Florida International
1st Sun Belt6-6
Texas A&M
4th Big 129-3
Florida International @ Texas A&M preview
Kyle Field
The talk around Texas A&M so far this season has been of nine true freshmen making an impact, highlighted by the play of starting left tackle Luke Joeckel and defensive end Damontre Moore.
But, for all the praise the freshmen have garnered, the Aggies' leader is senior quarterback Jerrod Johnson. This week, Johnson and the Aggies (2-0) host Florida International (0-1) at Kyle Field. It’s the first meeting between the schools.
Through the first two games, Johnson averages 335.5 passing yards and has six touchdowns and no interceptions. In last week’s 48-16 victory over Louisiana Tech, Johnson was 25-of-38 for 349 yards and four touchdowns.
One of Johnson’s touchdown passes was to junior wide receiver Jeff Fuller, who tied the school record for most receiving touchdowns with 19. Fuller also went over 100 career catches last week, hauling in 10 for a career-high 160 yards.
Defensively, A&M got a big game from Moore last week. He had seven tackles, including three for losses, forced three fumbles and had two sacks. Senior linebacker Michael Hodges and junior cornerback Coryell Judie also had interceptions for the Aggies.
While A&M forced several turnovers, it also continued to fumble. The Aggies have six fumbles already this season, including four against Louisiana Tech. Three of the four fumbles came on punt returns.
Florida International, meanwhile, also struggled to protect the ball in its opener Sept. 2. The Panthers had five turnovers, which contributed to their 19-14 loss to Rutgers.
Still, the FIU defense showed promise under new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins. The Panthers gave up only 172 yards, including 76 rushing yards on 38 carries.
The defense was led by senior linebackers Anthony Gaitor, who had an interception, and Toronto Smith, who had a team-high seven solo tackles and nine overall. And sophomore safety Jonathan Cyprien finished with nine tackles, including one for a loss.
Offensively, Panthers sophomore running back Jeremiah Harden rushed for 88 yards on 15 carries, and also had 26 receiving yards. He had a touchdown reception in the third quarter to give FIU a 14-13 lead. But the game came down to the turnovers for FIU.
The last time A&M faced a Sun Belt opponent, it fell to Arkansas State, 18-14, in the first game of the Mike Sherman era in 2008.
But, for all the praise the freshmen have garnered, the Aggies' leader is senior quarterback Jerrod Johnson. This week, Johnson and the Aggies (2-0) host Florida International (0-1) at Kyle Field. It’s the first meeting between the schools.
Through the first two games, Johnson averages 335.5 passing yards and has six touchdowns and no interceptions. In last week’s 48-16 victory over Louisiana Tech, Johnson was 25-of-38 for 349 yards and four touchdowns.
One of Johnson’s touchdown passes was to junior wide receiver Jeff Fuller, who tied the school record for most receiving touchdowns with 19. Fuller also went over 100 career catches last week, hauling in 10 for a career-high 160 yards.
Defensively, A&M got a big game from Moore last week. He had seven tackles, including three for losses, forced three fumbles and had two sacks. Senior linebacker Michael Hodges and junior cornerback Coryell Judie also had interceptions for the Aggies.
While A&M forced several turnovers, it also continued to fumble. The Aggies have six fumbles already this season, including four against Louisiana Tech. Three of the four fumbles came on punt returns.
Florida International, meanwhile, also struggled to protect the ball in its opener Sept. 2. The Panthers had five turnovers, which contributed to their 19-14 loss to Rutgers.
Still, the FIU defense showed promise under new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins. The Panthers gave up only 172 yards, including 76 rushing yards on 38 carries.
The defense was led by senior linebackers Anthony Gaitor, who had an interception, and Toronto Smith, who had a team-high seven solo tackles and nine overall. And sophomore safety Jonathan Cyprien finished with nine tackles, including one for a loss.
Offensively, Panthers sophomore running back Jeremiah Harden rushed for 88 yards on 15 carries, and also had 26 receiving yards. He had a touchdown reception in the third quarter to give FIU a 14-13 lead. But the game came down to the turnovers for FIU.
The last time A&M faced a Sun Belt opponent, it fell to Arkansas State, 18-14, in the first game of the Mike Sherman era in 2008.