Nick Saban breaks down Texas A&M defense ahead of ranked game against Mizzou
By David Wasson
Published:
ESPN college football analyst Nick Saban is at his best when he is diagramming plays and breaking down film – and the former Alabama and LSU coaching legend was at it again on the popular College GameDay show Saturday morning.
Saban took time to analyze Texas A&M’s defense ahead of the 3rd-ranked Aggies’ game against No. 22 Missouri (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), pointing out that trying to stop the Tigers’ rushing offense will be a key task.
“This is not the perfect matchup for A&M, in terms of Missouri’s ability to run the ball,” Saban said. “Stopping the run and creating loose-play downs, that is where A&M is outstanding. Can they stop Missouri running to create those situations?”
Saban then broke down how good the Aggies are in their pass rush in those kind of long-yardage downs – earning sacks in passing situations against LSU earlier this season.
Missouri enters Saturday’s game against Texas A&M with the 10th-ranked rushing offense in the country, averaging 235.5 yards per game behind running back Ahmad Hardy (937 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns). As Saban pointed out, limiting Hardy and getting Missouri into third-down passing situations is where the Aggies – who are first in the nation in third-down defense – can shine.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
