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The Citadel Bulldogs at Texas A&M Aggies

Oct 17, 202612:00 PM CTSECN+College Station, TX
By JR·2 min read
The Citadel(2-4)
Texas A&M(3-3)
12:00 PM

TLDR: Texas A&M has scored 6 points in 2 of its last 3 games, and the fan base is already shouting for the starting quarterback's job. FCS The Citadel comes to Kyle Field on Saturday, October 17, and for the Aggies this is less a tune-up than a chance to remember what a first down looks like.

SAT 10/17, 12:00 PM CT · Week 7SECN+
The Citadel
(2-4)
LWLLW
Texas A&M
(3-3)
LWLLW
Kickoff 61°21 mph

Texas A&M (3-3) hosts FCS The Citadel (2-3) after a 6-27 loss at Missouri that started calls for Marcel Reed to be benched. The Aggies' offense has been gutted by season-ending injuries at receiver and running back. The Citadel comes in off a walk-off win over a ranked FCS opponent, led by Gavin Garcia's running. On paper it is a mismatch, and what makes it worth following is whether A&M's offense, and its quarterback, can look functional again.

The Citadel Bulldogs
  • Garcia ran for 167 and 2 TDs last outing
  • Walk-off win over a ranked FCS opponent
  • Ground game can shorten the game and limit possessions
  • Lost to Wofford by 28, Chattanooga by 19
  • 0-2 in conference play
  • Huge size gap against an SEC roster
Texas A&M Aggies
  • Put 48 on Arizona State and 34 on Arkansas at home
  • Size advantage over an FCS front everywhere
  • Scored 6 points in 2 of the last 3 games
  • Reed threw 2 first-half picks at Missouri
  • WRs Bussey, Williams and RB Riden out for season

The football story here is the Texas A&M quarterback. Marcel Reed went 5-of-13 for 47 yards with 2 interceptions in the first half of the 6-27 loss at Missouri, and 1 of those picks came in the red zone. CFB Underdog's line that the Aggies had more penalties than first downs got passed around all afternoon. Reed came into that game with 908 yards, 6 touchdowns and 4 interceptions through 5 games, and Mike Elko had not said anything publicly about a change as of Saturday. Whoever takes the first snap against The Citadel tells you where Elko thinks this season stands.

Reed also doesn't have much to throw to. Wide receivers T. Bussey and M. Williams are both done for the season, running back T. Riden Jr. has been out since late August, and guard B. Ivy sat out at Missouri with an undisclosed injury. That is a thin group of playmakers behind a line that is down a starter. It goes a long way toward explaining how an offense that put 48 on Arizona State and 34 on Arkansas got held to 6 points twice.

The Citadel arrives in a far better mood. The Bulldogs went to Orangeburg and beat South Carolina State, No. 15 in the Stats Perform FCS poll at the time, 34-31 when Evan Kiely hit a 31-yard field goal as time expired. The winning drive started on third-and-1 from their own 11. Gavin Garcia broke a 44-yard run, and Nick Billoups found Michael Lorino for 34 more to flip the field.

The Citadel Bulldogs
(2-4)
10/10LvsEast Tennessee State16-34
10/03W@South Carolina State34-31
09/26LvsChattanooga8-27
09/12LvsCharleston Southern20-26
09/05W@Charlotte43-41
Texas A&M Aggies
(3-3)
10/10L@14Missouri6-27
10/03WvsArkansas34-7
09/26L@10LSU6-35
09/19LvsKentucky21-31
09/12WvsArizona State48-20

Garcia is the one name worth knowing on the visiting side. He ran for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns against South Carolina State. A Citadel team that leans on him can shorten the game and keep a shaky A&M offense on the sideline. Still, this is a 2-3 team that is 0-2 in conference and lost to Wofford by 28 and Chattanooga by 19. The Citadel's wins have been a 43-41 shootout at Charlotte and a walk-off against a ranked FCS rival. Its losses are what happens when the other side has more size.

A&M has that size advantage everywhere. The question is whether it can do anything with it. The Aggies are 3-3 and 1-3 in the SEC. They have alternated wins and losses for 5 straight weeks, and the losses to Kentucky, LSU and Missouri have come with the offense stuck in neutral. The early forecast has clear skies, low 60s and wind around 21 mph, which won't help an unsettled passing game if it holds. A week out, though, wind is the least reliable number on the page.

Picks open once the board posts. Until then, watch 3 things: who starts at quarterback for A&M, whether Ivy is back at guard, and how much of the game Garcia can grind away. If the Aggies are rolling early, Kyle Field relaxes. If it is close at halftime, the Reed debate gets very loud, very fast.

The Citadel Bulldogs at Texas A&M Aggies — Texas A&M Needs The Citadel More Than It Will Admit | Polymarket Odds · Barstool Bush