Vanderbilt is trending upwards after beating Kentucky last weekend. Even though Texas A&M notched a home victory of its own, it would be tough to say the same about the Aggies.
How to watch Texas A&M vs. Vanderbilt on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
Texas A&M needs to get back on track after losing three of its last four SEC games, but it will have to get past one of the nation’s top defenses to get there.
Despite beating Western Carolina last week, Texas A&M will head into Nashville in the middle of a 2-3 run that ended a 5-0 start to the 2015 season. The Aggies were ranked as high as ninth in the country before losses to Alabama, Ole Miss and Auburn derailed a potential berth in the College Football Playoff. Once the season hit the halfway mark, SEC opponents figured out how to shut down their high octane offense. A&M averaged 39.2 points in its first five games of the season. In its last four showdowns against FBS foes, it scored only 17.8 points per game.
That falls in line with a Vanderbilt defense that has improved by leaps and bounds in head coach Derek Mason’s second year at the helm. The Commodores are ranked 10th in the nation after allowing just 17.4 points per game this fall. That’s a far cry from the 2014 squad. Those 3-9 ‘Dores gave up more than 33 points per contest while Mason switched the team from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defensive alignment in his first year.
They’ll need to keep that mean streak alive if they’re going to overcome A&M. Vandy has held its opponents to 10 points per game in its four wins this year, but it’s only scored more than 20 points twice this season -- and one was against FCS doormat Austin Peay. All the Aggies need to do to win on Saturday is find the end zone with regularity, but Vanderbilt has proven that’s a tall task for any SEC opponent this fall.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Radio: Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Texas A&M is favored by 7 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Good Bull Hunting (for Texas A&M fans) and Anchor of Gold (for Vanderbilt fans).
Three big things to know
1. Is Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur for real? The true freshman threw for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns in an impressive first half against Kentucky, but he didn’t have a single passing yard in the fourth quarter of Vandy’s 21-17 win over the Wildcats. Mason has yet to find a stable option at quarterback in his 22-game tenure as head coach, but Shurmur’s strong-armed and accurate performance was the best this team has seen against SEC competition. Can he keep it up against TAMU?
2. Texas A&M has quarterback issues of its own. Kyle Allen was this team’s starter at the beginning of the season, but the Aggies’ 1-3 stretch brought freshman Kyler Murray into the mix. Murray is the kind of explosive runner that has given the Commodores fits in the past, but he’s struggled to keep the ball out of defenders’ hands (five interceptions in his last two games). Allen is a sturdier drop-back passer but he also struggles with his accuracy. There’s a chance we see both quarterbacks in a platoon situation this Saturday.
3. Vanderbilt sealed up its fourth win of the season last week, improving on its three-win campaign from 2014. Can the Commodores make an unlikely stride towards bowl eligibility with another SEC victory? An abundance of bowl bids means that there’s a chance that a five-win Vandy team gets a postseason bid and the extra month of practices that go with it. Beating Texas A&M would be a huge win not just for 2015, but for this program’s development well into the future.
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