When Texas A&M hosts the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, it will be only the second meeting between the programs and the first at Kyle Field. They last met in 2015, when A&M beat No. 15 ASU by 21 points in the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff.
Quick Series Snapshot
- All-time series: Texas A&M leads 1-0
- Only meeting: Sept. 5, 2015
- Result: Texas A&M 38, No. 15 Arizona State 17
- Location: NRG Stadium, Houston (neutral site)
- At Kyle Field: First meeting Saturday
What happened the last time Texas A&M played Arizona State?
If you just looked at the surface, you might have thought A&M went into the game as the underdog. However, if you dig deeper, even though ASU was ranked No. 15 and A&M was unranked, the Aggies were actually a 3- to 3.5-point favorite. It was a close game, with Arizona State pulling within 17-14 before A&M eventually pulled away. So, while it was not technically a betting upset, the 21-point margin blew the spread out of the water.
That was helped by a mammoth debut from freshman wide receiver Christian Kirk.
He recorded 224 all-purpose yards, highlighted by a 79-yard punt-return touchdown and a 66-yard receiving touchdown, becoming the first A&M freshman to record a 100-yard receiving game in his playing debut.
On defense, A&M was virtually unstoppable with nine sacks, 14 tackles for loss and two takeaways, led by its two defensive ends.
- Daeshon Hall: 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
- Myles Garrett: 2 sacks, 3 QB pressures, 1 forced fumble
The nine sacks were the most in a game for A&M since logging 10 against Texas Tech in 1995. Current Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham was a graduate assistant at the time under head coach Todd Graham and had this to say when asked recently about that 2015 matchup:
“I've tried to erase it from memory.”
Over a decade later, the two programs will face off again, this time with the Aggies ranked and ASU unranked. There is plenty on the line in this early-season matchup, with a result that could have College Football Playoff implications down the line.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M vs. Arizona State - What is the Aggies' series record?
