Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) has steadily become one of the best defensive teams in the country over a two-game span. The Aggies showed utter dominance during Saturday’s 41-10 win over Missouri in Week 7 and are now ranked 36th in the country in total defense.
Unsurprisingly, this unit has improved since the Week 1 loss to Notre Dame, as the stars have begun to shine, led by junior defensive end Nic Scourton. At the same time, cornerback Will Lee III has looked like a shutdown defender in the secondary, leading the country in pass deflections (8).
However, one weakness that hindered A&M’s late chances against the Fighting Irish was the run defense, allowing 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the season opener. The next week, while the score says otherwise, Texas A&M allowed 180 rushing yards in the 52-10 win over McNeese, but after that result, things changed quickly.
Vowing to improve against the run, sophomore LB Taurean York knew that everyone, including the linebackers, needed to be better up front; whether it was coaching adjustments or simply a better understanding of run fits, the run defense has continued to climb in the rankings as one of the better-performing aspects of the Aggie defense.
After the win against McNeese, Texas A&M’s run defense was ranked 108th. After wins against Florida (52 rushing yards), Bowling Green (89 rushing yards), Arkansas (100 rushing yards), and Missouri (68 rushing yards), the ranking has skyrocketed to 40th, allowing an average of 114 rushing yards per game.
Impressive, to say the least, is the mix of coaching and overall effort from the defensive line to plug holes and set the edge, which has made the Aggie defense a complete unit heading into the second half of the regular season.
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