No. 15 Texas A&M vs. New Mexico State Preview: Keys to Victory

What do Mike Elko's Texas A&M Aggies need to do to get a win in their final non-SEC game of the year?

Oct 26, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Amari Daniels (5) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

In an Aggie-filled affair, the Texas A&M Aggies will open Kyle Field's doors to the New Mexico State Aggies in their final game of the season against a non-conference opponent.

Texas A&M comes fresh off a bye week following an upset loss to South Carolina in Columbia two weeks ago, their first and so far, only SEC loss this year in what has been a first year to remember for head coach Mike Elko. After dropping the season opener to Notre Dame, A&M would go on to win seven games in a row and skyrocket into both the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff pictures. The loss against the Gamecocks may have changed the team's approach going forward, but playoffs are still very much in the green for Texas A&M.

New Mexico State? Not so much.

After a successful 10-5 year last year that saw them advance to the Conference USA Championship game, the Aggies have dropped to a dismal 2-7 at this point in the season, losing their most recent game against Western Kentucky, 41-28.

This may seem like a write-off win for Texas A&M, but as we all know, anything can happen. With that being said, here are three keys to victory that Elko's Aggies need to follow to boast themselves as the superior Aggies tomorrow night.

1) Ground and Pound

Texas A&M may have just lost their star running back Le'Veon Moss for the year after suffering a lower leg injury in that loss to South Carolina, but the plan remains the same: run the football. The Aggies are second in the SEC with 212.9 rushing yards per game. Amari Daniels has shown just as much prowess in the A&M backfield splitting carries with Moss, a workload he should be able to carry just fine.

2) Wrap 'Em Up, Take 'Em Down

Not too many teams win football games after missing over 20 tackles, and that proved true for Texas A&M against South Carolina, as quarterback LaNorris Sellers and running back Raheim Sanders used their size and speed to their advantage to gash the A&M defense. But the Aggies have had a bye week to collect themselves, go over the film, and fill the holes. Look for open-field tackling to be an improvement this Saturday.

3) Protect the Pocket

A tough but wounded Aggie offensive line makes this easier said than done, especially in the two games following this one, but the more time that Weigman or Reed get to find open men, the better results tend to come in favor for Mike Elko and Texas A&M.

The two Aggie teams kick off from College Station at 6:45 p.m. CT Saturday night.

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