Young Texas A&M talent outplays No. 16 Arizona State
HOUSTON — Breaking down Texas A&M's 38-17, season-opening victory against No. 16 Arizona State on Saturday night:
THE BIG PICTURE: For better or worse, this is a result that will reverberate all season. After a summer of debate about whether the SEC or Pac-12 was the stronger conference, Texas A&M’s victory in the only meeting between the two leagues will not only be something to brag about in the short-term but perhaps a Rosetta Stone in the College Football Playoff race. The Aggies certainly have some issues to work out before SEC play, but this was a strong start to the season and the kind of victory rarely seen under Kevin Sumlin, winning despite an offense that sputtered throughout much of the game.
The Sun Devils, meanwhile, can certainly recover from this loss and win the Pac-12, but their margin for error is gone, and their offense may not be as good as advertised, which may be a bigger problem. They’ll have to root for the Aggies to win the SEC West to make this performance — in a de facto road game — look good come November.
WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT: John Chavis, who left LSU after six seasons as defensive coordinator, is one of the most respected assistants in the SEC and has talent to work with in College Station. The only question was how long it would take him to turn around a unit that ranked 102nd nationally last season in total defense and 75th in scoring defense. Apparently, not long.
The Aggies overwhelmed Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovici with a relentless pass rush led by defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall (the Aggies sacked Bercovici eight times) and made fundamentally sound tackles all game long, which had been a huge problem in recent years. They limited Arizona State to 291 total yards and maybe made the stop of the game with 4:16 left, limiting the Sun Devils to a field goal after a 13-play drive that kept the lead at 24-17.
BREAKOUT PLAYER: Fans who follow recruiting closely will know Kyler Murray, who was ranked No. 1 among dual-threat quarterbacks by a number of scouting services in the Class of 2015. Murray, who is also considered a pro baseball prospect, showed quickly why Texas A&M coaches talked openly about him being Johnny Manziel, Part 2.
Though he clearly lacks polish as a passer, his electric speed got Texas A&M out of its offensive rut in the middle of the game. He finished just 3-for-8 passing with an interception but had six rushes for 69 yards, scrambling for a couple key third-down conversions.
TOP PLAY: Christian Kirk, a freshman wide receiver and five-star recruit from Scottsdale, Ariz., looks like a human highlight factory. In his college debut, he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to give Texas A&M a 14-0 lead. Then, with the Aggies needing a drive to put away the game late, he took a little swing pass, danced along the sideline then cut back to the middle of the field, eluding the Sun Devils’ defense for a 66-yard touchdown with 3:45 remaining.
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