Texas A&M’s run defense must improve ahead of SEC play

Texas A&M (1-1) head coach Mike Elko earned his first win with the program after the Aggies blew out the visiting McNeese State Cowboys 52-10 on Saturday afternoon.

Behind an impressive performance on the ground, junior running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels, who helped pave the way for 333 yards and five rushing touchdowns, might be a good sign ahead of SEC play, combined with improved run blocking from the offensive line .

However, covered up by the blowout, the Aggie run defense has been highly suspect over the past two games. It has allowed 378 rushing yards for an 189-yard average per game, ranking 109th in the country.

Coming into the season, Texas A&M’s lack of depth in the interior defensive line looked like a potential issue, as defensive tackles Albert Regis, DJ Hicks, and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy join senior Stemar Turner as the only reliable options. However, this group is talented and strong enough to fix their run-fit issues.

This also lies at the feet of starting linebacker Taurean York ; after the season-opening loss to Notre Dame, when they surrendered 198 rushing yards, they took full responsibility for the defense’s lack of consistency against the run.

“The breakdown was me. I missed a tackle on the long touchdown.”

“They ran 200 yards, and most of that was in the second half. It’s on me at the end of the day.”

Florida’s offense presents a challenge through the air next weekend, especially if freshman QB DJ Lagway earns the start. However, the rushing offense, ranked 75th in the country with 152.5 yards per game, doesn’t look like a huge threat on paper.

Regardless, this unit must be ready to stop the run early and often to prevent the Gators from establishing momentum.

Texas A&M will travel to Gainsville to take on the Florida Gators on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ABC.

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