For the second straight season, Texas A&M is opening the season as an underdog. No worries, right?

The Aggies probably wouldn’t mind a start similar to last year’s 52-28 win over ninth-ranked South Carolina; it’s most of what came after September 2014 that they’d like to avoid this fall.

But first things first. With John Chavis at the helm of the defense and offensive line coach Dave Christensen in charge of the running game, Texas A&M will debut a revamped look this weekend, with a focus on shoring up last year’s soft spots.

Arizona State should present a formidable test. The Sun Devils are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons under Todd Graham and open 2015 ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press poll.

Let’s take a look at some of the players to watch in Saturday night’s action.

1. QB Kyle Allen (Texas A&M): The Aggies are loaded at wide receiver and Allen proved himself to be a capable distributor as a true freshman last year. He completed just over 60 percent of his passes with 16 scores and seven interceptions, leading Texas A&M to notable wins at Auburn and over West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl. Half of his touchdowns came from those two games alone, providing a taste of what we may see from the former elite recruit this season. Though the Aggies may look for better balance on offense this year, they could find forgiving skies against Arizona State; the Sun Devils were 106th in the country in passing yards allowed per game last season and 96th in yards per attempt.

2. QB Mike Bercovici (Arizona State): Despite the loss of Taylor Kelly, Sun Devils fans are feeling fine about their quarterback situation after getting a peek at Bercovici last year. During a three-game stretch near midseason while Kelly was injured, Bercovici led Arizona State to a 2-1 record, throwing for 1,243 yards, nine touchdowns and two just interceptions in 146 pass attempts. He won’t have Jaelen Strong to throw to this year, but five of the top seven pass catchers from last year return.

3. DE Myles Garrett (Texas A&M): You can bet this is one name with which Bercovici is already well acquainted. Garrett showed tremendous pass-rushing ability as a true freshman last season, totaling 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. It feels exceedingly relevant to point out there that the Sun Devils will be breaking in a pair of new offensive tackles.

4. WR Speedy Noil (Texas A&M): Another member of the Aggies’ 2014 recruiting class who has lived up to the hype thus far, Noil is a multi-faceted threat for Kevin Sumlin. Singling out one Aggies receivers is a fool’s errand — as defensive coordinators have learned in the post-Mike Evans era — but Noil is unique for the things he can do outside of the passing game. Last year he averaged 24 yards per kick return and 12 yards per punt return, and his name is at the top of the depth chart at those positions again to start 2015. Look for the Aggies to find ways to get the ball in his hands often Saturday.

5. RB Demario Richard (Arizona State): So confident are the Sun Devils in Richard’s emergence that last year’s 1,000-yard rusher D.J. Foster is now playing slot receiver. As a freshman part-timer last year, Richard ran for 478 yards and 5.7 yards per carry with four rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns. The 213-pounder is known for a physical running style which should provide a nice litmus test for how far the Aggies defense has come in their short time under Chavis’ tutelage. Last year, Texas A&M was among the worst in the country at defending the run.