A&M at risk of undercut when undertaking trip to underrated Auburn

Texas A&M is at the top of the Southeastern Conference football standings.

To remain there, the Aggies need some SEC football understanding.

The No. 15 Aggies (8-2, 5-1) undertake a road trip to face underrated Auburn (4-6, 1-5), needing to understand they risk being undercut if they underestimate the Tigers.

The last time A&M visited an SEC venue, the Aggies left South Carolina with a 44-20 loss. They must understand all they’re up against.

Night games at Jordan-Hare Stadium can be perilous. Auburn desperately needs a victory to maintain hopes of qualifying for postseason play. Further, underachieving teams can gain validation by knocking off a ranked opponent.

“We have to understand people are going to play really well against us right now,” first-year head coach Mike Elko said. “We’re first place in the SEC. We’re top-15 in the country. We’re in the playoff hunt.

“That creates something when you go into another team’s stadium that we haven’t dealt with in a while. Kind of understanding what all that means and what all that entails.”

That would be the Aggies’ psychological challenge. But Auburn offers more than a few physical challenges, too.

Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter is second in the SEC with 1,015 rushing yards. Receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith is fourth in the SEC with 761 receiving yards and is tied for the conference lead with eight touchdown catches. Three other receivers have at least 297 receiving yards.

The Tigers defense is ranked third in the SEC. Defensive end Keldric Faulk is among the conference leaders in sacks.

Hunter is the primary concern. He has exceeded 100 rushing yards in three of Auburn’s victories and averaged 13.2 yards per carry in the other.

When he’s contained, the Tigers struggle.

“He’s powerful. He’s explosive. He runs through people,” Elko said. “I think they do a lot of different schemes to create leverage and create angles in the run game. A lot of it is checked at the line of scrimmage. They do a really good job with getting themselves into the right play.

“I think how we control the line of scrimmage, set edges and kind of keep the ball contained in the box is going to be really, really important for us and our success.”

A&M typically has been strong in run defense. The Aggies have held seven opponents to 125 rushing yards or less. But in their two losses, they allowed 198 rushing yards to Notre Dame and 286 to South Carolina.

The Aggies must be at their best against the run. They also need Nic Scourton, who leads A&M with five sacks, to lead a pass rush that’s been inconsistent.

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has thrown seven interceptions. His total likely increases if the Aggies apply consistent pressure.

Like Auburn, A&M relies heavily on its running game. Running back Amari Daniels, now starting in place of injured Le’Veon Moss, has averaged 8.6 yards per attempt while rushing for 258 yards in the last three games. Daniels had a 79-yard run vs. Auburn last season.

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Marcel Reed is 2-1 away from Kyle Field as A&M’s starting quarterback with wins at Florida and on a neutral field vs. Arkansas. Reed did not play at Mississippi State.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed can also be a factor in the running game. He’s also making progress in the passing game. He has thrown for more than 200 yards in the last two games. He’ll be tested by an Auburn secondary, which has limited its last three opponents to 154 passing yards or less.

But perhaps the biggest test A&M faces remains their ability to handle the situation they’re in. They have so much at stake against an opponent with so much to prove.

The Aggies have come a long way in a short time under Elko. That’s not enough, though. A victory at Auburn keeps them in contention for a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.

Of course, that’s always the goal. The Aggies are just a little ahead of schedule in their pursuit of it under Elko.

“From the coaching perspective, of course, this is where I wanted this (team) to go,” Elko said. “You work so hard to get it there as fast as you possibly can. Every game you win is awesome, and every game you lose is miserable.

“From the CEO perspective, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of where we’ve come from, what we’ve accomplished. This is the first time in our SEC history that we’re in this position, down the stretch, controlling our own destiny to Atlanta.”

With a win at Auburn, that goal remains within reach.

That cannot be understated.