NCAA Football Week 6: Texas A&M Aggies vs. Kansas State Wildcats

speedy Wildcats and power-run Aggies meet in another classic Big 12 battle

Aggies vs. Wildcats Overview:

The Texas A&M Aggies and Kansas State Wildcats have both stumbled out of the gate so far in the 2008 NCAA football season. The Kansas State Wildcats started the season with two-straight wins before falling to the Louisville Cardinals and later suffered a lopsided loss to the No. 7 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Texas A&M Aggies have also tasted both victory and defeat to a 2-3 record. The Miami Hurricanes and Oklahoma State Cowboys were responsible for two of these losses. Big 12 play continues as each team looks to rebound.

Texas A&M Aggies Offense:

The Texas A&M Aggies love to run the football and always look for ways to get the ball into their superstar RB Mike Goodson’s hands. Mike Goodson is joined in the backfield by lightning quick RB Cyrus Grey and 270-pound FB Jorvorskie Lane. The trio of runners makes the basis for the Texas A&M Aggies offense and usually carries the load. Injuries to QB Jerrod Johnson and Stephen McGee have left the question of the starter up in the air, but both are talented mobile quarterbacks. WR Jeff Fuller is a megastar in the making and is the favorite receiving target.

Texas A&M Aggies Defense:

Giant DT Kellen Heard eats a lot of beef and a lot of running backs as well as he holds down the center of the Texas A&M Aggies defense. The size and power of Kellen Heard allows the big man to take on several blockers at once and lets LBs Von Miller and Matt Featherston make plays. The athletic front seven of the Texas A&M Aggies features great pass-rushing defensive ends in Michael Bennett and Paul Freeney, but the duo must stay healthy. S Trent Hunter is young but is already a great leader in the talented Texas A&M Aggies secondary.

Kansas State Wildcats Offense:

While the Texas A&M Aggies focus on the ground attack the Kansas State Wildcats go to the air with their single-back offense. QB Josh Freeman is the heart of the Kansas State Wildcats offense and is a danger in the pocket and in the open field. Josh Freeman may be the best player on the Kansas State Wildcats, but he cannot do it alone. Junior WR Brandon Banks is the No. 1 target of Josh Freeman and is a game-breaking weapon in the Kansas State Wildcats arsenal. WR Deon Murphy and Aubrey Quarles are great receivers as well.

Kansas State Wildcats Defense:

The Kansas State Wildcats defense runs the 3-4, and the speedy defense was brought in to counter the many spread-offense teams in the NCAA. DE Ian Campbell is the leader of the three-man front and is a three-year letterman. For a 3-4 team, the defensive line of the Kansas State Wildcats is a bit undersized but quick. ILBs John Houlik and Ula Pomele are speedy tacklers in the center with OLBs Olu Hall and Reggie Walker rushing the passer. Reggie Walker and Ian Campbell are the senior leaders of the Kansas State Wildcats defense and hold young guys accountable.

Texas A&M Aggies Keys to Victory:

The weakness of the smallish 3-4 of the Kansas State Wildcats defense is the power run and the Texas A&M Aggies should be able to exploit it. RB Mike Goodson will try and ride inside zone plays all the way to the house as the Texas A&M Aggies linemen and Jorvorski Lane tee off on the small ILBs of the Kansas State Wildcats. The running game must be established because the last thing the injured QBs of the Texas A&M Aggies need is for powerful OLBs to lay the wood on a blindside zone blitz. WR Jeff Fuller can help the run game by making some deep catches.

The Texas A&M Aggies will have to pressure Josh Freeman to stop the impressive offense of the Kansas State Wildcats. DEs Michael Bennett and Paul Freeney are not the pictures of health, but the duo or their backups must pin their ears back and get after Josh Freeman. Outside containment by the DEs and OLBs is also a necessity as Josh Freeman is also the second leading rusher for the Kansas State Wildcats. A QB spy is probably another key adjustment to make in order to contain Josh Freeman’s many scrambles.

KSU Wildcats Keys to Victory:

Protecting Josh Freeman and letting him get the ball to his collection of receivers has been the offensive strategy of the Kansas State Wildcats since the start of the season. Josh Freeman is a legitimate NFL prospect and is the best player on the field so he must be protected. RB Lamark Brown is a converted WR and has good outside speed but does not run between the tackles well. If the Texas A&M Aggies take away WR Brandon Banks, then Josh Freeman must look to one of his other options. Josh Freeman can also score with his legs and will look to scramble whenever possible.

The 3-4 defense of the Kansas State Wildcats has been porous against the run by even their own admission so changes must be made to stop the bleeding. The Kansas State Wildcats will bring their safeties into the box and pinch their interior linemen together to help their undersized ILBs. DE Ian Campbell must play at a higher level and live up to the multi Big 12 awards. OLB Reggie Walker has to get the linebacking corps fired up and must make plays on his own with the outside pass rush. The lack of a stable QB means the Kansas State Wildcats can focus on stuffing the run.

Texas A&M vs. Kansas State Outlook:

The Texas A&M Aggies and Kansas State Wildcats game is a turning point for both of the proud organizations. Both have showed flashes of greatness in a few tough losses and flat out dominance in some remarkable wins. Junior players Mike Goodson and Josh Freeman are two of the top players at their position in the country, and both have a future on NFL Sundays. The Texas A&M Aggies and Kansas State Wildcats certainly have the pieces to be great college football programs.

The Texas A&M Aggies have an edge in what is sure to be a close game. The running game of the Texas A&M Aggies behind their zone-blocking front hits the 3-4 defense right at its weakest point. The Kansas State Wildcats will make adjustments, but the defense has been tooled to protect against the spread not a direct attack. The Texas A&M Aggies have another advantage by playing at home in College Station, Texas. The crowd at Kyle Field will have the Texas A&M Aggies 12th man out in full force for this key Big 12 game.