Photo Courtesy: Steven Wilke
Game Info
Nevada Wolf Pack vs. #17 Texas A&M Aggies
Saturday – September 19 – 11:00 am CT
TV: SEC Network
Kyle Field – College Station
The Aggies get their last tune-up against the Wolf Pack before heading into SEC play next weekend against Arkansas at a neutral site game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. A&M looked very sharp in their second victory of the season blowing out Ball State 49-3 in the first half and going on to finish off the Cardinals by a final of 56-23. Nevada is coming off a win of their own against UC Davis 31-17 but dropped their season opener to Arizona 44-20. Vegas has the line on this one at 34 points so don’t expect too tight of a contest in the second game at the newly redeveloped Kyle Field.
What to look for when A&M has the ball
A continuation of the consistency that Kyle Allen displayed in last week’s first half romp. The sophomore QB went 10-13 for 126 yards and three touchdowns through the air. The Ags also amassed an impressive total of 270 yards on the ground as they got some quality work from previously unknown running backs Brice Dolezal and Kwame Etwi who helped take some of the load off of starter Tra Carson. They’ll look to improve the offensive line play that is still finding its way as a unit and as always should see some more explosiveness from the abundance of wideouts Coach Sumlin and company are blessed to have. Freshman QB Kyler Murray should get to see plenty of action once again considering Allen will more than likely only play the first half if things go according to plan.
What to look for when Nevada has the ball
The Wolf Pack have proven in their first two games that they have the ability to score, averaging 25.5 points per game. They’ve yet to however seen a defense like the Aggies who continue to improve under John Chavis. A&M will also return a couple of linebackers who have suffered through injuries in AJ Hilliard and Otara Alaka. Expect Nevada quarterback Tyler Stewart to be running for his life from defensive end Myles Garrett as will just about every qb that has to take snaps with him on the other side of the ball for the rest of the season. The ground attack has been solid for Nevada averaging 200 yards in their first two outings and they’ll have to establish that early to move the chains and avoid the ferocious pass rush coming at them from all angles.
When all is said and done, the Aggies should cruise to a 3-0 record and blowout Nevada who doesn’t appear to be as solid as they have been in recent years. The x-factor may be the very early kickoff time. It will be interesting to see if one team can get off to a fast start or if both squads come out looking a bit lethargic. The Aggie faithful should feel good about the current state of the team and be prepared to walk out of Kyle Field on Saturday with a smile on their faces and ready for the Razorbacks.
Prediction: Texas A&M 56 – Nevada 13
