Texas A&M (2-1. 1-0 SEC) will head back to Kyle Field to take on Bowling Green (1-1) on Saturday night, just a week after ending the ten-game SEC road losing streak against the Florida Gators, head coach Mike Elko also earned his first conference victory.
Take center stage this week, back quarterback Marcel Reed’s breakout performance in his first career starts has Aggie fan split on who should start on Saturday, while Elko and his staff are keeping things internal while Conner Weigman’s shoulder injury continues to heal.
Who ever starts under center, the Aggies run game and blocking up front looks like a predominate strength offensively through the last two weeks, while the defense and pass rush is steadily improving.
Focusing on the Falcons, here are three players to watch that could cause the Aggie defense problems on Saturday night.
RB Terion Stewart
Bowling Green’s offense starts with the ground game, as junior running back Terion Stewart has looked the part during the Falcon’s first game against Fordham, averaging 11.5 yards per rush for 161 yards and a touchdown. Even after missing Bowling Green’s loss against Penn State, the team’s running back stable still ran for 121 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.7 yards per carry so far.
QB Connor Bazelak
Bowling Green will be competitive in nearly every game this season because of senior quarterback Connor Bazelak, who enters his final season with the Falcons after transferring from Missouri a couple of year ago. Only throwing for 12 touchdowns last season, Bazelak has steadily improved in the pocket, throwing for 422 yards and two touchdowns so far, including 254 yards against Penn State. However, this will be the toughest secondary he faces for the rest of the season.
TE Harold Fannin Jr.
By far the most explosive offensive weapon on the Falcons roster, junior tight end Harold Fannin Jr. leads the team in receptions (17) and receiving yards (204) while reeling his his first touchdown against Penn State. Speed, strength, and impressive route running are just a few traits that make Fannin a nightmare matchup with linebackers who are forced to cover the seam.
On Saturday, I expect Aggie linebacker Scooby Williams to be on most of the coverage duties, while safety Marcus Ratcliffe possesses the length and athleticism to clean up any remaining coverage duties.
Texas A&M will host Bowling Green on Saturday, Sept. 21. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.
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