Can Aggies Stop Oklahoma State's Potent Ground Game In Texas Bowl?

The Aggies defense will be missing its leading tackler, and that could open up an already potent ground game for Oklahoma State.

The Aggies and Cowboys face off in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 in Houston at NRG Stadium. It's the 28th overall matchup between the two teams, who were Big 12 brothers from 1996-2012, and the Cowboys lead the all-time series 18-10.

The Aggies are playing their first game since the hiring of Mike Elko as head coach, but former interim coach Elijah Robinson will be at the helm for one last time before Elko takes over. A&M hopes to take Robinson out on a positive note.

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The Cowboys lost in blowout fashion to the Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship game last month, and want to end the season with something positive, and a win over the Aggies would suffice.

For the Aggies' defense, stopping the Oklahoma ground game will be a major focus in the game plan. The star of the Cowboys rushing attack is Ollie Gordon II who leads the country in rushing yards with 1,614 and is second in the nation with 20 rushing touchdowns.

Gordon is the primary tool in the Cowboys' running game arsenal, but there are other weapons. Jaden Nixon and Elijah Collins combined for 339 yards on 80 carries and three ground scores.

The A&M run defense ranks No. 14 in the country allowing just 3.2 yards per carry and No. 16 in the nation allowing just 108.1 yards allowed per game. That unit will be tested often with Gordon carrying the ball for the Cowboys.

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The only top-10 defensive ranking for the Aggies at this point in the season is total yards allowed. A&M's defense ranks No. 10 with 300.0 total yards allowed per game.

Unfortunately for the Aggies defense, leading tackler Edgerrin Cooper will not play, as he is entering the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead, linebacker Taurean York enters the game as the leading tackler for A&M, with almost 20 less than Cooper. But with Cooper missing, expect York to have an increased role in the defensive scheme.