With 46 seconds left on the clock, down 26-28 to the eventual champion Clemson Tigers, quarterback Kellen Mond took the snap from the shotgun. Attempting to tie the game with a two-point conversion, Mond rolled to his right and threw into the end zone. The pass was intercepted, and the Tigers survived a scare in College Station.

In week 2 of the 2019 college football season, the Texas A&M Aggies will have the chance to take their revenge. The Aggies travel to Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC to take on the Tigers in a cross conference match-up on Saturday, September 7th at 3:30 pm eastern time.

texas A&M vs. clemson

After a promising first year from newly hired head coach Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies look to make a jump in year two. Big things are expected from Texas A&M this season despite a brutal schedule. They will look to returning talent such as quarterback Kellen Mond to be a leader. Getting payback against the number one team and defending champion Clemson is what the Aggies are looking to use to jump start their season.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are facing their first big test of the season from Texas A&M. Clemson had as successful a season as one team can in 2018, going 15-0 and winning their second national title in three years. They have now won 16 straight, and will look to keep that momentum going with a win over a very good Texas A&M team. The Clemson offense, led by sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence, will headline the strength of the Tigers in 2019. All four of the Tigers defensive line starters headed off to the NFL at the end of last season. With a mostly unproven front seven, the Aggies will be a litmus test for Clemson’s capabilities on defense in 2019 after so many key losses.

Both Clemson and A&M are expected to perform at a high level in 2019. This game will be very telling for both teams. It will answer the question of whether or not A&M can play with the big boys, as well as whether Clemson can continue the dominance they showed during the second half of the 2018 season.

Texas A&M Aggies vs. Clemson Tigers football TV channel

The game will air on ABC at 3:30 p.m. eastern time.

Texas A&M Aggies vs. Clemson Tigers football players to watch

This one is a no-brainer. Trevor Lawrence is perhaps the most intensely watched player in all of college football. After his unbelievable performances in the college football playoff last season, the focus of the entire football world is on him. After a somewhat poor performance in the opener against Georgia Tech, all eyes will be on Lawrence to see whether or not he can live up to all the hype he received over the off-season. If he performs in this game, possibly his toughest of the regular season, he could be on track to contend for a Heisman Trophy. If he continues to struggle, people may start to have a few doubts about his status as one of the best in college football.

Trevor Lawrence isn’t the only Heisman contender on this Clemson team. Travis Etienne, who unlike Lawrence had a fantastic opening game, rushed for over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns against Georgia Tech. A Doak Walker Award finalist in 2018, Etienne will look to improve upon the already fantastic stat line, over 1600 yards and 20 touchdowns, he established last season. Texas A&M had a stifling run defense last season, and if they are able to limit the impact Etienne has on this game, they will be in a good position to win it.

Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond is perhaps the most important player to the outcome of this game. The 6′ 3″ junior had a solid 2018 season, passing for 3,107 yards and 24 touchdowns with 9 interceptions. Against Clemson in 2018, Mond put on a show, passing for 430 yards and 3 touchdowns. He almost led A&M to an improbable comeback, but came just short in the final minute of the game. If Mond can improve upon his 2018 performance, A&M will have a good chance to upset the reigning champs and get a landmark win for the program.

A defensive presence who did not appear in the last match-up between these two teams, Anthony Hines III will look to start his break out campaign against Clemson. The junior linebacker made the All-SEC freshman team in 2017, but spent most of 2018 sidelined with an injury. The former top recruit looked very good in his limited playing time in the past. With much of the Aggies’ linebacker core moving on, he will have a chance to show that he can be an elite player.

Clemson also has its share of unknowns on the defensive front seven. Senior linebacker Chad Smith spent three years as a backup, before finally breaking into the lineup this season after the departures of Tre Lamar and Kendall Joseph. Although he did force a fumble in the opener, Smith and his teammate Baylon Specter had their share of struggles against a mediocre Georgia Tech offense. They face a much tougher test this week. If Smith cannot improve on his underwhelming performance, Clemson’s defense may be exposed as slightly suspect against a talented Aggie offense.

Texas A&M Aggies vs. Clemson Tigers football odds

Clemson is favored by 16.5 points in this game, down from 19.5 earlier this week. The line has waffled between 17 and 17.5 for much of this week. The line has moved down just in the last 24 hours to the 16.5 mark.

The over/under line is up to 63.5.

Texas A&M Aggies vs. Clemson Tigers football history

Texas A&M and Clemson have faced off five times in the past. A&M currently leads the series 3-2. Clemson currently holds a win streak of two dating back to 2005. In 1974, the Aggies bested the Tigers 24-0, marking the largest margin of victory between the two programs.

Texas A&M Aggies vs. Clemson Tigers predictions

From SDS Week 2 predictions:

Michael: I liked this line better at opening (Aggies +20), but I’ll stick with Texas A&M heading into this matchup. Unlike last year, Jimbo Fisher’s squad is confident in matchup up with Clemson. When several players came out and predicted an upset was coming, Fisher didn’t seem to bat an eye. The second-year coach has installed a confidence in his team that simply wasn’t there last year and with arguably a more talented roster, I expect the Aggies to give Dabo Swinney and his team all they can handle. The biggest issue Texas A&M will have in this matchup is its secondary dealing with Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson receivers. Strides were made Week 1 but it taking an immense step up in competition will likely prove to be too much for this group. I like the Aggies ability to score on Clemson, but when it comes down to it, can they get the stops necessary to win?

Clemson 40 Texas A&M 33

Chris: I’ve never seen a fanbase rally around a 2 point loss (or a 2 point win vs LSU for that matter) quite as I did with Aggie fans last season. And, maybe it’s for good reason. Clemson is loaded on offense, and I’m sure their defense will be stout under Venables. But here’s what I know, Trevor Lawrence looked average at best last week against a severely outmatched Georgia Tech team. A&M is gonna scare Clemson again. Almost as scared as I was when I found out the littlest Hanson brother is the QB at Clemson.

Clemson 34 Texas A&M 30

From SDS Week 2 Primer:

We all know what to expect from Clemson. The Tigers are No. 1 in both major polls by big margins after blowing the doors off Georgia Tech in their season opener. Trevor Lawrence is a proven big-game quarterback surrounded by the most enviable cast of skill players in the country; the offense as a whole is significantly more explosive than the one that walked the edge in College Station last year, before Lawrence (9 attempts off the bench in the 2018 meeting), RB Travis Etienne (8 touches for 44 yards), and WR Justyn Ross (DNP) had fully emerged. The defense is “rebuilding” only in the sense that rising stars like DEs Xavier Thomas and Justin Foster are technically new to the starting lineup.

On the other side, all 4 A&M wide receivers who caught passes in last year’s game are back, along with 3 starters on the o-line. The difference between another compelling upset bid and a routine blowout hinges almost entirely on which version of Mond shows up.

Verdict: Clemson 44, Texas A&M 24

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Texas A&M 2018 football season review

The Aggies had a solid season under Jimbo Fisher in his first season as head coach of the program. They went 9-4, with marquee wins against Kentucky and LSU. A&M thoroughly dismantled NC State 52-13 in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl to cap off a strong season despite an unfavorable schedule.

The Aggies averaged 35.5 points per game and 471.6 yards per game in 2018.

Additional Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the game?

3:30 p.m. eastern time on Saturday, September 7, 2019.

What channel is the game on?

ABC.

Where is the game being played?

The game is being played at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC.