The Texas A&M Sports Network team of Andrew Monaco, Dave Elmendorf and Will Johnson break down the Southwest Classic showdown with Arkansas on this edition of RTIC Cooler Talk.
AM: It's the podcast edition of RTIC Cooler Talk with Will Johnson, joined by Dave Elmendorf, I am Andrew Monaco. Dave, I'm going to start with you. Last year the Aggies, 2-2. This year after four weeks, the Aggies are 2-2. And yet it feels a little different this season Dave, doesn't it?
DE: Well, I think there's a lot more explanation for it this year than last perhaps. This team is so young. You know, I was talking to the coaches the other day, I actually didn't realize how young the team is and how much we lost, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. So it is different, and I think they're a better 2-2 team than they were last year.
AM: I feel the same way. And you remember last year, to both of you, the thought was, I remember Jimbo saying very clearly, this becomes the important week. The season wasn't over after four weeks after playing Clemson and Alabama. That's where the similarity is. The Aggies need to start finding and end playing to the identity that they want this year, don't they?
DE: Well, they have to establish their identity and that sometimes is very hard with you've got as many young players as they have. We've talked a lot about that they've been in the system now for a year. But you know, so many of those guys, particularly on defense, haven't been in the system because they're true freshmen and they have been forced into service. Very talented, but still, it takes a while to learn the system and to learn the expectations and to know that identity.
WJ: And when you think about goals, we said after the Clemson loss, this team lost no goals, that was a nonconference loss. Well, now, yeah, you got a conference loss in there, but still plenty of goals out there. This isn't a team that's discussing, let's go win 10 now. Let's try to get to a New Year Six bowl. They're discussing today. Let's get better. Let's go out, cleanup mistakes that we've made against Clemson and Auburn now that we got another shot at a conference and Power 5 opponent. They're thinking small, day by day, so by season's end you can possibly accomplish some big things.
DE: Certainly what they want to do, is they want to on a daily basis get prepared for that week's opponent. They're not trying to kid anybody. This is an Arkansas team that's 2-2, but they certainly didn't lose to No. 1 and No. 8. It's an Arkansas team that's rebuilding, and it's a team that the Aggies should beat on Saturday. And that's the attitude they have to go out there with. Yes, it's not about them, it's about us. But there aren't gonna be any excuses for this one. They have to go out and perform and eliminate the mistakes and play a more mature football game on Saturday.
AM: My favorite quote of the week was Monday's quote by Buddy Johnson. He was asked, would it be good for the Aggies to dominate on Saturday? Buddy said, yeah, that would be good, but we have to dominate practice today. I love that kind of maturity and I love that kind of preparation, and that's from one of your leaders on defense.
DE: I love that kind of leadership. I think Buddy, he really gets it. And he's the kind of leader that we need to lead those young guys on defense.
AM: Dave, you were looking for that at the beginning of the year. Who was going to be that person or who were going to be those vocal leaders, weren't you?
DE: You've always got to have that. Somebody has to be on the field. Your coaches can only take you so far. They don't go out and play. They don't put the helmets on. So somebody has to lead by example on the field. And I think Buddy Johnson is filling that position.
WJ: I think on the other side of the ball, the guy I talked about on the field in the video, Jhamon Ausbon. He's done it vocally. But as Dave said, you gotta do it by example. If you're gonna be a leader, in some ways you've gotta back it up with your play. Well, take the two games against big time opponents. Clemson, Auburn. Jhamon's backed it up, and he talks to this team a lot, but then he puts a visual out there of solid play against really good teams. I mean, he's combined for 15 catches in the two big games for right around 180 yards. So I think the equivalent to Buddy Johnson on defense would be Jhamon Ausbon on offense.
DE: Well, I think I think he's sharing that responsibility. I totally agree with you will that Jhamon has gone out there and he proved it on the field and he's been a vocal leader. But he's sharing that with Kellen Mond and Kellen gets more and more vocal and gives us more and more leadership with each week. So I think you've got a couple of vocal leaders on the offense.
AM: Speaking of that offense, they found their rhythm, but it was a tad late in that game against Auburn. Dave, will it be important to find that offensive rhythm early against Arkansas?
DE: I don't think there's any doubt about it, and when I say that this is a team that the Aggies should beat, don't misunderstand me. This is not a team that's terrible. They've got an outstanding defensive line that's probably not comparable to Auburn but not far from it. But they don't have all of the components that Auburn brings to a ball game, and the Aggies should have some success against that Arkansas defense. It's not gonna be easy because, like I said, this defensive line is really good.
WJ: I think that's the key. If you can handle that defensive line, you can move the ball and score. They've got two guys on there, McTelvin Agim, they call him Sosa. De'Jon Harris, they call him Scoota. So Sosa and Scoota…put hats on them. Those guys up front. And I think you'll be okay. I think you can find some matchups with the rest of them that you can handle. But Dave's right. That defensive front is pretty good, led by those two. If you can handle them, you've got a good shot at moving the ball and scoring points.
AM: Dave, you always talk about turnovers. I asked Jimbo during his coaches show this week. How do you create turnovers? And he said, just by doing the basics. But the Aggies really could benefit by getting those turnovers that they had in earlier games, and especially in a game like this.
DE: Well absolutely. Arkansas has caused some turnovers, but they've also been victim to some turnovers. They're plus two in fumbles. They have gotten four, and they've only fumbled it twice, but they're minus two in interceptions. Nick Starkel has thrown six interceptions and their secondary has only picked up four. So they're even, much like the Aggies are. And we always talk about that. I always talk about that in keys to the game. I'm not gonna say, as I've said in the other games against ranked teams, that the Aggies can't beat Arkansas if they lose the turnover battle. But it would certainly be a lot better if they get in the habit of winning that turnover battle. It will be a lot better for them down the road, in that they need to go out there, cause turnovers and protect the football.
WJ: Something else that's key, you mentioned this Wednesday Andrew on our Studio 12 show, and I wholeheartedly agree. I asked you, what do you want to see? Kind like you ask coaches, I asked you as a guy that's gonna call this game, what do you want to see Andrew? You said the Aggies need to get out early. Get a good start going.
AM: Yeah, I think that's gonna be important. You want Arkansas to doubt themselves, don't you? That and as we mentioned on the field Will. Clean. And clean in a number of different ways. Clean being no penalties. Clean being in and out of huddles. Clean being holes for the running backs to run through. Clean being tackles in the open field. I'd really like to see them play a clean game. And I think that would do wonders against the Razorbacks.
DE: The most important thing in that 'clean' terminology is don't make mistakes. Don't not stay at home when you're supposed force the reverse and give up a 57-yard touchdown. Those are mistakes that are primarily based upon the youthfulness of this defense. But you just can't make them. Don't try to force a run when you've got the deep half of the field. Those types of things you just can't do and you understand it early in the season. We're not early in the season anymore. We're getting in the middle part of the season. We're getting into conference play, and you've got to eliminate the silly mistakes that can cost you touchdowns.
AM: Jimbo made this comment on his coaches show, one of the lines that I flat out love, when you want to fix something, don't wait until it's broken. Fix it before it is, right? That's what they'll be doing this week.
WJ: What do they say, be proactive, not reactive. Get out ahead of it.
AM: Hey, he always gives us something to talk about! Safe travels up there, my friend. We'll all be together beginning a 10 o'clock with the CHI St Joseph pregame show and the kickoff at 11. Will, this is gonna be fun again. A chance to get that stamp, that identity, that Dave was talking about.
WJ: Like I've said, you don't want to go on a bye week with loss. You sit on it a little longer. Get a win, feel good going into that bye week.
AM: It's the podcast edition of RTIC Cooler Talk with Will Johnson, joined by Dave Elmendorf, I am Andrew Monaco. Dave, I'm going to start with you. Last year the Aggies, 2-2. This year after four weeks, the Aggies are 2-2. And yet it feels a little different this season Dave, doesn't it?
DE: Well, I think there's a lot more explanation for it this year than last perhaps. This team is so young. You know, I was talking to the coaches the other day, I actually didn't realize how young the team is and how much we lost, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. So it is different, and I think they're a better 2-2 team than they were last year.
AM: I feel the same way. And you remember last year, to both of you, the thought was, I remember Jimbo saying very clearly, this becomes the important week. The season wasn't over after four weeks after playing Clemson and Alabama. That's where the similarity is. The Aggies need to start finding and end playing to the identity that they want this year, don't they?
DE: Well, they have to establish their identity and that sometimes is very hard with you've got as many young players as they have. We've talked a lot about that they've been in the system now for a year. But you know, so many of those guys, particularly on defense, haven't been in the system because they're true freshmen and they have been forced into service. Very talented, but still, it takes a while to learn the system and to learn the expectations and to know that identity.
WJ: And when you think about goals, we said after the Clemson loss, this team lost no goals, that was a nonconference loss. Well, now, yeah, you got a conference loss in there, but still plenty of goals out there. This isn't a team that's discussing, let's go win 10 now. Let's try to get to a New Year Six bowl. They're discussing today. Let's get better. Let's go out, cleanup mistakes that we've made against Clemson and Auburn now that we got another shot at a conference and Power 5 opponent. They're thinking small, day by day, so by season's end you can possibly accomplish some big things.
DE: Certainly what they want to do, is they want to on a daily basis get prepared for that week's opponent. They're not trying to kid anybody. This is an Arkansas team that's 2-2, but they certainly didn't lose to No. 1 and No. 8. It's an Arkansas team that's rebuilding, and it's a team that the Aggies should beat on Saturday. And that's the attitude they have to go out there with. Yes, it's not about them, it's about us. But there aren't gonna be any excuses for this one. They have to go out and perform and eliminate the mistakes and play a more mature football game on Saturday.
AM: My favorite quote of the week was Monday's quote by Buddy Johnson. He was asked, would it be good for the Aggies to dominate on Saturday? Buddy said, yeah, that would be good, but we have to dominate practice today. I love that kind of maturity and I love that kind of preparation, and that's from one of your leaders on defense.
DE: I love that kind of leadership. I think Buddy, he really gets it. And he's the kind of leader that we need to lead those young guys on defense.
AM: Dave, you were looking for that at the beginning of the year. Who was going to be that person or who were going to be those vocal leaders, weren't you?
DE: You've always got to have that. Somebody has to be on the field. Your coaches can only take you so far. They don't go out and play. They don't put the helmets on. So somebody has to lead by example on the field. And I think Buddy Johnson is filling that position.
WJ: I think on the other side of the ball, the guy I talked about on the field in the video, Jhamon Ausbon. He's done it vocally. But as Dave said, you gotta do it by example. If you're gonna be a leader, in some ways you've gotta back it up with your play. Well, take the two games against big time opponents. Clemson, Auburn. Jhamon's backed it up, and he talks to this team a lot, but then he puts a visual out there of solid play against really good teams. I mean, he's combined for 15 catches in the two big games for right around 180 yards. So I think the equivalent to Buddy Johnson on defense would be Jhamon Ausbon on offense.
DE: Well, I think I think he's sharing that responsibility. I totally agree with you will that Jhamon has gone out there and he proved it on the field and he's been a vocal leader. But he's sharing that with Kellen Mond and Kellen gets more and more vocal and gives us more and more leadership with each week. So I think you've got a couple of vocal leaders on the offense.
AM: Speaking of that offense, they found their rhythm, but it was a tad late in that game against Auburn. Dave, will it be important to find that offensive rhythm early against Arkansas?
DE: I don't think there's any doubt about it, and when I say that this is a team that the Aggies should beat, don't misunderstand me. This is not a team that's terrible. They've got an outstanding defensive line that's probably not comparable to Auburn but not far from it. But they don't have all of the components that Auburn brings to a ball game, and the Aggies should have some success against that Arkansas defense. It's not gonna be easy because, like I said, this defensive line is really good.
WJ: I think that's the key. If you can handle that defensive line, you can move the ball and score. They've got two guys on there, McTelvin Agim, they call him Sosa. De'Jon Harris, they call him Scoota. So Sosa and Scoota…put hats on them. Those guys up front. And I think you'll be okay. I think you can find some matchups with the rest of them that you can handle. But Dave's right. That defensive front is pretty good, led by those two. If you can handle them, you've got a good shot at moving the ball and scoring points.
AM: Dave, you always talk about turnovers. I asked Jimbo during his coaches show this week. How do you create turnovers? And he said, just by doing the basics. But the Aggies really could benefit by getting those turnovers that they had in earlier games, and especially in a game like this.
DE: Well absolutely. Arkansas has caused some turnovers, but they've also been victim to some turnovers. They're plus two in fumbles. They have gotten four, and they've only fumbled it twice, but they're minus two in interceptions. Nick Starkel has thrown six interceptions and their secondary has only picked up four. So they're even, much like the Aggies are. And we always talk about that. I always talk about that in keys to the game. I'm not gonna say, as I've said in the other games against ranked teams, that the Aggies can't beat Arkansas if they lose the turnover battle. But it would certainly be a lot better if they get in the habit of winning that turnover battle. It will be a lot better for them down the road, in that they need to go out there, cause turnovers and protect the football.
WJ: Something else that's key, you mentioned this Wednesday Andrew on our Studio 12 show, and I wholeheartedly agree. I asked you, what do you want to see? Kind like you ask coaches, I asked you as a guy that's gonna call this game, what do you want to see Andrew? You said the Aggies need to get out early. Get a good start going.
AM: Yeah, I think that's gonna be important. You want Arkansas to doubt themselves, don't you? That and as we mentioned on the field Will. Clean. And clean in a number of different ways. Clean being no penalties. Clean being in and out of huddles. Clean being holes for the running backs to run through. Clean being tackles in the open field. I'd really like to see them play a clean game. And I think that would do wonders against the Razorbacks.
DE: The most important thing in that 'clean' terminology is don't make mistakes. Don't not stay at home when you're supposed force the reverse and give up a 57-yard touchdown. Those are mistakes that are primarily based upon the youthfulness of this defense. But you just can't make them. Don't try to force a run when you've got the deep half of the field. Those types of things you just can't do and you understand it early in the season. We're not early in the season anymore. We're getting in the middle part of the season. We're getting into conference play, and you've got to eliminate the silly mistakes that can cost you touchdowns.
AM: Jimbo made this comment on his coaches show, one of the lines that I flat out love, when you want to fix something, don't wait until it's broken. Fix it before it is, right? That's what they'll be doing this week.
WJ: What do they say, be proactive, not reactive. Get out ahead of it.
AM: Hey, he always gives us something to talk about! Safe travels up there, my friend. We'll all be together beginning a 10 o'clock with the CHI St Joseph pregame show and the kickoff at 11. Will, this is gonna be fun again. A chance to get that stamp, that identity, that Dave was talking about.
WJ: Like I've said, you don't want to go on a bye week with loss. You sit on it a little longer. Get a win, feel good going into that bye week.