Tag: Kellen Mond

HALFTIME: Texas A&M leads LSU 13-0 at halftime

The No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies lead the LSU Tigers 10-0 at halftime in SEC action. 

The No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies lead the LSU Tigers 13-0 at halftime in SEC action.

It was a mostly strong first half for LSU’s defense, as Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond struggled, completing just eight of 25 passes for 77 yards.

While Mond struggled, Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller did not. Spiller ran through the Tiger defense for 125 yards on just 15 attempts and the game’s lone touchdown.

The Aggies led 3-0 late in the first quarter when Spiller ripped off a 52-yard touchdown run to extend the A&M lead.

Freshman quarterback TJ Finley made his fourth consecutive start under center for the Tigers and struggled. Finley completed eight of 19 passes for 93 yards and an interception.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron did send in Max Johnson after Finley’s slow start. Johnson completed two of his three attempts for 18 yards before Finley returned.

The Tigers had two promising drives in the second quarter, which both ended in disappointing fashion. Finley was intercepted deep into Texas A&M territory on one possession, while LSU kicker Cade York missed a field goal on the Tigers’ next drive.

LSU receiver Terrace Marshall had a 54-yard catch-and-run to set up LSU’s first scoring threat. Shortly thereafter, Finley found freshman receiver Kayshon Boutte what appeared to be a fantastic touchdown reception.

However, officials overturned the play, saying Boutte did not have control of the football.

Overall, it was an encouraging effort by LSU’s defense in the first 30 minutes. Now, the Tigers look to get something going on offense in the second half in hopes of pulling off the upset.

 

Breaking down Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond

Here’s a look into the signal-caller the LSU defense could have its hands full with today.

The LSU Tigers (3-3) face one of their toughest tasks of the season as they head to Kyle Field to take on the No. 5-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (5-1) with quarterback Kellen Mond at the helm.

At 6-foot-2-inches and 217 pounds, Mond isn’t a huge quarterback by any means, but his slim frame is adequate.

He’s a dual-threat quarterback, meaning he’ll give the Tigers problems both on the with his legs and on the pass, as he’s done to numerous opponents in his time in College Station.

In his most recent performance, Mond completed 16-of-26 passing attempts for 224 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Here’s a look into the signal-caller the LSU defense could have its hands full with today:

What must LSU do defensively to defeat Texas A&M?

LSU’s defense already looks much-improved, and forcing turnovers against Texas A&M could be the key to earning a win on Saturday.

The LSU defense looked much-improved last week at Arkansas, but the unit has a tough task awaiting them on Saturday.

The home team Texas A&M Aggies average 33.7 points per game and 443.7 total yards of offense. LSU’s enters the game allowing 32 points per contest and 472.7 yards to opposing teams.

Andre Anthony had a breakout game last week at the linebacker position, and could very well show up big for the Tigers again this weekend. The Aggies have not seen the field in three weeks due to COVID-19.

It seems as if Bo Pelini’s defense in Baton Rouge is finally beginning to come together and play more efficient in tough situations. But playing in College Station against the No. 5 Aggies will be no east battle.

Here’s a look at what LSU must accomplish defensively to secure a win in College Station.

Win on third down

Last week against Arkansas, the Tigers held the Razorbacks offense to 0-of-10 on third down.

While the defense gave up big plays, one reason LSU left with a win was because the unit held strong on every third down situation.

Against Texas A&M, the Tigers defense has to come out with the same energy as last week.

The Aggies are 49-of-79 on third down. Texas A&M has converted 62% of its third down situations this season.

If the defense is going to get off the field, winning the third down battles are key on Saturday against a solid Aggies offense.

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LSU takes on spoiler role as Texas A&M Aggies focus on College Football Playoff push

LSU travels to College Station to take on a Texas A&M team that is currently ranked just outside of the College Football Playoff.

As if it were not already visibly clear, LSU is now officially in the role of potential spoiler for teams vying for a spot in this year’s College Football Playoff.

The initial rankings from the College Football Playoff selection committee debuted Tuesday night. This week’s opponent for the Tigers, the Texas A&M Aggies, is the first team out of the four-team playoff field. The Aggies debuts at No. 5 in the playoff rankings.

For Texas A&M, the No. 5 ranking from the selection committee is the highest the program has been ranked in the playoff poll since Nov. 1, 2016. The Aggies were ranked No. 4 in that week’s rankings, but the Aggies went into a second-half stumble the rest of the year. Texas A&M lost back-to-back games against Mississippi State and Ole Miss and eventually ended the year with a regular-season finale loss to LSU (54-39) and a Texas Bowl loss to Kansas State.

With Texas A&M on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff, is there a chance LSU can lock the door on the Aggies?

Given the current landscape of college football, it would seem likely that a second loss for Texas A&M would be enough to knock the Aggies out of the playoff picture with time beginning to run out. But LSU is a significant underdog on the road and may not be the ideal candidate to through Texas A&M for a loop in the playoff hunt.

Texas A&M opens as a big favorite over LSU, per BetMGM

Nothing would please Texas A&M more than to make their first playoff statement against the school that won it all a year ago (and embarrassed them on the way to doing so). While this LSU team may be nowhere close to what it was a season ago, the colors on the jersey are the same and enough to keep Texas A&M motivated as they move forward with their playoff push.

If former LSU coordinator Jimbo Fisher is going to lead his second program to a spot in the College Football Playoff (he coached Florida State to the inaugural College Football Playoff a season after winning the BCS National Championship against Auburn), then it will be up to Kellen Mond to continue to produce running the offense. Mond enters this weekend having thrown 16 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Mond will be the focus of the LSU defense this week, naturally. Whether or not Bo Pelini has the pass defense patched up enough to take Mond off his rhythm remains to be seen.

For Mond, this week will be about some personal redemption. Last year against LSU, Mond completed just 10-of-30 attempts for 92 passing yards. He went without a touchdown and was picked off three times by the eventual national champions. The good news for Mond is this LSU team is far removed from the national championship level of a year ago.

LSU has dominated recent series with Texas A&M

Where do each of the SEC’s quarterbacks stand ahead of Saturday’s slate of games?

Here’s a look at where each SEC quarterback ranks heading into another week of college football.

It’s been a rocky week for SEC football, and many of the conference’s quarterbacks won’t see action with all of the postponements of games that were originally scheduled for Saturday.

This weekend will be a rather empty one, with only the following matchups remaining:

Vanderbilt at Kentucky: 12 p.m., SEC Network

Arkansas at Florida: 7 p.m., ESPN

South Carolina at Ole Miss: 7:30 p.m., SEC Network

Here’s a look at where each SEC quarterback ranks heading into another week of college football.

Kellen Mond leads Texas A&M to upset win over Florida

Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond led the Aggies to a big upset victory over No. 4 Florida

The noon window gave us plenty of upsets in college football, and more than one of them came from the SEC.

Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond led the Aggies to a 41-38 win over No. 4 Florida, completing 25 of his 35 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions.

One of the more intriguing senior quarterback prospects in the country, Mond showed off the kind of skill set that will have NFL scouts doing plenty of homework on him for next year’s draft.

A versatile passer who can make plays with his arm and his legs, Mond will help his case for the pro ranks if he keeps making plays like this:

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Texas A&M vs Florida: 5 Thoughts On The 41-38 Aggie Win Over The Gators

5 thoughts and an instant reaction on the Texas A&M win over Florida.

5 thoughts and an instant reaction on the Texas A&M win over Florida.

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5. Jimbo Fisher got his win

Texas A&M was mediocre in a 17-12 win against Vanderbilt, and it was thoroughly outclassed in the 52-24 loss to Alabama.

Finally, he was able to beat a top five team as the Aggie head coach, but it has to be the beginning. This is what a guy with a national championship ring and a ten-year contract is supposed to do.

This needs to be the game-changer. This needs to be when Texas A&M knows it really can not only hang with the best teams in college football, but beat them.

This was tough. Florida was fantastic, the Aggies were down in the second half, and they adjusted, fought through the adversity, and they came back to pull it off. They forced the late turnover, they took advantage of the situation, and they did it.

It is possible to win really, really big games at Texas A&M.

4. Texas A&M figured out how to pound away

Kellen Mond was brilliant. This was his signature win, hitting 25-of-35 passes for 338 yards and three scores as he calmly led the way on the game-winning drive, but this all turned on the offensive line.

This was the moment when the Aggies knew they could pound away when needed.

The Texas A&M running game was fine in the first two games, but nothing special.

Isaiah Spiller had a few big runs, and super-soph Ainias Smith was used a bit, but the ground attack failed to to hit 200 yards against Vanderbilt and was stuffed by Alabama.

That all changed against the Gators, and it started with a brutal ten play, 75-yard touchdown drive after getting down 28-17 early in the second half on the way to rushing for 205 yards and averaging over five yards per carry.

The offensive line was finally able to eat. It dominated the Gator defensive front when it had to.

3. The Florida defense couldn’t close

Kyle Trask threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He’s on a better pace than Joe Burrow was after three games last year.

Kyle Pitts was good again – at least early – and the running game was fine. There might have been a late turnover, but this one is on the defense.

The Gators were flirting with problems over the first two games, and against the Aggies, they got burned by a grilling day from QB Kellen Mond, that pounding ground game that took over in the second half, and they couldn’t come through when needed.

The Gators were beaten by big plays through the air, they were ground on when it was time to get physical, and there were problems everywhere in between.

Florida has the talent on D, and it allowed A&M to convert 12-of-15 third down tries along with a fourth down chance. It had to come up with one big stop late, and couldn’t do it.

However …

NEXT: What it means for Florida

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5 reasons Alabama covers against Texas A&M, and 1 reason they won’t

Could the Tide cover the spread? Yes and no. Let’s find out why and how.

On Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face the Texas A&M Aggies in the conference-only home opener in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as the teams meet for the thirteenth time in Alabama football history.

The Aggies, who defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 17-12 are looking to redeem themselves after a rough season opener. Although the Aggies won, they struggled on both sides of the ball, and only finished with 376 total yards of offense. Aggies’ quarterback Kellen Mond finished the game going 17-28 for 189 yards and 1 TD. This game against Alabama will be a statement game to show what they’re capable of this season in the SEC.

As for the Crimson Tide, who beat the Missouri Tigers 38-19, the Tide is looking to win big in their home opener of the season. Alabama showed room for growth and improvement on both sides of the ball, but they showed to be a much more hungry and determined team than they were last season. Mac Jones put on a show going 18-24 for 249 yards and 2 TDs.

Alabama is 10-2 against the Aggies in series history, and under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide is 7-1 against the Aggies.

Alabama has outscored Texas A&M, 423- 220, and under Saban, Alabama has also outscored the Aggies, 325- 178.

Oddsmakers at BetMGM have Alabama listed as an 18-point favorite against the Aggies.

Could the Tide cover the spread?

Yes and no.

Let’s find out why and how.

These are five ways the Crimson Tide could easily cover.

1. Mac Jones and Alabama’s offensive weapons

Sep 26, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up before the game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Mac Jones proved himself worthy of the starting quarterback job against Missouri. Jones went 18 of 24 for 249 yards and 2 TDs, and he didn’t even play the entire game. He showcased his ability to throw accurately, and well as down the field, and finished the game with a 95.2 QBR.

As for the offensive weapons, Jaylen Waddle was the star of the night. He finished with 8 receptions for 134 yards and 2 TDs. DeVonta Smith didn’t record a touchdown, but he did finish the game with 8 carries for 89 yards.

If Alabama plays like they did on Saturday, the Tide won’t have any trouble on offense converting the spread.

Next.. a familiar running back!

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Is Auburn overrated in the preseason AP Top 25 rankings? CBS Sports thinks so

CBS Sports thinks the Tigers are overrated at No. 11 in the preseason AP poll.

Preseason polls, whether you love them or hate them, have officially arrived. This year’s preseason AP Top 25 poll ranks the Auburn Tigers at No. 11 and Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports dislikes this.

Why? Because Fornelli once declared Texas A&M as overrated going into this football season, but then he contradicted himself by telling the world that Texas A&M is actually a darkhorse this upcoming season.

So now he’s here to make things right.

Before I finish typing this I have to laugh. Here is the only reason Fornelli cites why he believes Auburn is overrated:

He has more faith in Kellen Mond than Bo Nix.

Nix’s accuracy throwing the ball last season was a real concern to me, and I’m not sure those problems can get ironed out over an unusual offseason that did not include spring practice. Chad Morris is taking over the offense, and while Morris is a creative thinker who knows how to use his personnel, he’s also a coach who likes to throw the ball.

With all due respect to Kellen Mond, this is a lazy comparison that should not even be made. The lack of practice is a concern, but that affects everybody.

Hey Tom, look up Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz, Eli Stove, Caylin Newton, JJ Pegues, and John Samuel Shenker.

Come back to us then.

Florida Gators quarterback Kyle Trask listed on Manning Award Watch List

Gators quarterback Kyle Trask continues to pick up the preseason accolades, as the redshirt senior was named to the Manning Award Watch List

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask continues to pick up the preseason accolades, as the redshirt senior was named to the Manning Award Watch List on Thursday, the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced.

The Manning Award is given annually to the top quarterback in the nation, but unlike other quarterback awards, it takes into account bowl performance in addition to regular season performance.

Trask was one of 12 finalists for the award last year after finishing with 25 touchdowns to seven interceptions and a 156.09 rating. He led one of the best passing offense at Florida this century and became the first UF passer to toss three or more touchdown passes in consecutive games.

He’s one of 30 players across the country named to the watch list, as well as one of three from the SEC, along with Auburn’s Bo Nix and Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond. The winner will be announced after the bowl season and will be voted on by a panel which includes national media members as well as every member of the Manning family.

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