Three Texas A&M Players Who Could Cause Problems for the Auburn Tigers

Auburn is chasing its first SEC win of the season after last week's loss to Oklahoma.

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed caused problems for Auburn last season. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers certainly have something to prove, especially after last week’s loss to Oklahoma. They don’t exactly have a break this week, though with the ninth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, who’ve already taken down Notre Dame, stand in their way.

The Aggies look to be an even more difficult opponent than Oklahoma was, so the Tigers will have to be on top of their game if they want to take down the Aggies and the 12th Man in College Station. Auburn Tigers on SI takes a look at a few Texas A&M athletes that could cause a severe headache on Saturday for Hugh Freeze and company.

QB Marcel Reed

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed is one of the more dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

As always, the quarterback position can easily make or break any game on any given Saturday. The Aggies’ quarterback, Marcel Reed, is absolutely no slouch, though. The Nashville native has been electric in the Aggies’ first three matchups of the season.

Reed has thrown for 869 yards and nine touchdowns to just one interception in the last three games, while tacking on an additional 142 yards and a touchdown with his legs. The dual-threat Reed will need to be contained, much like the Tigers contained John Mateer last week, with players like Malik Autry, Keldric Faulk and Xavier Atkins.

WR Mario Craver

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Mario Craver already has four touchdowns through three games. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Behind every great quarterback is at least one strong receiver. After all, what good does a strong arm do if there’s no one who can catch the passes? Accordingly, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed’s stats have certainly been bolstered by his favorite target this year: sophomore wide receiver Mario Craver.

Craver has caught 20 Reed receptions for a staggering 443 yards and four touchdowns, singlehandedly accounting for over half of Reed’s passing yards as well as just under half of his touchdown passes.

The most worrying stat for Tiger fans, though, is Craver’s yards per reception. The Birmingham, Ala. native has averaged a stunning 22.1 yards per catch, which could prove to be a defense-killer for Auburn, especially since the Tigers are without star cornerback Jay Crawford. 

Edge Rusher Cashius Howell

Texas A&M defensive lineman Cashius Howell could take advantage of a struggling Auburn offensive line. | Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

The biggest narrative for the Tigers in their matchup against Oklahoma was the sacks: 10 of them. Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold struggled immensely under Oklahoma pressure, and Texas A&M, led by star edge rusher Cashius Howell, clearly has no plans to take its foot off the gas on the pass rush.

Howell’s accumulated seven tackles this season, along with three sacks, which is evven more impressive with context. In Texas A&M’s game against Utah State, Howell sacked the quarterback on first down, second down, and then third down, all on the same set of downs. 

He’s most certainly proven to be a drive-killer, and Arnold has struggled to get the ball out quickly. These two factors together could spell disaster for the Auburn offense if Arnold isn’t able to make his reads in time.

Auburn at No. 9 Oklahoma

Auburn will kick off its hopeful comeback tour this Saturday, when the Tigers travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies. The game will be played at 2:30 p.m. CST and broadcast on ESPN.