AggieYell Mailbag
It’s time for Mail Call as this week’s AggieYell Mailbag, sponsored by Tipton Auto Group, has arrived!
Q: Is Mike Gundy going to turn into a poorer (sort of) version of Jimbo, a once successful coach wandering in the wilderness linked to jobs he’ll never get? (h273)
A: I’m not really sure why, but I don’t think so. Oklahoma State was his first head coaching job and Stillwater is all he knows. He made it 20-plus seasons without a break, and that’s a long time for a high-stress job like that. Look at it this way: Nick Saban took the Alabama job, had unprecedented success and retired after Gundy took the OSU job and before he lost it. George W. was just starting his second term. The Astros were National League champions. I mean, it was a few minutes ago — and he’s walking away with another $15 million. So unless he’s really got the itch to coach again, I can see him going and doing TV or something for a while.
Q: What is your best case scenario going forward for the lineup/rotation at linebacker and safety? (DriverD)
A: Taurean York and Scooby Williams starting, Jordan Lockhart and Daymion Sanford backing up and getting real snaps. The Aggies dodged a real bullet with Scooby’s injury, and if doesn’t play this weekend he probably does next weekend.
They seem to have dodged a bullet with Bryce Anderson, too, even if he’s out this week. Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe will start, and Tom Tom Johnson and Myles Davis will back them up.
Q: Who has the best juju coming into this game?
?Auburn because they were robbed on the road last week?
or
?Aggies, because they didn’t finish off Auburn last year and this is their year to take care of business with teams they out talent?
Please show your work. (Richard23)
A: I don’t even know if I’d call it juju; I’d say who’s more pissed off. Auburn got hosed mightily, and their administration is still griping about it (to be fair, I would be too). But I’m kind of wondering if it’s becoming as much of a distraction as it is motivation. A&M, on the other hand, knows what happened last year, what getting to 4-0 would mean to their CFP hopes and it bucks a historic trend of falling flat on their faces after a big win. They’re just going to be pissed off at Auburn as opposed to the refs, the conference, John Mateer and whoever else.
Q: Why would the SEC change the “permanent” rivals every four years? Or is this just an out so when folks like us complain they can say “we’ll take another look in four years” only to make another excuse then.
A: You got it, they’re just kicking the can down the road. But there are some pretty heated rivalries (Florida-LSU, A&M-Arkansas, LSU-Alabama, Texas-Arkansas) that won’t be played every year because of this. So four years shuts people up for a little bit and gives them a chance to reassess later.
Is Durkin really foolish enough to try to cover someone like Niblack with a DE? Does he still like to get in 3 man fronts?
A: He’s running 3-man fronts almost exclusively now, with a BUCK (A&M’s JACK) or a WILL linebacker coming up to blitz off the edge. Would he try covering Niblack, or anyone, with an end? Maybe the BUCK, who is lighter, but he’s not going to try that against A&M. If he does, the Aggies know exactly what to do.
That reminds me of something: when he was doing that crap at A&M, I asked Jimbo about it at a presser and asked if he was worried about someone seeing it and going right at him. He said “Naw,” they don’t know if he’s gonna blitz or cover.
Next week, Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin. Fadil Diggs is split out on the tight end and WHAM, they nail him. I supposed they guessed right.
Q: How do you rate our run defense so far? Can you also remind everyone that UTSA’s Henry is currently leading the nation in rushing with over 600 yds. Other than stupid mistakes, what’s the #1 thing you want to see improve.
A: I guess I’ll give it a C. They did a lot better against Notre Dame’s running game this year compared to last, knocking 62 yards and 2.3 yards per carry off their total and average (198 yards, 5.8 YPC to 136 yards, 3.5 YPC). They also had more tackles for loss. But they same problems were there — missed tackles, guys out of position and a failure to hold the edge. They shut down Henry after the long run, but he still had a huge game. Utah State didn’t do anything of note except for one run. They’ve shown flashes of really good play, but they haven’t been able to do it for a full game yet. That’s what I want: a full game of high quality run defense.
Q: What’s the word on Scooby and Bryce?
A: As of last night’s injury report, Bryce is out and Scooby is questionable.
Q: ABR vs Bussey, who do you want to see get more PT and why?
A: I want the most productive guy out there, and so far that has been Bussey. So him.
Q: Does Craver end the year averaging over 100 yds a game? (EliCrow)
A: He’s averaging nearly 150 a game so far, so he has a real shot at it.
Q: Is there a maximum number of questions that one AY member can ask in this mailbag? (superag1000)
A: No, but I’m pretty sure the ones just ahead of you now hold the record.
Q: Texas Tech is unashamedly buying players. Other schools are doing it, but not to the extent they are. At what point is anything done by the NCAA, the government (nervous laughter), or Deloitte?
Or is the more likely result that other teams take notice and start matching, causing a market bubble (I can’t believe this is where we are) (dpf47)
A: The NCAA isn’t going to do anything. You can forget that. They’ve essentially wiped their hands of the whole thing and is picking on small school basketball coaches who let his players eat the dining hall even though they lived off campus. They’re a joke. I don’t think anyone else is going to do it, either, so it’s just going to be whether or not players are willing to go to Lubbock (one coach said, half-joking, that it requires a 30% premium) and if there’s return on the investment. I think a lot of major donors are going to cut their giving down or end it entirely because they haven’t gotten their money’s worth.
Q: If you were an agent who is the one current Aggie football player you’d like to represent should he declare for the draft? (h273)
A: Oh, Marcel Reed, easily. Quarterbacks get taken earlier (sometimes irrationally earlier) and make bigger money. And if he continues his maturation at the rate he has already, he’ll go very early.
Q: We need to hang on to KJ Edwards. LSU is certainly a threat. What is the most important aspect to do so? Is it the opportunity to play, relationships with coaches, keep winning or NIL? Maybe all of these aspects. (RacerRod)
A: All of them. No question about it. Edwards can look at Jamarion Morrow playing already this year and know he can do that too. He’s got a good relationship with the A&M staff. That just leaves the last two, and they may be the two most important.
Q: Any commits on the fired coach teams that we are looking to flip? If not, are there any that you’d go after? (travster23)
A: The guys I’d want to flip haven’t had to deal with a coaching change. Yet.
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