No. 5 Aggies Return to Action Against LSU

THE MATCHUP

• LSU at (#5) Texas A&M
• Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 28 / 6 p.m. (CT)
• Venue: Kyle Field
• Live Stats: Click Here

TV INFO

• ESPN (Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden)
• Live Stream: Click Here

RADIO

• Texas A&M Sports Network (Andrew Monaco, Dave Elmendorf, Will Johnson)
• Local: WTAW-AM 1620/94.5 FM, The Zone 1150 AM/93.7 FM
• Satellite: Sirius 119/XM 192
• Live Stream: 12th Man Mobile
   
• Texas A&M Spanish Network (Michel Gonzalez, Pedro Luna, Alejandra Dorbecker)
• Local: 102.7 FM La Jefa
• Live Stream: 12th Man Mobile

What to watch for #LSUvsTAMU:

• Texas A&M returns to action against LSU, aiming to boast a 6-1 record on the season for the first time since starting the year that way in 2016.
• A&M moved into and remains the No. 5 team in the AP Poll following the win at South Carolina, marking the first time since finishing the 2012 season as the fifth ranked team in the country that the Aggies have been top five in the poll ... This is the first time since Sept. 26, 1999 that A&M has ranked in the top five during the regular season.
• The Aggies’ highest ranking in any poll since joining the SEC came when they were ranked No. 4 in the initial College Football Playoff ranking of 2016.
• Senior QB Kellen Mond is in need of 153 passing yards and 74 rushing yards to become the third QB in SEC history to pass for over 9,000 yards and rush for over 1,500 yards in their careers.
• A&M’s veteran offensive line has not allowed a sack in five straight games (171 pass attempts) ... The Maroon Goons lead the country in sacks allowed, also sitting atop the SEC and ranking among the top three teams in the nation in TFLs allowed (4+ games).
• Sophomore RB Isaiah Spiller has rushed for over 100 yards in four of A&M’s six games this season and scored multiple TDs on the ground in two of the last four outings.
• Sophomore TE Jalen Wydermyer has given the offense a spark lately, averaging 63.5 yards and two touchdowns per game over the last two outings.
• Senior LB Buddy Johnson has led the A&M defense in tackles in five of the team’s six games this season, reaching double figures in the category on four occasions.

Quick Hits

• Senior QB Kellen Mond became A&M’s career passing touchdowns leader at South Carolina, sending a regulation career-high four passes to the end zone to up his career total to 68.
• This season, Mond has also become A&M’s all-time leader in career passing yards (8,847), completions (730), attempts (1,234) and total offense (10,273), while currently sitting in second on the career TD’s responsible for (87) and QB victories (27-13) lists.
• Sophomore RB Isaiah Spiller is second in the SEC averaging 6.24 yards per carry, good for 24th in the nation ... After passing the century mark in just one SEC game a season ago, Spiller is averaging 107.2 yards per game against league opponents this year.
• To date, 89-percent of the Aggies’ rushing yards and 96-percent of their receiving yards have come from freshmen and sophomores ... Twenty-five of their 27 touchdowns have been scored by freshmen and sophomores.
• A&M has scored 18 times on its last 19 trips into the red zone (last four games), with 15  of those scores being touchdowns.
• The Aggies’ 62.0 success rate on third-down tries leads the nation, as they have converted more than 58.0 percent on third downs in four of the last five games.
• Texas A&M averages more than 4:00 advantage in time of possession per game and have held the TOP advantage in each of the last five games ... The Aggies lead the SEC in TOP and rank No. 16 nationally.
• Under DC Mike Elko, the Aggies ranked in the top 35 in total defense in 2018 (No. 32)and 2019 (No. 29) FBS statistical rankings ...  Prior to Elko’s arrival, the Aggies hadn’t ranked in the top 50 nationally in more than a decade (since 2006).

Milestones to Watch For

• Senior QB Kellen Mond needs 153 passing yards to reach the 9,000 career mark ... The only SEC QBs to throw for over 9,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in their careers are Florida’s Tim Tebow and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott.
• Mond needs one rushing TD to join Johnny Manziel, Joel Hunt and Bucky Richardson as the only Aggie QBs with 20 career rushing scores.
• With one more rushing touchdown, Mond would also join an elite club of SEC QBs with at least 60 passing TDs and 20 rushing TDs in their careers ... The only members of the 60/20 club are  Manziel, Tebow and Prescott.
• Mond is two rushing attempts away from 400 in his career ... The only Aggie QBs with 400+ carries are Reggie McNeal (411 from 2002-05) and David Walker (407 from 1973-77).
• Mond has made 40 career starts, which ties him for the most by a QB in school history ... Corey Pullig (1992-95) is the school record holder with 40 career QB starts (33-6-1).
• Senior OL Carson Green is slated to make his 36th consecutive start, which is the longest streak on the team.
• Senior DB Myles Jones has 26 career pass breakups, which is one shy of breaking into the school’s top 10 list for PBUs.

Mond Making History

• Senior QB Kellen Mond has claimed five A&M career passing records this season, as he also climbs the all-time SEC career charts.
• Against Alabama Mond claimed the top spot in career completions and attempts, and later set the career passing yards record in the win over No. 4 Florida ... He became A&M’s career leader in total offense in the win over Arkansas and moved into the top spot on the career passing TDs list with a regulation-best four passes to the end zone at South Carolina.
• One of the winningest QBs in program history, Mond boasts a 27-13 record, which gives him sole possession of second on A&M’s all-time list.
• Mond is the only player in program history and became the 12th in SEC history to tally over 10,000 yards of total offense in his career, while he and Johnny Manziel are the only two Aggie signal callers to throw for over 7,000 yards and rush for 1,000-plus yards.
• Mond has surpassed the 300-passing yards mark seven times in his career, most recently with 338 against Florida this season ... Only Jerrod Johnson (12) and Johnny Manziel (10) have tallied more 300-yard games.
• Mond is also climbing the SEC career passing, total offense and TDs responsible for charts ... He is currently 20th on the league’s all-time career passing yards list (8,847), 12th on the total offense list (10,273) and the 87 TDs he’s responsible for puts him in a tie for 13th.
• Mond was responsible for five of A&M’s seven touchdowns in the win at South Carolina, which brings him within six touchdowns of the A&M record and top-10 all-time in the SEC.

Spiller, Running Game Shine

• Sophomore RB Isaiah Spiller has established himself as a top running back in the SEC, ranking second in the league with a 6.24 yards per carry average ... He ranks fourth in the league with 643 yards on the season.
• Spiller is averaging 4.53 yards per carry after contact on the year and has tallied over 100 yards after contact in a game three times this season.
• Spiller has recorded four 100-yard rushing games against SEC opponents through six outings this year ... As a freshman he eclipsed the century mark just once in league play.
• Against South Carolina, Spiller rushed for 131 yards, marking the eighth 100-yard game of his career ... At Mississippi State, Spiller recorded the fourth multi-touchdown game of his young career with a pair of trips to the end zone.
• As a team, the Aggies lead the SEC and are ninth in the FBS among teams that have played more than four games with a 5.41 yards per carry average.

SEC Rushing Leaders (min. 500 yards)

Rk Player, School Att.-Yds Avg.
1 Chris Rodriguez Jr. 88-562 6.39
2 Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M 103-643 6.24
3 Kevin Harris, S. Carolina 131-817 6.24
4 Najee Harris, Alabama 124-714 5.76
5 Tank Bigsby, Auburn 89-503 5.65 

SEC Rushing Leaders

Rk School Att.-Yds Avg.
1 Texas A&M 210-1135 5.41
2 Kentucky 269-1,365 5.07
3 South Carolina 246-1,185 4.82
4 Auburn 220-1,028 4.67
5 Alabama 226-1,051 4.65

Dynamic Backfield

• Sophomore RBs Ainias Smith and Isaiah Spiller, along with freshman RB Devon Achane, have become a reliable and unstoppable force for the Aggies ... The trio has combined to score 15 of A&M’s 27 total touchdowns on the year.
• Spiller has been A&M’s most consistent performer in the backfield and is currently second in the SEC in rushing ... He is averaging 107.2 yards per game on the ground and has scored at least one touchdown in each of the Aggies’ four straight victories.
• Smith leads the Aggies with 312 receiving yards and five TDs through the air, while adding 187 yards and two scores on the ground.
• Smith is already the only player in school history with 200+ career yards in rushing (241), receiving (560), punt return (252) and kick return (257) ...  The rarity has only been achieved by 14 SEC players, including notables like Carnell “Cadillac” Williams of Auburn, Randall Cobb of Kentucky and Chris Rainey of Florida.
• Smith and Achane are the only players on the roster to have scored a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game in their career ... Smith did so when he recorded the second multi-touchdown game of his career against Arkansas and Achane hauled in a 52-yard bomb from QB Kellen Mond and used a 3-yard run to return to the end zone on A&M’s very next drive at South Carolina.

Goons Protecting QB1

• Texas A&M’s offensive front, long known as the Maroon Goons, has emerged as one of the best at limiting pressure on the quarterback.
• The Maroon Goons have not allowed a sack since the second quarter of the season-opener against Vanderbilt (22 quarters, 171 pass attempts), despite battling No. 2 Alabama, No. 4 Florida since then.
• For the season, Texas A&M has allowed 2.0 sacks and is allowing a national-best 0.3 sacks per game among teams having played more than four games.
• The Goons have also only allowed a total of 21 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, which ranks third nationally among FBS schools that have played more than four games.
• The line allowed just 1.0 tackle for loss at Mississippi State, the program’s fewest since not allowing a TFL in the 16-10 road win over Colorado midway through the 1997 season.
• The Aggies are averaging a robust 443.7 total yards/game and 6.7 yards/play.

FBS Leaders - QBS Allowed (Min. 5 games)

Rk School Gm. QBS-Yds. Avg.
1 Texas A&M 6 2-8 0.33
2 UAB 7 3-17 0.43
3 Marshall 7 5-42 0.71
4 BYU 9 8-73 0.89
5 Army 9 9-59 1.0 

FBS Leaders - TFL Allowed (Min. 5 games)

Rk School Gm. TFL-Yds. Avg.
1 North Texas 6 19.0-68 3.17
2 Marshall 6 23.0-80 3.29
3 Texas A&M 6 21.0-41 3.50
4 Louisiana 7 29.0-102 3.62
5 Florida 7 27.0-84 3.86

A&M Stopping the Run 

• Texas A&M allows just 95.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks No. 10 in the FBS and No. 2 among SEC schools ... Among teams that have played more than four games, the Aggies rank seventh nationally.
• The Aggies’ most dominant rush defense outing came against Mississippi State, which was limited to minus-2 yards on 20 carries ... It was the fewest rushing yards allowed since Wyoming was held to minus-3 yards in 2004.
• The Aggies are allowing a stingy 3.24 yards per carry to opponents, which ranks No. 3 in the SEC behind Georgia (2.47) and Mississippi State (3.21).
• Texas A&M has allowed just 35 first downs via the rush, which leads the SEC ... The Aggies have only allowed their opponent a 20-yard rushing play four times this season.
• The defense has allowed just 16 rushes of 10+ yards, which ranks No. 2 in the SEC behind Georgia ... Only Texas A&M and Georgia have given up fewer than 20 10-yard runs in 2020.

SEC Team Leaders - Rushing Defense

Rk School Att.-Yds. Avg. TD Avg.
1 Georgia 210-519 2.47 3 74.1
2 Texas A&M 177-574 3.24 4 95.7
3 Miss. St. 240-771 3.21 3 110.1
4 Alabama 236-832 3.53 6 118.9
5 Missouri 200-770 3.85 10  128.3

Wydermyer Surges vs. Top 5 Opponents

• Sophomore TE Jalen Wydermyer is atop the SEC among tight ends with 28 catches, but he’s done his most damage in the Aggies’ two games vs. top-five opponents, tallying 13 receptions for 135 yards against No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 Florida.
• Wydermyer’s 13 catches this season vs. AP Top 25 teams ranks in a tie for 21st nationally, and ranks second among tight ends.
• On the season, Wydermyer is the Aggies’ leader with 19 catches for first downs, and he also leads with 11 catches for first downs on third-down plays.

SEC TE Receiving Leaders

Player, School Rec.-Yds Avg. TD
Jalen Wydermyer, A&M 28-311 11.11 4
Arik Gilbert, LSU 27-314 11.63 2
Kenny Yeboah, Ole Miss 25-509 20.36 6
Kyle Pitts, Florida 24-414 17.25 8
Ben Bresnahan, Vanderbilt 24-262 10.92 3

The Elko Effect

• After not finishing in the top 50 nationally in total defense for more than a decade, Mike Elko’s arrival in Aggieland as defensive coordinator in 2018 has coincided with consecutive top 35 finishes and a No. 26 spot in the current FBS total defense rankings.
• Elko has produced top-50 defenses in each of the last eight years with multiple programs (Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Bowling Green).
• The Aggies lead the SEC in total defense at 338.2 yards/game and rank No. 2 in rushing defense (95.7), No. 4 in pass defense (242.5) and No. 4 in scoring defense (25.0).
• Since joining the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M has never finished better than No. 9 in all four defensive categories (total, rush, pass, score).
• Another way the Aggies have improved under Elko and with the style of play by head coach Jimbo Fisher is the dramatic drop in number of snaps faced per game by the defense ... Texas A&M’s defense is facing just 60.8 snaps/game in 2020, which is similar to the numbers from 2018 (60.4) and 2019 (64.8) ... Prior to Elko’s arrival in 2018, the Aggies faced 72.5 snaps in 2017 and a whopping 79.6 in 2016.

Five-Year Aggie Defense Snapshot
> Elko Era (2018-present)

Category 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Total Defense 441.8 408.5 348.4 340.2 338.2
National Rank No. 90 No. 78 No. 32 No. 29 No. 26
Rushing Defense 191.8 170.9 95.2 130.7 95.7
National Rank No. 80 No. 71 No. 3 No. 30 No. 10
Yards per Rush 4.4 4.2 3.2 4.1 3.2
National Rank No. 63 No. 55 No. 8 No. 57 No. 19
Scoring Defense 24.5 30.7 25.3 22.5 25.0
National Rank No. 39 No. 87 No. 47 No. 36 No. 41
1st Downs Allowed 23.5 19.7 17.0 19.2 19.0
National Rank No. 107 No. 56 No. 16 No. 40 No. 31