All that’s left in the regular season for Texas A&M football is the renewing of a rivalry with all of their College Football Playoff hopes hanging in the balance. With one game left, the Aggies welcome the Longhorns for the first time since 2011.
Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2 SEC) dropped in the latest CFP polls to 20 and did the same in the US LBM Coaches Poll down to 19. The Aggies’ next opponent has been one of the top teams in the country, and like A&M, are playing for a right to join the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game. Texas is 10-1 overall and is first in the SEC at 6-1.
Will A&M take care of business in the program’s biggest game yet? Do they have what it takes to keep their playoff hopes alive under first-year head coach Mike Elko? How will the Aggies fare against their biggest rival in the most highly anticipated game of the season?
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Here’s a full scouting report for the Texas A&M Aggies vs the Texas Longhorns:
Texas A&M vs Texas
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Kyle Field in College Station.
TV: ABC.
Radio: 1370 AM in Austin; 1150 AM, 93.7 FM in College Station.
Line: Texas is favored by 5½.
Weather: Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-50s at kickoff, with slight cloud cover.
Texas A&M vs Texas history
All-time: Texas leads 61-33-3.
Last meeting: Texas 27, Texas A&M 25 (2011)
Most memorable meeting: The two programs met for the last time in 2011, as the Longhorns went into Kyle Field and got 13 years’ worth of bragging rights, 27-25. Longhorns’ kicker Justin Tucker drilled a 40-yard field goal at the buzzer to put Texas over Texas A&M for good.
AGGIES LEGENDS: Texas A&M vs Texas football: Former Aggies revel in rivalry renewal
Know the foe: Texas
Last week: 31-14 win over Kentucky.
Players to watch: As good as the Longhorns’ offense is, their real strength resides on the defensive side of the ball. They are ranked first in the SEC and third in the country in scoring defense, surrendering 12 points per game. Freshman linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. leads the team in total tackles and sacks, tallying 79 and 7½, respectively. Alongside Hill is senior linebacker Barryn Sorrell, who has 4½ sacks.
Offensively, junior quarterback Quinn Ewers has battled through injuries this season but has still totaled 2,089 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 68% of his passes. The Longhorns feature a dangerous wide receiver duo in juniors Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden. The pair has totaled 68 receptions for 1,013 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
Central Texas connections: As expected, the Longhorns roster is loaded with Texas natives. In total, a whopping 80 players from the Longhorns roster call the Lone Star State home, with 13 players hailing from Austin.
When Texas A&M has the ball
Running back Amari Daniels has proven once again he is capable of carrying the load as RB1, finishing with 27 carries, 90 yards, and one touchdown against Auburn in Week 13.
With another tough SEC test headed to Kyle Field, all eyes will be on redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed and how he can handle the pressure of this biggest game of his young career. Reed finished with his best production of his career against the Tigers in Week 13, totaling 297 passing yards and three touchdown passes.
The Longhorns and their top-rated defense provide another unique challenge for Reed and the Aggies.
When Texas has the ball
Ewers, Texas’ quarterback, is in his third season with the program and has helped lift the Longhorns back into yearly national contention. Statistically speaking, his passing yards are down compared to the 3,479 he tallied in 2023, while his 7.5 yards per completion is as well, compared to last season’s 8.8. However, he has already notched a career-high in touchdown passes with 23 and has built a rapport with Bond and Golden that makes the Longhorns a dangerous team through the air.
Outside of the aforementioned wide receivers, senior tight end Gunnar Helm leads the Longhorns in receptions and receiving yards with 42 and 544, respectively.
Texas also features two running backs, sophomore Quintrevion Wisner and junior Jaydon Blue; each has more than 100 carries and over 500 yards rushing, combining for nine touchdowns on the ground.
Texas A&M vs Texas key matchup
Aggies’ defensive backs vs Longhorns’ receivers
A&M’s secondary struggled to stop Auburn’s passing attack last week, surrendering 301 passing yards, and the Longhorns, with their wide array of options, provide no relief.
Head coach Mike Elko told reporters Monday that there have been struggles all season giving up big plays, and Week 13 was a prime example of that. Ewers has one of the lowest yardage-per-completion averages in the country but he may look to attack the Aggies’ defensive backs to see if the Longhorns can take advantage as well.
Texas A&M vs Texas predictions
Tony Catalina: Show me, don’t tell me. The Aggies are capable of winning this game, but it’s hard to pick it after their last two SEC matchups resulting in losses. Emotions will be high, A&M will fight hard and will have a chance to win late, but come up just short in the biggest game of the year. Texas 27, Texas A&M 24.
Cedric Golden: The Longhorns will survive that initial surge from the Aggies and over 100,000 bloodthirsty fans. That defense hasn’t faced a quarterback like Marcel Reed, but it will prove its mettle in the most hostile of environments. Texas 31, Texas A&M 24.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M vs Texas: Scouting report, betting and game info
