Vanderbilt @ Texas A&M preview
Kyle Field
Uncertainty surrounds visiting Vanderbilt and No. 15 Texas A&M, and not because Saturday is the first meeting between the schools. Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin said quarterback Johnny Manziel, who injured his right shoulder in Saturday's loss to Auburn and was prevented from throwing during practice Monday, is listed as "hopeful." The Commodores announced Thursday that quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels would not play because of a leg injury during Vanderbilt's upset of Georgia and redshirt freshman Patton Robinette will get his first start.
Whoever the quarterbacks are, Saturday's game will feature two of te SEC's top receivers. Vanderbilt's Jordan Matthews leads the league with 58 catches and needs 14 yards to break Terrence Edwards' SEC career record of 3,093 yards. The Aggies' Mike Evans leads the league - and is second nationally - with 1,024 yards and is averaging 23.8 per catch.
TV: 12:21 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Texas A&M -18
ABOUT VANDERBILT (4-3, 1-3 SEC): Matthews, who already owns school records for career touchdown catches (22) and receiving yards (3,080), made a career-high 11 receptions against Georgia and needs 29 more to break former Commodore Earl Bennett's SEC career record (236). Vanderbilt used a tough zone defense and pressure up front to hold Georgia to 80 yards and three points in the second half of Saturday's comeback victory. "We played with fire," linebacker Karl Butler said. "The offense had our back and the defense just came out and did what we were capable of doing."
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (5-2, 2-2): Manziel is second nationally in total offense (396.4 yards per game) and the Aggies are ranked fifth in the country in passing yards (377.1), third in total offense (588.7) and fourth in scoring (46.9 points). The Texas A&M defense is on the other end of the national rankings, allowing 494.4 yards (ranked 118th out of 123 FBS teams), 226.6 rushing yards (112th) and 33.9 points (104th). "Our offense is putting up too many points for us to lose games," cornerback De'Vante Harris told the media Tuesday.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Texas A&M is ranked second nationally with 21 red-zone rushing touchdowns and Vanderbilt is tied for third (with Boise State, Navy and Oregon) with 20.
2. Only five teams (Eastern Michigan, Texas-El Paso, New Mexico, New Mexico State and Nevada) are allowing more yards per rush than the Aggies (5.87).
3. Texas A&M has scored at least 40 points in a school-record and FBS-leading 10 consecutive games.
PREDICTION: Texas A&M 42, Vanderbilt 29