Nebraska @ Texas A&M preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 20, 2007 ) Texas A&M 36, Nebraska 14

“One win away.”

That is the mantra of ninth-ranked Nebraska as it travels to College Station for a top twenty showdown with No. 19 Texas A&M. The Huskers need one more win to claim the Big 12 North title and a return trip to the conference championship game. But standing firmly in their way is a group of Aggies that are playing their best football of the season.

The Huskers enter the contest following a lackluster performance against Kansas last week. The defense shined, holding the Jayhawks to 87 total yards in the game. But the return of quarterback Taylor Martinez was not enough to spark the recently-stagnant offense. Nebraska piled up 397 yards, but struggled to complete drives, managing only two touchdowns. Martinez committed two turnovers and was visibly slowed by the ankle injury that had sidelined him in the last two games.

Offensive troubles are a thing of the past for the Aggies. After a 30-9 pounding at the hands of Missouri, Ryan Tannehill was inserted at quarterback. Since then, the junior has led the offense on a 42 points-per-game clip in beating Kansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Baylor. Suddenly Texas A&M, who started conference play as a 1-2 afterthought, is just one game behind Big 12 South leader Oklahoma State.

For Nebraska, the issue is clear: They need Martinez and company to bring their big-play offense back. Throughout the year, when the Huskers put up points, they’ve come from explosive plays. When asked to put together 12-play drives, they bog down. With Martinez hampered by injuries, and teams loading up against the run, these plays have become fewer and farther in between. The offense has not thrived since running back Roy Helu Jr. rolled off three long touchdown runs three weeks ago against Missouri.

Meanwhile the Aggies are hoping to continue their winning ways. Tannehill and Biletnikoff finalist Jeff Fuller have resuscitated the passing game. Tannehill has averaged 277 games and two touchdowns since he became a starter. Fuller has 357 yards and two touchdowns in that span. Meanwhile running back Cyrus Gray is coming off a 137-yard, four-touchdown performance against Baylor last week.

The game will likely come down to which team’s defense is able to impact the game. Nebraska and A&M rank first and third in Big 12 total defense respectively. They have both have a knack for taking the ball away, and both offenses have been careless at times in the season.

Nebraska sees a win in College Station as their chance to redeem themselves for the bitter disappointment of last year’s Big 12 Championship loss to Texas. The Aggies just want to keep piling up wins and hope OSU drops a couple before the end of the season.