Joel Klatt previewed the upcoming Texas-Texas A&M matchup on his Thursday show. The analyst laid out the huge implications of this game and wondered if the Aggies would have enough offense to keep up with the high-powered Longhorns.
“A&M, if they can’t run it, will they be able to throw the football against Texas?” Klatt asked. “I have my doubts about that. I have my doubts.”
The Aggies have the No. 17 rushing offense in the country but just the No. 86 passing offense. The Longhorns, meanwhile, have the No. 13 rushing defense and the No. 2 passing defense.
“So if A&M can’t run it well and they’re not a great passing team to begin with, do I really think they’re going to be able to put up a bunch of points against this Texas defense that has been stout all season long? My answer to that is no,” Klatt said.
Will the Texas A&M offense be effective enough to withstand the Texas defense? @joelklatt on what to expect from this rivalry matchup with massive implications pic.twitter.com/S2GQPNLfbc
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) November 28, 2024
The analyst also opined that the Aggies’ defensive line might not be able to give the Longhorns’ offensive line the same problems that Georgia did.
“I don’t think that Mike Elko’s team has what it takes to win this game,” Klatt said.
These in-state rivals faced off annually from 1898-2011. The Longhorns have 76 wins in the series while the Aggies have 37. There hasn’t been a meeting since 2011, when the Longhorns won 27-25. And the series restart this year comes with massive stakes; the winner goes to the SEC Championship Game to face Georgia.
The revival of this series will kick off from Kyle Field on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Texas is a 5.5-point favorite, via ESPN Bet.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
