Kentucky Football has no time to lick its wounds after the 45-17 letdown in Kroger Field. The schedule makers did Will Stein and the Cats no favors, and heading into Kyle Field to face Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies at night is one of the toughest assignments in college football.
If the Cats are going to bounce back and steal a win on the road, it comes down to containing two massive problems and 2 keys to the game: control Marcel Reed’s legs and get the ball out of Kenny Minchey’s hands fast to avoid DJ Hicks’ freakish athleticism.
Texas A&M boasts terrifying team speed, and quarterback Marcel Reed is the engine that makes it all go. Reed is an electric, dual-threat vet who thrives when the play breaks down.
“He’s got really good pieces around him, so he doesn’t have to make every play, but when the play does break down, he’s electric,” Will Stein said during Tuesday’s preview. “He can make every throw. He’s got a big arm… and makes the right decision a lot.”
Defending a guy like Reed is a nightmare for a defensive coordinator, but Jay Bateman will have intimate knowledge of what Texas A&M likes to run. Bateman is coming over from Mike Elko’s staff, where he served as the defensive coordinator but did not call plays. That should give Kentucky an inside track on knowing what might make Reed struggle. But he doesn’t struggle often.
When he breaks contain, the defensive backs are going to be forced into split-second decisions: do you step up to tackle him and risk getting beaten deep, or do you stay latched to your receiver and give up 15 yards on the ground?
On the other side of the ball, the offensive line has to bounce back immediately. The Aggies feature game-wreckers up front, specifically DJ Hicks, whom Will Stein plainly described as an absolute “freak.” A&M loves to run overload fronts and tight man-match coverage in the secondary, meaning our receivers have to win their one-on-one battles, something that has not happened to this point in the season outside of Kenny Darby. The ball has to get out of Kenny Minchey’s hands in a hurry.
It’s going to be loud, and it’s going to be hostile. But if the defense can replicate the relentless effort they showed for the first three quarters against Alabama, and if the offense can show some signs of life to quieten down the 12th Man, the Cats can shock the college football world with a win down in College Station. The Aggies are currently 16.5-point favorites.
