Auburn faces No. 9 Texas A&M in pivotal SEC clash

Auburn travels to College Station on Saturday to face No. 9 Texas A&M in a pivotal SEC matchup, kicking off at 2:30 p.m. Central (3:30 p.m. Eastern) on ESPN. The Tigers, coming off a 24-17 loss at Oklahoma last week that knocked them out of the AP Top 25, will try to snap a slump against an Aggies squad that enters off a bye and a road victory over Notre Dame.

Texas A&M arrives 3-0 and has been explosive on offense, averaging more than 40 points per game and ranking among the national leaders in passing. Quarterback Marcel Reed has thrown nine touchdowns against one interception and has been aided by deep threats Mario Craver and KC Concepcion. Craver leads the SEC in receiving yards and has produced consecutive 100-yard games, including an 86-yard touchdown against Notre Dame. Auburn will need to contain those playmakers while stopping Reed from carving up the secondary.

Statistically, Texas A&M’s defense has shown vulnerabilities that Auburn will try to exploit. The Aggies rank outside the top 60 nationally in total defense and 103rd in scoring defense through three games, and Pro Football Focus counts 39 missed tackles for the team this season. Their run defense has been...