A year ago Kellen Mond was a relative unknown in the college football world. Having barely eked out the starting job as Texas A&M quarterback, the sophomore was determined to prove that new head coach Jimbo Fisher had not made his first mistake at College Station.

In fact it was this very game, a 430-yard, 3-TD passing effort in Kyle Field against the No. 2-ranked Clemson Tigers that put Mond on the radar. That very game was the catalyst for a 3,000-yard passing season that not only solidified Mond as the Aggies’ starting quarterback but also placed his name alongside the best in the conference.

Only Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (3,966) and South Carolina’s Jake Bentley (3,171) returned this season with more passing yards in 2018 than Mond (3,107).

Last year’s eye-opener was Clemson’s slimmest margin of victory, a 28-26 squeaker, en route to 2nd national championship in 3 years. And don’t for one minute think that the Tigers have forgotten what Mond did against their vaunted defense.

No, if Mond did indeed take the eventual national champions by surprise one year ago, it’s a safe bet that they won’t make the same mistake this Saturday when they host the Aggies in Death Valley at 3:30 p.m. ET.

But Mond isn’t the same quarterback he was a year ago, either. Still very green as the Aggies’ sophomore starter, he has since developed into one of the top QBs in the SEC, if not nation. A year wiser, the now savvy veteran is even more prepared to take center stage and meet the challenges of the top-ranked team in the country.

Working on body positioning in the offseason, Mond has increased his arm strength and even on the run, the Aggies’ junior QB can spin it with the best of them. Distance, speed, and accuracy are among the passing skills that Mond has improved upon since last time he faced Clemson. It is without a doubt a much more confident Kellen Mond the Tigers are going to see Saturday.

And in comparison to last year, for Mond, the game has slowed down somewhat. You have seen it in his decision-making. Under the tutelage of Fisher, Mond is learning to better manage the game as well.

The continued honing of those skills will surely be tested Saturday. But Mond will be prepared, even more so than last year, to take on college football’s best team. One reason will be his experienced offensive line. It will go up against Clemson’s revamped front 7, an advantage Mond wasn’t afforded in last season’s game.

However, Clemson’s secondary is filled with seasoned veterans and that’s where Mond will be given his biggest test. That’s where the decision-making skills he has cultivated over the last year will be needed most.

No, Mond and the Aggies certainly won’t be sneaking up on the Tigers this time around. And they won’t have the home field advantage this year, either.

But it’ll be a seasoned quarterback behind an experienced offensive line that will march into Death Valley on Saturday with the confidence that not only last year’s performance fueled, but a better knowledge and understanding of the game that will once again give Clemson all it wants.