Saturday, November 4
College Station
11 a.m.
Texas A&M
vs
Auburn
Gameday: Auburn
Nov 03, 2017 | Football
Get ready for #AUBvsTAMU gameday with our 12thman.com quick preview.
Auburn is coming off a bye week that followed a 52-20 win at Arkansas. The Tigers are playing their final road game of the year before heading home for the last three—beginning with a huge test vs. No. 1 Georgia (8-0, 5-0). Following a non-conference matchup with Louisiana-Monroe (3-3), Auburn will close the regular season against rival and second-ranked Alabama (8-0, 5-0).
The Aggies are tied for fourth in the west at 3-2 and are one win shy of qualifying for their school-record eighth consecutive bowl appearance. A&M (5-3) is looking to bounce back from a loss to Mississippi State last Saturday at Kyle Field.
Up next, Texas A&M will close out the home portion of the schedule with a non-conference game against New Mexico (3-5, 1-4 MWC) next Saturday (6 p.m., ESPNU). The Aggies will then travel to Ole Miss (3-5, 1-4 SEC) and No. 15 LSU (6-2, 3-1) to end the regular season.
Texas A&M has won 5 of 7 meetings between the schools, with just two coming prior to the move to the SEC. Both ironically were in Dallas (1911, a 16-0 Aggie win, and the 1986 Cotton Bowl—a 36-16 A&M victory).
Strangely enough, the road team has been the victor in all five SEC meetings. Auburn's two wins as league rivals have both come at Kyle Field, 45-41 in 2013 and 26-10 in 2015.
Last year, Trevor Knight threw for 247 yards and Daniel LaCamera kicked a personal-best 5 field goals in a 29-16 Aggie win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Next year's matchup is scheduled for November 3 on the plains.
Kevin Sumlin: "(Auburn's red zone success) is a combination of a quarterback that's playing well, a running back that's leading the league in touchdown runs, and a kicker who's one of the best in the country…that's going to be a huge challenge for us. (on defensive success in the pass rush) We do what we do on defense. Our defense has proven that they can do that…but you've got to prove it every week. (This week) It's a little bit more (complicated) than putting your hand on the ground and trying to the passer, because they present some other things to you that if you are running up the field like that, you create some vertical seams. There are other issues that come with that, particularly the way that Auburn utilizes the motions, play fakes—not just downhill but perimeter play fakes, things like that. You've got to be aware in the run game and not just run up the field all the time. You've got to be aware in the back end because they force you to have great eye discipline because of the 'eye candy' they present. We've got to have a combination of things in order to defend this offense."
Texas A&M WR Jhamon Ausbon. The true freshman is the Aggies' third-leading receiver on the year (263 yards), and his 25 catches ranks only behind Christian Kirk (34). With the exception of the win at Florida, Ausbon has caught at least 3 passes in every game.
Auburn LB Jeff Holland. Holland's 8 sacks leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally (tops among Power 5 teams). 10 of his 23 tackles on the year have been for a loss and his 10 quarterback hurries are more than double any other member of the team. Holland stakes claim to 4 of the Auburn defense's 10 forced fumbles in 2017.
Texas A&M LB Tyrel Dodson. Dodson leads the team and ranks third in the SEC with 69 tackles (league leader: LSU's Devin White, 72). In the last three games he has averaged 13 tackles, and his 3 interceptions is second on the team only to Armani Watts. Dodson is one of just three players in the country that has totaled at least 3 interceptions and 8 tackles for loss (ironically, Watts is one of the other two).
Both Daniel LaCamera and Daniel Carlson were named Groza Award semifinalists this week. LaCamera has connected on 14-of-16 field goals and all 27 extra point attempts this fall. He's not missed a try under 50 yards this year (13-of-13).
Carlson, a two-time Groza finalist, holds 12 school kicking records and is the SEC's career scoring leader (434 points). He's made 176 straight PAT kicks and is 15-of-19 in field goal attempts in 2017.
Kids' Yell Practice will start at 8:40 a.m. in front of the War Hymn statue on the east side of the stadium. The Aggies will arrive at 8:50 a.m. and Spirit Walk will begin near the Koldus Garage, also on the east side of the stadium. Coach Sumlin and Rudy's BBQ are providing free breakfast tacos for fans at the events.
Gates open at 9 a.m. Fans are reminded about the Clear Bag policy that has been in effect since the start of the 2016 season.
The Corps of Cadets will do a normal march-in to Kyle Field and will step off from the Quad at 9:30 a.m.
Kickoff is at 11:01 a.m.
| TV | ESPN |
| Radio | Texas A&M Sports Network (Station List) broadcast time 10 a.m. Texas A&M Spanish Network (Station List) broadcast time 10:55 a.m. |
| Kyle Field Gameday Info | gameday.12thman.com |
| Re-Airs | Sun 11/5 - 4 p.m. CT - SEC Network Wed 11/8 - 10 a.m. CT - SEC Network |
SETTING THE SCENE
No. 15 Auburn is 6-2 on the year and sits in second in the SEC West with a 4-1 league mark. The Tigers have lost just two games on the year, an eight-point setback at Clemson (currently No. 4 CFP/No. 5 Coaches/No. 6 AP) and a four-point loss two weeks ago at LSU (currently No. 19 CFP/No. 19 AP/No. 20 Coaches) in a game in which AU led 20-0 in the first half.Auburn is coming off a bye week that followed a 52-20 win at Arkansas. The Tigers are playing their final road game of the year before heading home for the last three—beginning with a huge test vs. No. 1 Georgia (8-0, 5-0). Following a non-conference matchup with Louisiana-Monroe (3-3), Auburn will close the regular season against rival and second-ranked Alabama (8-0, 5-0).
The Aggies are tied for fourth in the west at 3-2 and are one win shy of qualifying for their school-record eighth consecutive bowl appearance. A&M (5-3) is looking to bounce back from a loss to Mississippi State last Saturday at Kyle Field.
Up next, Texas A&M will close out the home portion of the schedule with a non-conference game against New Mexico (3-5, 1-4 MWC) next Saturday (6 p.m., ESPNU). The Aggies will then travel to Ole Miss (3-5, 1-4 SEC) and No. 15 LSU (6-2, 3-1) to end the regular season.
SERIES
Texas A&M has won 5 of 7 meetings between the schools, with just two coming prior to the move to the SEC. Both ironically were in Dallas (1911, a 16-0 Aggie win, and the 1986 Cotton Bowl—a 36-16 A&M victory).
Strangely enough, the road team has been the victor in all five SEC meetings. Auburn's two wins as league rivals have both come at Kyle Field, 45-41 in 2013 and 26-10 in 2015.
Last year, Trevor Knight threw for 247 yards and Daniel LaCamera kicked a personal-best 5 field goals in a 29-16 Aggie win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Next year's matchup is scheduled for November 3 on the plains.
THEY SAID IT
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn: "I'm always going to be honest with our team. They do understand the big picture, but more importantly, they understand the current picture, and all that matters is A&M. I think we have a veteran-enough team with leaders that will make sure there's no overlooking this bunch. It would be crazy to overlook Texas A&M, and we're not going to do that. This time of year, the games are so important. You have to expect each week that you are going to get each team's best effort. That is what we expect out of A&M. You're talking about a very talented team overall. You turn the film on and you can see that in the first five minutes. They have recruited well and have good players. We will have to play well."Kevin Sumlin: "(Auburn's red zone success) is a combination of a quarterback that's playing well, a running back that's leading the league in touchdown runs, and a kicker who's one of the best in the country…that's going to be a huge challenge for us. (on defensive success in the pass rush) We do what we do on defense. Our defense has proven that they can do that…but you've got to prove it every week. (This week) It's a little bit more (complicated) than putting your hand on the ground and trying to the passer, because they present some other things to you that if you are running up the field like that, you create some vertical seams. There are other issues that come with that, particularly the way that Auburn utilizes the motions, play fakes—not just downhill but perimeter play fakes, things like that. You've got to be aware in the run game and not just run up the field all the time. You've got to be aware in the back end because they force you to have great eye discipline because of the 'eye candy' they present. We've got to have a combination of things in order to defend this offense."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Auburn RB Kerryon Johnson. He ranks second in the country with 14 rushing touchdowns this season. Johnson chewed up three straight SEC foes earlier in the year, totaling 11 rushing TDs in wins over Missouri (5), Mississippi State (3) and Ole Miss (3). His 723 rushing yards lead the team and rank second in the SEC behind Georgia's Nick Chubb (765).Texas A&M WR Jhamon Ausbon. The true freshman is the Aggies' third-leading receiver on the year (263 yards), and his 25 catches ranks only behind Christian Kirk (34). With the exception of the win at Florida, Ausbon has caught at least 3 passes in every game.
Auburn LB Jeff Holland. Holland's 8 sacks leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally (tops among Power 5 teams). 10 of his 23 tackles on the year have been for a loss and his 10 quarterback hurries are more than double any other member of the team. Holland stakes claim to 4 of the Auburn defense's 10 forced fumbles in 2017.
Texas A&M LB Tyrel Dodson. Dodson leads the team and ranks third in the SEC with 69 tackles (league leader: LSU's Devin White, 72). In the last three games he has averaged 13 tackles, and his 3 interceptions is second on the team only to Armani Watts. Dodson is one of just three players in the country that has totaled at least 3 interceptions and 8 tackles for loss (ironically, Watts is one of the other two).
KEEP AN EYE ON...
The kickers.Both Daniel LaCamera and Daniel Carlson were named Groza Award semifinalists this week. LaCamera has connected on 14-of-16 field goals and all 27 extra point attempts this fall. He's not missed a try under 50 yards this year (13-of-13).
Carlson, a two-time Groza finalist, holds 12 school kicking records and is the SEC's career scoring leader (434 points). He's made 176 straight PAT kicks and is 15-of-19 in field goal attempts in 2017.
AT THE GAME
The Aggie Fan Zone, on the north end of Kyle Field, opens at 7:30 a.m.Kids' Yell Practice will start at 8:40 a.m. in front of the War Hymn statue on the east side of the stadium. The Aggies will arrive at 8:50 a.m. and Spirit Walk will begin near the Koldus Garage, also on the east side of the stadium. Coach Sumlin and Rudy's BBQ are providing free breakfast tacos for fans at the events.
Gates open at 9 a.m. Fans are reminded about the Clear Bag policy that has been in effect since the start of the 2016 season.
The Corps of Cadets will do a normal march-in to Kyle Field and will step off from the Quad at 9:30 a.m.
Kickoff is at 11:01 a.m.
Players Mentioned
WR
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LB
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WR
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QB
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PK
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DB
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