Texas A&M's Matchups AT A GLANCE

[Malcolm_FleX48 1,869]

So after doing a bit of looking at Texas A&M's depthchart and all I can say is....

Whew. Them are some big boys.

They did some reconfiguring when Jimbo got there and they look like a real SEC team as far as the Depth Chart goes. The old adage is: "Everything is bigger in Texas" and I definitely can see that Jimbo has taken that to heart. This will probably be the largest receiving corps on average that our defense matches up against and size isn't exactly Auburn's defensive 2nd & 3rd level's greatest strength so it will be interesting to see how these 2 diametric opposites handle each other. 

Defensively is more of the same with them being an extremely LARGE team up front, but more impressively on the backend. They've got length and bulk all across the board and it really is awe-inspiring how Jimbo managed to accomplish such a feat of recruiting. Its a complete far cry from the Texas A&M of the past. Their offense is completely reconfigured to be a very methodical Pro-Style with lots of concepts you see in the NFL. That being said their receivers are pretty route savvy and you will see a lot of crosses and outs to take advantage of those multiple receiver sets. 

Their back is also a load to bring down and athletic to boot. This is where the line comes in as they will consistently go into ace & I-Formations and run zone out of those formations. They get decent push at the LOS but the real magic is their big back's ability to cut back into gaps on a moment's notice. Even their 2nd and shiftier back Spiller is larger than average at 6'1 213lbs. A bit of added danger is Mond's ability to get out of the pocket in passing situations. He can move. Plain and simple. Its going to be VERY interesting to watch and see how our DBs play the run this game against their larger and longer blockers on the perimeter while contending with 2 run threats. Finding a way to be very aggressive early on in defense, knifing gaps and slanting will probably be the key here, getting in the backfield early to stop Kibodi before he gets churning. 

Speaking of their receivers granted Mond has been taking some time to get into a rhythm with his pass-catchers, they've gotten progressively more aggressive in attacking the ball since the big Clemson loss. They still have some drop problems and Mond throws some off passes at times but the big play ability is there and should not be overlooked.

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Defensively they're very fast and long up front. One of things I noticed is that for a 4-3 team, they're pretty aggressive with their DBs in run fits. Rather than spilling, it seems like when they read run everyone is downhill attacking. Even their corners attack the run aggressively. They have a penchant for Cover 3 and can almost always be seen rotating a safety into the box. This paired with their long and fast front 7 players often times can completely erase a run game if executed correctly. 

Auburn's success will be predicated on being able to overcome their run defense because that secondary of their is definitely not one to test too often in the pass game. Taking advantage of their aggressive run tendencies will be key to really moving the ball against this defense. Their linebackers tend to get stuck in mud on play action and their DBs take longer to recover from poor play recognition attempts. 

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Again, maybe I'm wrong in this evaluation, but its definitely not an unwinnable game, though that doesn't mean its easy. Should be a great SEC slug fest to watch though regardless.


https://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/texas-am/92039

 

https://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/auburn/90061

 

 

[ToraGirl 5,498]

That is some serious research, Flex. Thank you so much for sharing!

[Sizzle 3,912]

I think Clemson ran a lot of screens because A&M did a good job of stopping the run. So Clemson’s successful “run” plays were screens. That might be what we have to do 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

21 minutes ago, Sizzle said:

I think Clemson ran a lot of screens because A&M did a good job of stopping the run. So Clemson’s successful “run” plays were screens. That might be what we have to do 

Yes. I think the screen game should help open up some things against them if we utilize it correctly. I agree they play pretty aggressively downhill on runs across the board, so I think a good Play fake KJ throwback screen could set up well. We also haven't use our screen game near as much this season and I think we will see more this week. 

I have been very impressed with their Defensive backfield. These guys are studs. I think all well over 6' with length. We are going to need to get our QB run game going ealry on to open some things up for both  the running game and the passing game.

I am not a Jimbo fan, but he has done an excellent job so far of recruiting for his system.

I think this is going to be a good game. I think the 1st five minutes of the 1st and 3rd quarters are going to determine the game. I really hope we set the tone Defensively from the 1st snap this week. We cannot afford to give up a long scoring drive against them and let Mond settle in and get comfy. When he is not comfy he is not good. Plain and simple. When he is comfy he can make you pay.

I hope D. Brown is healthy and plays and I think Nick Coe emerges from the deep this week and plants a Mond Tree that will sprout to the heavens within a year! Also, with the way Marlon is playing, and with Big Kat coming around...I think we have a good chance of winning this game. I do believe who ever has the most rushing yards and least amount of Turnovers dictates winner. War Damn Eagle

[abw0004 10,111]

8 hours ago, Malcolm_FleX48 said:

Thank you for this research Malcolm.  It is good to see you posting again.

Their back is also a load to bring down and athletic to boot. This is where the line comes in as they will consistently go into ace & I-Formations and run zone out of those formations. They get decent push at the LOS but the real magic is their big back's ability to cut back into gaps on a moment's notice. Even their 2nd and shiftier back Spiller is larger than average at 6'1 213lbs.  Is their back you are referring to Jashaun Corbin, who is out this season, or his back-up?

 

A bit of added danger is Mond's ability to get out of the pocket in passing situations. He can move. Plain and simple. Have you taken into account Mond's injury?  Do you think he will be hampered for our game?

Speaking of their receivers granted Mond has been taking some time to get into a rhythm with his pass-catchers, they've gotten progressively more aggressive in attacking the ball since the big Clemson loss. They still have some drop problems and Mond throws some off passes at times but the big play ability is there and should not be overlooked.  You mentioned how big they are.  Oregon's TE's and WR's were also pretty big.  Do you think that is still not comparable?

Auburn's success will be predicated on being able to overcome their run defense because that secondary of their is definitely not one to test too often in the pass game. Taking advantage of their aggressive run tendencies will be key to really moving the ball against this defense. Their linebackers tend to get stuck in mud on play action and their DBs take longer to recover from poor play recognition attempts.  What would you do to help us find success in the run game as well as through the air?
 

 

[Sizzle 3,912]

9 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Yes. I think the screen game should help open up some things against them if we utilize it correctly. I agree they play pretty aggressively downhill on runs across the board, so I think a good Play fake KJ throwback screen could set up well. We also haven't use our screen game near as much this season and I think we will see more this week. 

I have been very impressed with their Defensive backfield. These guys are studs. I think all well over 6' with length. We are going to need to get our QB run game going ealry on to open some things up for both  the running game and the passing game.

I am not a Jimbo fan, but he has done an excellent job so far of recruiting for his system.

I think this is going to be a good game. I think the 1st five minutes of the 1st and 3rd quarters are going to determine the game. I really hope we set the tone Defensively from the 1st snap this week. We cannot afford to give up a long scoring drive against them and let Mond settle in and get comfy. When he is not comfy he is not good. Plain and simple. When he is comfy he can make you pay.

I hope D. Brown is healthy and plays and I think Nick Coe emerges from the deep this week and plants a Mond Tree that will sprout to the heavens within a year! Also, with the way Marlon is playing, and with Big Kat coming around...I think we have a good chance of winning this game. I do believe who ever has the most rushing yards and least amount of Turnovers dictates winner. War Damn Eagle

Clemson blitzed the whole game. Cornerbacks seemed to be coming in every play. Clemson didn’t even try to get pressure with just 4. They were sending LB’s and CB’s and it worked. Steele is probably going to start out seeing if he can get pressure with 4 and then adjust 

[cole256 17,054]

Quiet as kept Texas a&m has some young wr's that don't play alot yet.....they'll be top 2/3 most athletic group in country. Watch. 

[Malcolm_FleX48 1,869]

9 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Yes. I think the screen game should help open up some things against them if we utilize it correctly. I agree they play pretty aggressively downhill on runs across the board, so I think a good Play fake KJ throwback screen could set up well. We also haven't use our screen game near as much this season and I think we will see more this week. 

I have been very impressed with their Defensive backfield. These guys are studs. I think all well over 6' with length. We are going to need to get our QB run game going ealry on to open some things up for both  the running game and the passing game.

I am not a Jimbo fan, but he has done an excellent job so far of recruiting for his system.

I think this is going to be a good game. I think the 1st five minutes of the 1st and 3rd quarters are going to determine the game. I really hope we set the tone Defensively from the 1st snap this week. We cannot afford to give up a long scoring drive against them and let Mond settle in and get comfy. When he is not comfy he is not good. Plain and simple. When he is comfy he can make you pay.

I hope D. Brown is healthy and plays and I think Nick Coe emerges from the deep this week and plants a Mond Tree that will sprout to the heavens within a year! Also, with the way Marlon is playing, and with Big Kat coming around...I think we have a good chance of winning this game. I do believe who ever has the most rushing yards and least amount of Turnovers dictates winner. War Damn Eagle

Our defense has been notoriously slow to start in the past few games which has led to quite a few early points going on the board. Really we aren't a very good FIRST HALF team, but the defense always finds a way to hit its stride near the middle of the 2nd to early 3rd quarters. 

D. Brown will be huge for this defense because this is definitely going to need to be a game where defense shines. 

 

1 hour ago, abw0004 said:

Thank you for this research Malcolm.  It is good to see you posting again.

Their back is also a load to bring down and athletic to boot. This is where the line comes in as they will consistently go into ace & I-Formations and run zone out of those formations. They get decent push at the LOS but the real magic is their big back's ability to cut back into gaps on a moment's notice. Even their 2nd and shiftier back Spiller is larger than average at 6'1 213lbs.  Is their back you are referring to Jashaun Corbin, who is out this season, or his back-up?
 

Really I was talking about Kibodi. He is taking over for Corbin. From what I've seen about Kibodi, he has some electricity to his playstyle and for a bigger back is actually pretty dang nimble when you factor in that the dude is 6'2 and 220lbs. And his backup Isaiah Spiller has even more wiggle and can turn it on. 

 

A bit of added danger is Mond's ability to get out of the pocket in passing situations. He can move. Plain and simple. Have you taken into account Mond's injury?  Do you think he will be hampered for our game?

I haven't seen his injury mentioned too much so I'm not sure if it'll be a factor. I'd imagine that they're either intentionally downplaying it or its just not a problem. If Jimbo has to try and devise a gameplan to protect Mond, then I think we'll be seeing at least a decent  increase in our chances of winning.

Speaking of their receivers granted Mond has been taking some time to get into a rhythm with his pass-catchers, they've gotten progressively more aggressive in attacking the ball since the big Clemson loss. They still have some drop problems and Mond throws some off passes at times but the big play ability is there and should not be overlooked.  You mentioned how big they are.  Oregon's TE's and WR's were also pretty big.  Do you think that is still not comparable?

I think the difference is that Oregon had SOME big receivers. They had quite the share of shorter speedy guys with some big targets as well which helps us out since we're a very fast defense so its speed on speed. Even some of their lengthier WRs didn't play like big WRs and were much lighter. The difference between playing against an Oregon and a Texas A&M is the way they use their WRs. Oregon is content to get their receivers in space and get a lot of 50/50 balls. Jimbo has crafted his passing game to explicitly take advantage of the fact that ALL of his WRs are larger than at least 80% of every team's defensive backs. That means ins, outs, slants, Sail Concepts, Posts, etc. These are routes that require DBs to either take a chance and cut under the route or play through the body of the receiver. Trying to undercut big receivers when balls are placed out in front of them results in just getting out-lengthed. Trying to play through a big receiver's body is hard because of the inherent size advantage. There is very small of a chance for a smaller DB to get through a 200+ lb receiver's body to play that ball. 

It all comes down to Mond's ability to place the ball. Which on some routes, the length of his WRs can still act as an eraser for bad ball placement. 

Separation vs Strength are the 2 differences w/ Oregon and TAMU's WRs. 

Auburn's success will be predicated on being able to overcome their run defense because that secondary of their is definitely not one to test too often in the pass game. Taking advantage of their aggressive run tendencies will be key to really moving the ball against this defense. Their linebackers tend to get stuck in mud on play action and their DBs take longer to recover from poor play recognition attempts.  What would you do to help us find success in the run game as well as through the air?

One of the ways that you defeat an aggressive defense in the run is to utilize Traps and Counter-Traps. Things that bait defender down and then allow our backs to get angles to the outside. Running through this defense down the middle is less than advised since that's their strength. They're very similar to a LOB Seattle Seahawks team defensively except you replace the edge talent with great interior defenders. 

Passing-wise, I can't really say as I've never been good with understanding good passing defenses against Cover 3 and Cover 6 Teams. That's a football flaw, but Seth Williams needs to be healthy since he is one of our only elite WRs that can match up and win 50/50 balls which is basically our passing offense's only ability at the moment. If you can get the RBs out on wheels and angle routes that allow them to get just in between the flat defenders and the Hook-Curl defenders then that would work, but it'll require some very good timing and precision w/ those guys. Also possibly forcing them to come down and press against our tight and close formations and creating separation off the jam would be a way to get some short yardage plays but this defense is just really good. The worst thing to do would be to allow them to sit back in their zones and just make plays on the ball all day because that's what they are good at. 

 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

34 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Quiet as kept Texas a&m has some young wr's that don't play alot yet.....they'll be top 2/3 most athletic group in country. Watch. 

Seems like Sumlin installed quite the tradition there. Evans, Seals-Jones, Kirk, this group...

[bigbird 60,515]

A lot of malzahn's route combos take advantage of CV 3. I think Gus will attempt to stress the LBs in the flats and hopefully take advantage of the middle zone. I would expect to see some of these combinations. Curl/flat with a seem out of trips, corner/deep out from twins, levels, double outs, smash, 4-vert, double post, and depending on the cushion of the corner some quick outs and digs. I would also expect to see the drag that Hasting and canella caught over the middle in the middle zone. Our backs could have big days receiving if not used in protection.

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, bigbird said:

A lot of malzahn's route combos take advantage of CV 3. I would expect to see some of these combinations. Curl/flat with a seem out of trips, corner/deep out from twins, levels, double outs, smash, 4-vert, double post, and depending on the cushion of the corner some quick outs and digs. I would also expect to see the drag that Hasting and canella caught over the middle in the middle zone.

WHY ARE YOU SCARED OF Xs AND Os 

[Zeek 16,650]

1 hour ago, Sizzle said:

Clemson blitzed the whole game. Cornerbacks seemed to be coming in every play. Clemson didn’t even try to get pressure with just 4. They were sending LB’s and CB’s and it worked. Steele is probably going to start out seeing if he can get pressure with 4 and then adjust 

I could be wrong but he doesn't seem to be too blitz heavy of a guy. We seem to mostly bring 4 at a time.

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, Zeek said:

I could be wrong but he doesn't seem to be too blitz heavy of a guy. We seem to mostly bring 4 at a time.

He'll do it if he feels like he needs to. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot more of it in this game than we have so far this season. He started doing more of it last year when he realized we just weren't going to get a pass rush with 4 guys. 

I think this is where Smoke is going to turn into a big play guy for us. 

[Zeek 16,650]

7 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

He'll do it if he feels like he needs to. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot more of it in this game than we have so far this season. He started doing more of it last year when he realized we just weren't going to get a pass rush with 4 guys. 

I think this is where Smoke is going to turn into a big play guy for us. 

Too bad we won't have Smoke until the second half but at least he should be extremely fresh lol

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, Zeek said:

Too bad we won't have Smoke until the second half but at least he should be extremely fresh lol

Hah, true. I meant with blitzes in general as the season go on, but I had indeed forgotten that he was out for the first half. 

Wouldn't mind a little more flexibility and discretion with some of these rules, but I also never seem to care about it until it's our guy, lol. 

[Zeek 16,650]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Hah, true. I meant with blitzes in general as the season go on, but I had indeed forgotten that he was out for the first half. 

Wouldn't mind a little more flexibility and discretion with some of these rules, but I also never seem to care about it until it's our guy, lol. 

Agreed, I think it would be pretty easy to tell the difference between intentional targeting and incidental. Smoke's hit wouldn't have been too bad had the runner not lowered his level at the last second. The next step in the rule for me is calling it on offensive players (usually running backs) who lower their helmet and initiate the helmet-to-helmet contact.

Smoke is a solid blitzer and I think we have a few more guys capable enough to come off the edge with speed. Owen Pappoe's speed and tracking should make him a blitzing master if we can do a good job of disguising blitzes.

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 minutes ago, Zeek said:

Agreed, I think it would be pretty easy to tell the difference between intentional targeting and incidental. Smoke's hit wouldn't have been too bad had the runner not lowered his level at the last second. The next step in the rule for me is calling it on offensive players (usually running backs) who lower their helmet and initiate the helmet-to-helmet contact.

Smoke is a solid blitzer and I think we have a few more guys capable enough to come off the edge with speed. Owen Pappoe's speed and tracking should make him a blitzing master if we can do a good job of disguising blitzes.

Agreed about Pappoe and the others, for sure.

And I think they're *supposed* to be calling it on ball carriers now, but I don't know if they are being consistent. 

But yeah, exactly. I get why the call was made and don't blame the on-field official at all, but they should be able to review the tape and lift the additional suspension IMO. 

[LKEEL75 2,566]

8 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Hah, true. I meant with blitzes in general as the season go on, but I had indeed forgotten that he was out for the first half. 

Wouldn't mind a little more flexibility and discretion with some of these rules, but I also never seem to care about it until it's our guy, lol. 

I brought this up in the rules thread and I thought WarTiger was going to have a heart attack  .   I agree with you though.  I just have a problem with penalizing a guy for making a play and trying to get low but then the shorter guy just gets a little lower.  Kind of like some of the Unnecssary Roughness calls when a DL guy is trying to get a sack and falls into the legs of the QB.  He isn't trying to blow the guy's knee out, just that is where he was falling to.  But I digress....

 

This is a great analysis and it makes me very worried about our O trying to move the ball & our DBs being able to keep their WRs in check.

[Zeek 16,650]

4 minutes ago, LKEEL75 said:

I thought WarTiger was going to have a heart attack

Lol that's how he gets with officiating. Had a similar response when I brought up Pass Interference being a spot foul (like it is in the NFL).

[McLoofus 35,182]

21 minutes ago, LKEEL75 said:

I brought this up in the rules thread and I thought WarTiger was going to have a heart attack  

 

17 minutes ago, Zeek said:

Lol that's how he gets with officiating. Had a similar response when I brought up Pass Interference being a spot foul (like it is in the NFL).

Hah! But hey, if fellow zebras don't get your back, who will??

[Sizzle 3,912]

55 minutes ago, Zeek said:

I could be wrong but he doesn't seem to be too blitz heavy of a guy. We seem to mostly bring 4 at a time.

He blitzed quite a bit last year. He does it at weird times. If it’s 3rd or 4th and long most coaches would just play prevent. Steele will all of a sudden send a blitz. After looking at what Clemson did, he’s gonna send more blitzes, I’d assume

[AuMarine 1,372]

@Malcolm_FleX48 excellent post as always.. What do you think about our receivers against their Dbs? 

[AuburnEagle79 2,165]

If we can run the ball, we win. I think after the first few drives our D will have them shut down similar to how the Clemson game went. I see a lower scoring game unless our offense miraculously explodes. 

[cole256 17,054]

2 minutes ago, AuburnEagle79 said:

If we can run the ball, we win. I think after the first few drives our D will have them shut down similar to how the Clemson game went. I see a lower scoring game unless our offense miraculously explodes. 

This has ALWAYS been the foundation with Gus. If we can get around 4 yards a pop running the ball we win usually. This is what scares me the most for Bo and really jg too if he was to ever really play, how we run the ball so far won't get it. It's imperative that we improve at it for this year to have any type of success attached to it

[AuburnEagle79 2,165]

1 minute ago, cole256 said:

This has ALWAYS been the foundation with Gus. If we can get around 4 yards a pop running the ball we win usually. This is what scares me the most for Bo and really jg too if he was to ever really play, how we run the ball so far won't get it. It's imperative that we improve at it for this year to have any type of success attached to it

I know A&M is good against the run, so I think Bo and Joey will have to help us win with their legs. Jet sweeps will help open up the power game too. It's going to take a village this week.