The Kentucky Wildcats have to get up off the mat quickly as they face their first road test of the season in College Station. Texas A&M will have a rowdy atmosphere, making it an even tougher bounce back opportunity for the Wildcats. However, the Aggies are still led by their defense and their offense has not been consistent to start the season under new offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins. This is Wiggins first year as a play caller and he could have his hands full with Kentucky's defense.
The Aggies are coming off a 48-20 win against Arizona State, but they were out-gained in total yardage by the Sun Devils. Two pick sixes from Cutter Boley and a muffed punt inside the ten yard line gave the Aggies a quick 21 points in week two. This game
will come down to which offense can take care of the football, as I expect the defenses to lead the way for both teams. Quarterback Marcel Reed has the experience and the home crowd advantage over Kenny Minchey, but Reed has shown to be a streaky player over his career.
Which version of Reed the Wildcats face on Saturday could be the difference. At times, Reed is accurate when throwing the ball downfield and he is always a threat to make plays with his legs. Other times, Reed can be a bit all over the place with his accuracy and decision making. Kentucky's defense is coming off an impressive performance against Alabama, and they will look to keep that going in their trip to College Station.
The Aggies have struggled to run the football through two weeks, they rank 54th in EPA per rush and are averaging four yards per rush on the season. Against Arizona State, Texas A&M averaged just 2.6 yards per carry and were held under 100 rushing yards. Kentucky's defense is a top five team in the country among EPA/rush allowed, although these numbers come on just a two week sample size. However, Kentucky should have a good opportunity to slow down the Aggies running game and make Reed beat them through the air.
The Kentucky defensive line really stepped up against Alabama and controlled the line of scrimmage for three quarters of action. The Aggies offensive line features four new starters and are one of the biggest question marks on the offensive side of the football. Which side wins the line of scrimmage can dictate the momentum of this football game. This might look like a Mark Stoops type of game, I could see both defenses controlling this game early before the offenses start to find success in the second half.
The one interesting aspect of this game that we mentioned in the Aggies defensive preview, is that Kentucky defensive coordinator Jay Bateman left Texas A&M to take the same position on Will Stein's staff. Both of these offenses will be going up against defensive schemes they have seen all offseason at practice. Does this help or hinder each offense remains to be seen, but Bateman could provide an edge for Kentucky's team in more ways than one. After being at Texas A&M for two seasons, Bateman is extremely familiar with the Aggies personnel on both sides of the football.
Does Coach Bateman know how to rattle quarterback Marcel Reed and bring out the side of him that has struggled with decision making is a fascinating aspect to this game. Bateman has seen Reed at practice a lot during his two seasons at Texas A&M. You have to think he has an inside track on not only the quarterback, but other offensive players as well. The Wildcats defense will likely remain aggressive like we saw against Alabama in attempt to keep Reed out of rhythm.
The Aggies have a true game breaker at wide receiver in Mario Craver, who has eight catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns through two weeks. Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton is not as dynamic, but offers a bigger catch radius; Horton is currently the Aggies leading receiver with 105 yards and three touchdowns on seven receptions. Terry Bussey is also a player that has experience and is off to a solid start, as he has seven catches on the season for 92 yards. Texas A&M has the clear advantage at wideout and will put a ton of stress on the Kentucky secondary this Saturday.
Overall, the key area to watch is if the Kentucky defensive line can overwhelm this Texas A&M offensive line that is a new group that has to gel quickly. If the Wildcats can successfully make the Aggies one dimensional, they will put a ton on Reed's shoulders to go win the game with his arm. Kentucky can successfully do that, but the secondary will be tested by this dynamic wide receiver room. In my opinion, I could see both defensive lines controlling the line of scrimmage in this matchup.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky at Texas A&M Preview: Examining the Aggies offense
