2018 Texas A&M football preview

Texas A&M fired Kevin Sumlin after another year of failing to live up to the high expectations placed upon the head coach in College Station, Texas. Normally, a new coach enters a first season with a honeymoon period, but normally that coach didn’t come in with a 10-year, $75 million dollar deal.

Jimbo Fisher has a lot of pressure on him to produce right away, which will be difficult with the Aggies facing Alabama and Clemson – ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 – before the first month of the season is over.

“It’s great that we play those two teams, the top-two ranked teams in the first four games of the year,” Fisher said this summer at SEC Media Days. “I think great teams, it’s not that your opponent becomes faceless, it’s not that you disrespect them; it’s just that you understand how you want to prepare. I’m hoping that’s the way our kids go about it.”

Despite some uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Aggies bring back the one of the SEC’s most productive returning rushers from last season in Trayveon Williams, a second-team All-SEC pick in the preseason.

Williams was excited by Fisher’s arrival because of the switch to a more pro-style offense, to to mention the coach’s national championship pedigree from Florida State.

“That was one of the first reasons I was excited to have him named as my head coach,” Williams said. “He puts running backs in great situations, and I’m excited about that. Coach Fisher is always saying that I need to run strong. That’s very important as a running back. I’m very excited to have him as my coach.”

2018 schedule
Aug. 30 – Northwestern State
Sept. 8 – Clemson
Sept. 15 – Louisiana-Monroe
Sept. 22 – at Alabama
Sept. 29 – Arkansas (Arlington, Texas)
Oct. 6 – Kentucky
Oct. 13 – at South Carolina
Oct. 27 – at Mississippi St.
Nov. 3 – at Auburn
Nov. 10 – Ole Miss
Nov. 17 – UAB
Nov. 24 – LSU

2017 record: 7-6 (4-4 conf./Tied for 4th-West)
All-Time SEC championships: 0
All-time bowl appearances: 39(17-22)

2017 results
Sept. 3 – at UCLA – L 45-44
Sept. 9 – Nicholls State – W 24-14
Sept. 16 – La.-Lafayette – W 45-21
Sept. 23 – vs. Arkansas^ – W 50-43 (OT)
Sept. 30 – South Carolina – W 24-17
Oct. 7 – Alabama – L 27-19
Oct. 14 – at Florida – W 19-17
Oct. 28 – Mississippi State – L 35-14
Nov. 4 – Auburn – L 42-27
Nov. 11 – New Mexico – W 55-14
Nov. 18 – at Ole Miss – W 31-24
Nov. 25 – at LSU – L 45-21
Dec. 29 – Wake Forest – L 55-52*
^Arlington, Texas
*Belk Bowl

Returning statistical leaders

Rushing – Att – Yards – Avg – TD
Trayveon Williams – 173 – 798 – 4.6 – 8
Passing – Comp-Att – Int – TD – Yards
Nick Starkel – 123-205 – 6 – 14 – 1793
Receiving – Rec – Yards – Avg – TD
Jhamon Ausbon – 50 – 571 – 11.4 – 3
Tackles – Total – Int – Sacks – TFL
Tyrel Dodson – 105 – 3 – 5.5 – 11

Starters returning: 16
Offense: 7
Defense: 8
Specialty: 1

Starters lost: 8
Offense: 4
Defense: 3
Specialty: 1

Returning offensive starters: Jhamon Ausbon (WR, So.), Keaton Sutherland (OT, Sr.),
Connor Lanfear (OG, Sr.), Erik McCoy (C, Jr.), Ryan McCollum (OG, So.), Trayveon Williams (RB, Jr.), Kellen Mond (QB, So.), Nick Starkel (QB, So.)
Returning defensive starters:  Landis Durham (DE, Sr.), Kingsley Keke (DT, Sr.), Otaro Alaka (LB, Sr.),Tyrel Dodson (LB, Jr.), Buddy Johnson (LB, So.), Debione Renfro (CB, So.), Charles Oliver (CB, Jr.), Derrick Tucker (SS, So.)
Returning specialists: Daniel LaCamera (K, Sr.)