They get that, too. But with our increased number of rushes, they also understand every one of those guys has an opportunity to get in the game and has to be successful.”
Three rushers are already over 100 yards for the year — including the nimble Knight. Splitting the majority of the carries are junior Keith Ford (above) and freshman Trayveon Williams. This is a different approach than 2015, when Carson’s 242 attempts dwarfed the 55 given to secondary ball carrier James White.
But Ford, another gifted transfer from Oklahoma, has begun to stake his claim as the featured runner for Sumlin.
“What you don’t see are the things he does when he doesn’t have the ball,” Sumlin said, according to 247Sports. “He’s been an excellent pass protector. He’s been very, very physical in blocking. And then, what a lot of people don’t notice is that he’s flying down the field on kickoff cover. Really an unselfish player.”
While Auburn wasn’t able to sack the fleet-footed Watson two weeks ago, the Tigers did hit him nine times — lineman Carl Lawson and linebacker Deshaun Davis drilled him twice each. They need to harass Knight even more.
One concern for Auburn was its inability to cover 6-foot-3, 225-pound wideout Mike Williams, who balled out with 9 catches for 174 yards. Even if Texas A&M doesn’t have a singular talent on par with Williams, the Aggies can field more productive pass-catching options at the same time than Clemson ever did.
Both programs are looking to start league play 1-0. An early loss hurts either’s chances to keep up with the Crimson Tide.
John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
John Crist is an award-winning contributor to Saturday Down South.
