When Texas A&M and Vanderbilt meet Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field, it will be a matchup of teams coming off two vastly different weeks. The Commodores upset Georgia last weekend, picking up a signature win for James Franklin and potentially turning their season in the right direction. The Aggies, on the other hand, dropped a home game to Auburn and were all but eliminated from national and SEC title contention.
How to watch Vanderbilt vs. Texas A&M 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
Can the Aggies bounce back, or will Vanderbilt continue to build momentum?
On paper, the A&M should be able to handle Vandy with relative ease. The Aggies have the conference's best offense, and even though their defense is one of the worst in the nation, the 'Dores don't appear to have a good enough attack that can take advantage and keep up with Johnny Manziel and Co. But as last week's SEC schedule proved -- five of six favorites lost -- anything can happen once the teams hit the field.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Texas A&M (5-2, 2-2 SEC) is ranked No. 16 in the first BCS standings of the year, and Vanderbilt (4-3, 1-3) is on the outside looking in. It will be the first game between the two programs.
Vegas: Texas A&M opened as an 18-point favorite, per Odds Shark, and the over/under was set at 68.5.
Weather: Saturday’s forecast calls for a high of 75 and a 30 percent chance of precipitation in College Station.
Three names to know
Johnny Manziel is the reigning Heisman winner and widely considered to be the best player in college football, but his Aggies teammate, Mike Evans, shouldn’t be overlooked. The wide receiver has already accumulated 1,024 yards and nine touchdowns. Last week against Auburn, he caught 11 passes for 287 yards and four scores.
Vanderbilt wide receiver Jordan Matthews is an outside threat, too. He's second to Evans in the SEC, averaging 114 receiving yards per game, and he's hauled in five touchdowns.
Two things at stake
A&M has to stop the bleeding. The Aggies can still win out and have an outside shot at an at-large BCS berth, but a loss to the Commodores would officially label the 2013 season as a disappointment.
A win Saturday would give the Commodores a ton of confidence going into next week’s game against a struggling Florida team. And with its last three games against Kentucky, Tennessee and Wake Forest, momentum could carry Vandy to a strong finish after a slow start to the season.
How to witness
TV: 12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Radio: Sirius 136/XM 199, Vanderbilt affiliates, Texas A&M affiliates
Streaming: ESPN3
Further reading
For more on the ‘Dores, visit Anchor Of Gold. For all things Aggies, check out Good Bull Hunting.
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