NC State and Texas A&M will meet for the first time in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Eve. The Wolfpack (9-3, 5-3 ACC) and the Aggies (8-4, 5-3 SEC) both enter this matchup on three-game win streaks as NC State looks to achieve 10 or more wins for the first time since 2002.
Let’s take a look at how the Aggies’ offense matches up with the Wolfpack:
Offensive Line vs. Defensive Line
The Aggies’ offensive line is young; sophomores start at the tackle positions as well as left guard. The unit struggles at times in pass protection, allowing a 109th-best 2.92 sacks a game. The run game is more successful; Texas A&M averages a little over 200 yards on the ground and it starts with the holes the offensive linemen open up.
The Wolfpack mirrors the Aggies when it comes to sacks, averaging 2.92, good for 16th-best in the nation. The Wolfpack excels at stopping the run at only 109.1 rush yards allowed per game, 13th-best in the country. The defensive line is a large part of that success, as a unit they combine for 47.5 tackles for loss, lead by redshirt junior defensive end James Smith-Williams and graduate defensive end Deonte Holden, who each have 9.5 TFLs. Smith-Williams missed the second half of the UNC game as well as the ECU game with an injury; it’s unclear whether he will be healthy and available to play in the Gator Bowl. If he can’t go, redshirt junior Ibrahim Kante will take his place.
Running Backs vs. Linebackers
Most fans of college football are familiar with Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond, but it’s junior running back, AP 2nd Team All-American Trayveon Williams that makes this offense go. Williams is without a doubt the second-best runner NC State will have seen all year, behind Clemson’s Travis Etienne. The 5-foot-9 200-lb all-purpose back will remind Wolfpack fans of Nyheim Hines. He’s a bit undersized but Williams runs hard and is shifty. It’s rare that the first person he meets will take him down and he can easily turn a 2-yard gain into a first down. Like Hines, he always falls forward which is why he averages 6 yards a carry.
The Wolfpack is missing its best defensive player in graduate Germaine Pratt, who is sitting out to focus on preparing for the NFL draft. In his stead, sophomore Brock Miller will run the defense alongside redshirt freshman Isaiah Moore. Miller performed well in his lone start vs UNC, totaling six tackles, but he’s facing much better competition this time around. Like when NC State faced Clemson’s Etienne, Miller and Moore have to get Williams on the ground. If he can break past the second line of defense, odds are he’s going to the house.
Quarterback and Receivers vs. Secondary
Kellen Mond is a solid quarterback for the Aggies. The sophomore signal caller doesn’t make many mistakes; he knows where to go with the ball even if he can’t quite make the throw. Time after time, Mond’s correct throw is to redshirt junior tight end Jace Sternberger. The consensus All-American is Mond’s safety blanket; he leads the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns with 47, 804 and 10 respectively. At wide receiver, the Aggies emphasize size over speed. Of those that get significant playing time, all are at or above 6-foot-2, 200 lbs. In the clutch, Mond prefers to throw to 6-foot-4 Kendrick Rogers, whose ball skills are comparable to former NC State receiver Kelvin Harmon.
NC State’s secondary will have its work cut out for it, but this might be one of its better matchups this year. The Aggies lack speed at receiver just as the Wolfpack lacks speed at defensive back, and Mond is inconsistent with his accuracy, especially when pressured. Just as with their last matchup against ECU, NC State’s corners should feel confident in their ability to stay with the Aggies, leading plays on the ball. Free safeties redshirt senior Dexter Wright and junior Tim Kidd-Glass will have their hands full covering Steinberger, but the two should be ready and willing to match his physicality.
Overall
Texas A&M’s offense is nothing to sneeze at but football is about matchups. Texas A&M depends on the running game and that’s what NC State is good at stopping. Kellen Mond’s weapons on the outside lack speed and prefer physicality, which also plays to NC State’s strengths. If NC State’s defense can get pressure on Mond and tackle Williams at the point of attack, it will do enough to allow the offense to win the game.
