Issuu

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20

@THEBATTONLINE

Graphic by Zoe Rich — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M heads to Austin for Lone Star Showdown By Mathias Cubillan Associate Sports Editor On the tail end of Friday, Nov. 28’s tryptophan-induced malaise, an all-too-familiar brontide will sweep across the Texas plains: the rhythmic thumping of cowboy boots as throngs of the 12th Man descend on Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for the 120th meeting between No. 3 Texas A&M football and No. 17 Texas in the Lone Star Showdown. Since last season’s 17-7 Longhorn win in the programs’ first meeting in 13 years, the two teams have gone in opposite directions. One has blasted past expectations, coalescing around a Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback and inking its coach to a mega extension. The other has suffered under the weight of a preseason No. 1 ranking, unable to replace talent and dealing with swirling ru-

mors of its coach jumping ship to bring his cutting-edge playsheet to the NFL. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning, once thought to be a quarterbacking heir carved from myth, has had a rollercoaster first season as the Longhorns’ starter. Manning has shown flashes of his pedigree, with three-touchdown performances against then-No. 9 Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, but he threw interceptions in losses to thenNo. 3 Ohio State and then-No. 5 Georgia. On the other sideline, redshirt sophomore QB Marcel Reed has emerged from his maroon chrysalis at the forefront of the Southeastern Conference landscape. Before A&M’s penultimate regular-season game against Samford in Week 13, the Nashville, Tennessee, native has accounted for 3,023 yards of total offense and 28 touchdowns. Reed is coming off of arguably his best half as a collegiate athlete, for which he won AP Player of the Week for a second half that saw him go 16-for-20 for 289 yards and three scores to erase a 27-point deficit against South Carolina.

Tuition and general fees are just $203 per semester credit hour.

www.blinn.edu/admissions

Sophomore wide receiver Mario Craver and junior WR KC Concepcion have deservedly received flowers for their combined 1,568 yards and 12 touchdowns, but a new face has joined the party: redshirt freshman WR Ashton Bethel-Roman. The former Ridge Point Panther has racked up 295 yards receiving and three touchdowns in his last four games. The Texas defense is anchored by sophomore edge rusher Colin Simmons, one of the most prolific pass rushers in the nation. Simmons has nine sacks on the year — including 7.5 in his last five games — and is tasked with slowing down an Aggie offense that has the 11th-most explosive pass plays, according to CFBStats. Redshirt senior defensive end Cashius Howell is the only player in the conference with more sacks than Simmons at 11.5. A rabid wolverine off the edge, Howell will have the opportunity to pin his ears back against an offensive line that gives up more than two sacks a game. Given coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense is

built around motion, screens and manipulation of the second level of the defense, A&M will have to be up for the challenge of tackling — something redshirt senior cornerback Tyreek Chappell was praised for when he won the Aggies’ internal defensive player of the week award against then-No. 22 Mizzou. Small in stature but titanic in performance, junior LB Taurean York’s performance in last season’s Lone Star Showdown belied his size with 10 tackles, a sack, 3.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in his best effort to save the game. This year, York and Co. should have less of a struggle with the Longhorns barely averaging over 124 yards per game on the ground. As the final notes of “The Eyes of Texas” fade out across the Austin air, more than 100,000 fans will nestle into their seats to watch the 6:30 p.m. kickoff. Texas will look to be the first team to take down three top10 squads in a single season since 2019, and A&M aims to extend its annus mirabilis — and saw ‘em off in front of a sea of burnt orange.

WINTER MINIMESTER CLASSES BEGIN DECEMBER 15 SPRING CLASSES BEGIN JANUARY 12