Here’s everything you need to know about today’s SEC East matchup between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers.

When: Saturday, Nov. 15
Where: College Station, Texas
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Current Line: Texas A&M (-4)

Game Buzz: Depending on the Auburn-Georgia result, Missouri may need to win this game to keep its SEC East title defense viable. The winner of this game is a Top 25 team in all three major polls. Can the Tigers stay on track for another surprise division title, or will the Aggies prove its mid-season swoon was a temporary setback?

SATURDAY DOWN SOUTH PREVIEWS

NO. 24 TEXAS A&M AGGIES

Players to watch: 

  • QB Kyle Allen
  • RT Cedric Ogbuehi
  • WR/KR Speedy Noil
  • DE Myles Garrett
  • DT Alonzo Williams
  • CB Deshazor Everett

Keys for Texas A&M:

  • Get the ball to WRs outside, and fast. Missouri’s defense struggled with screens the first half of the season and generally gives outside receivers a sizable cushion. Missouri’s pass rush is as good as any team’s in the country, and with Texas A&M’s offensive line shuffling personnel, the Aggies don’t want freshman Kyle Allen holding the ball. Missouri’s secondary has improved, but aren’t the most physical or best-tackling group in the SEC. Texas A&M should test them.
  • Get after Maty Mauk early and often. Mauk started the season with 15 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. He threw zero touchdowns and 5 interceptions in the next three games, and 4 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the last two. He’s a threat to run, which he’s done more effectively of late, but gets spooked in the pocket easily. If the Aggies can aggitate that bad habit, A&M has a much better chance to force Mauk into bad decisions and put a lot of pressure on an underwhelming group of receivers.
  • Win the turnover battle. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel does an excellent job in this area. His tremendous track record includes a plus-7 turnover margin this year, fourth in the SEC. Texas A&M is 13th at minus-6, but upset Auburn last week by recovering three Auburn fumbles, including two late in the fourth quarter. Another effort like that could pay major dividends for the home team today.

Glaring weakness to watch: Tackling. There isn’t a single issue that encompasses the problems Texas A&M’s defense has experienced for two seasons now, but this is a good starting point.

Most interesting part of this game: Whether the Aggies offense or defense is the team’s bigger liability. If it’s the defense, the team has a chance. If the offense can’t move the ball against Missouri’s strong unit, this team will lose its fourth game.

Team buzz: A&M has gone from a fringe Top 25 team to a Top 10 team to an unranked disaster and back to a fringe Top 25 team. Ultimately, the final record will approximate what most expected before the season. But Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies have major questions: Who will be the team’s quarterback in 2015? Why has the offensive line fallen off so sharply? And can anything be done to reboot the defense? The team’s final two games should serve as a strong evaluation period for Sumlin regarding those areas.

MISSOURI TIGERS

Players to watch:

  • QB Maty Mauk
  • RB Marcus Murphy
  • RB Russell Hansbrough
  • WR Bud Sasser
  • DE Shane Ray
  • DE Markus Golden
  • DB Braylon Webb (only playing second half)

Keys for Missouri:

  • Control the game with the rushing attack. The Aggies have one of the best pass rushes in the SEC, but they also have the conference’s third-worst run defense this season. Missouri has a tandem of talented tailbacks in Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough, and if those two can get in rhythm early it will allow the Tigers to control time of possession, keeping the ball out of the hands of the dynamic A&M offense.
  • Protect the football. Maty Mauk has thrown nine interceptions this season, but only four came in Missouri’s seven wins to this point. The other five came in a pair of losses to Indiana and Georgia, which combined to score 65 points on Mizzou thanks to the short fields they received from Mauk’s turnovers. If Mauk plays smart and protects the football, avoiding double-coverage and throwing the ball away when necessary, the Tigers offense should be able to hang around late into the game. If Mauk begins to force throws, however, the game could get away from the Tigers quickly.
  • Pressure Kyle Allen. Missouri rushes the passer as well as any team in the country, and it’ll have a chance to overwhelm Allen in just his third career start on Saturday. The Tigers will be limited in the secondary against A&M (we’ll discuss that in a moment), making it even more imperative they pressure the quarterback and take the Aggies out of rhythm with the front seven. Look for Shane Ray, Markus Golden and company to pin their ears back and get after Allen tonight at every opportunity.

Glaring weakness to watch: A lack of depth in the secondary. The Tigers will take the field without defensive back Aarion Penton, who continues to serve a suspension for a violation of team rules, and they’ll play the first half without fellow defensive back Braylon Webb, who is suspended for a half after drawing a targeting penalty last week. The suspensions in the Mizzou secondary couldn’t have come at a worse time as the Tigers prepare to face Texas A&M and its spread passing attack.

Most interesting part of this game: The SEC West’s seven teams have combined to lose just once outside the division all season, making Missouri’s task on Saturday all the more challenging. The Tigers have yet to beat an SEC team with fewer than three losses this year, and A&M will serve as their toughest test of the season. Will Missouri rise to the challenge on its way to a second straight division title? Or will it fall short like its East counterparts have done all season against the loaded West?

Team buzz: Mizzou senses the finish line is near, and it needs every win it can gather between now and the end of the season if it hopes to stave off Georgia for another SEC East crown. The same team that lost at home to Indiana in September is now in control of a spot in the SEC championship game, and as a result the Tigers need to take control in their final three games in order to finish off the rest of the East. The team and its fans are confident, but there’s no margin for error entering Kyle Field on Saturday night.