Preview: Can Texas A&M begin SEC play off on the right foot?

With Auburn arriving to town, can the Aggie hold onto the lead the season?

COLLEGE STATION - Jimbo Fisher had the win. It was in his back pocket as Texas A&M entered the fourth quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Then, against tradition, Jarrett Stidham would score 14 points late, giving the Auburn Tigers the 28-24 victory. 

For the first time since the Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012, the home team was victorious. On Saturday, A&M hopes to continue the trend at Kyle Field. 

The No.17 Aggies will face No.8 Auburn to begin conference play. Both teams could look like contenders or fizzle due to poor play. Here's everything fans will need to know for tomorrow's action. 

When: 2:30 P.M. at Kyle Field in College Station 

Line: +3.0 for Texas A&M 

Records: Texas A&M (2-1); Auburn (3-0)

When Auburn is on offense 

Freshman Box Nix won the job outright following fall camp. Fisher and Nix have a long history as the A&M head coach used to work with his father, Patrick during his time as the Auburn's quarterbacks coach in the 90s. Considered vastly mature for his age, Fisher believes that Nix's freshman status won't factor into A&M's ability to pressure him. 

"He's got a great arm, great legs and he's a very tough, competitive, smart young man," Fisher said of the current Auburn quarterback. "So hopefully, we can play well against him."  

Should the Aggies pressure Nix into making mistakes, the team will need to prepare for Auburn's rushing attack. JaTarvious Whitlow currently ranks second in the SEC with 343 yards and three touchdowns. Last week against Kent State, Auburn rushed for 476 yards and scored four touchdowns. 

For A&M, stopping the run will play into their favor. Last season, the Aggies held Auburn to 19 yards on the ground. Mike Elko's squad will need to limit the carries and force Nix to pass, who currently averaging 6.5 yards per throw. 

When Texas A&M is on offense 

Everything begins with Kellen Mond. Last week against Lamar, the junior threw for a season-high 317 yards scored a pair of touchdowns. The week prior, Mond and his receivers never were able to find a rhythm against Clemson.

Part of the problem was due to multiple drops by his receivers. Over the past two games, A&M's weapons have a total of 13 dropped passes, seven coming against Clemson's secondary. With the hopeful return of Quartney Davis, Mond will be able to establish an early rhythm with his targets. 

If that fails, A&M will be putting loads of pressure on true freshman running back Isaiah Spiller. With Jashaun Corbin to miss the remainder of the season, the Klein Collins product is expected to become the feature back. Twice this season Spiller has rushed for over 100 yards in a game, last week rushing for 114. 

Spiller might be contained by Auburn's defensive line, one of the nation's top units. Led by Derrick Brown, the Aggies offensive line will need to be ready for the future NFL star to bull rush up the middle. In coverage, Kevin Steele's secondary is relatively young, with only one real returning starter. 

Auburn will win if: A&M cannot contain Jeremiah Pinson 

A&M fans will remember this defensive back for a play back in 2015. Former A&M wide receiver Ricky Seals-Jones would blindside block Pinson during the 2015 season. The then-freshman would miss nearly two seasons undergoing surgeries are working his way back onto the roster. 

Nearly four years later, Pinson is coming for blood in College Station. For Auburn's defense, the redshirt senior is already a star, leading the team with 27 tackles along with one sack and interception. A do-it-all type weapon, Pinson can win all over the field, making him the most significant threat. 

It's simple, if the Aggies can limit his tackles, block him when blitzing and catch him off guard in coverage against the receivers, they'll likely win. If they can't, it's fair game for either squad. 

Texas A&M will win if: the offense can protect Kellen Mond

Auburn's defensive line in one of the best run units in the country. They're also good at blitzing. Despite only allowing two sacks on the season, A&M's offensive line has consistently put Mond under pressure this season. 

All it takes is one big play to decide this outcome. It also will take one hit from Brown to potentially end Mond's season. Working against a young secondary, the offensive line will need to allow the San Antonio gunslinger time to find an open target. 

Should Mond connect deep downfield, it could end up being the difference-maker. 

On the line

Both teams are hoping to contend in the SEC West this season. For A&M, this could be the nail in the coffin for a chance to go to Atlanta. With games still against Alabama, Georgia and LSU, this could decide their season. Two losses in conference play and a loss to Clemson likely won't impress the playoff committee. 

Either way, this likely doesn't hurt Auburn's chances to make a postseason push. They're undefeated, face a Feleipe Frankless Florida team and always can win the Iron Bowl against Alabama. Should the Tigers lose, it will be win-out moving forward, but it doesn't affect them as much. 

A win for either squad likely catapults them into the same conversation as division leaders Alabama and LSU. A loss for one likely puts them out of playoff contention. For the other, it stings, but not the end of the world. 

Prediction

Expect this game to mirror last season. It'll be back and forth for a majority, with both defenses playing strong and allowing just a few big plays. In Auburn, the Aggies were still adjusting to Fisher's scheme and struggled down the stretch. That won't be an excuse this year. 

Mond will likely be the x-factor. In each game, he's thrown one interception due to poor communication and forcing passes. That could be all it takes for the Tigers to pick up the victory. It's hard to imagine him rushing plays now that games could truly factor into their season. 

Even though Nix has a football pedigree, he'll be making his first road start at Kyle Field. It's hard for veterans to win there thanks to the Aggie faithful. Thanks to that, the 19-year-old passer will make a costly mistake, playing right A&M's hands and sealing the victory. 

Final: Texas A&M 28, Auburn 20