Fisher Praises Oklahoma State Before Texas Bowl
HOUSTON, Texas - Texas A&M plays in the Southeastern Conference. Known for their strong recruiting style and transition of players making a name in the NFL, the SEC continues to boost one of the toughest schedules year in and out.
Texas A&M still is looking to shed the 'newbie' talk as the youngest member of the Conference. Since their arrival in 2012, the Aggies have finished with one double-digit winning season. The 2019 campaign, although promising, saw the Aggies finish with a 7-5 record.
A&M coach Jimbo Fisher still believes their team has the potential to win. Their opponent, Oklahoma State, should be able to give the Aggies all kinds of fits in the Texas Bowl on Friday evening.
"Listen we think we have a good team and they have one too now," Fisher said. "They're dynamic, their tailback is unbelievable, first-team All-American, their quarterback that can throw it, on defense they've got guys that can run and make plays and Mike does a great job, they're ranked No. 25 for a reason, they're in the top 25, we're not in the top 25."
The Cowboys (8-4, 5-4 Big 12), relied on an impressive rushing attack to pick up victories. Led by Chuba Hubbard, the redshirt sophomore would lead the nation with 1,936 yards and 21 total touchdowns.
The Cowboys finished second in the Big 12 with 2,835 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. Starting quarterback Spencer Sanders tallied 625 yards on the ground to add to an impressive freshman campaign.
Sanders is expected to play Friday night after undergoing surgery on his throwing hand earlier this season. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy stated earlier this week at both Sanders and Dru Brown, the transfer quarterback, will see snaps in NRG Stadium.
"It's different for them, but I mean both quarterbacks are really good, but it gives them an added dimension with the legs," Fisher said on return on Sanders.
The Cowboys and Aggies could be compared to another. Both teams won their games they were expected to but fell short to a promising year. The Aggies lost two games to top 10 opponents by a combined score of 14 points while the Pokes allowed Texas Tech to score 45 unanswered points in an October loss.
Wins over then-ranked Kansas State and Iowa State helped keep State in relevance over the Aggies. A&M has yet to defeat a ranked opponent this season. Fisher still is confident they will deliver against another promising foe.
"I mean we have played some good teams, but they've still done what they've done, so this should be a great game,” Fisher said.
The Aggies and Cowboys will kickoff at 5:45 p.m. at NRG Stadium. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
