Free Pick: Texas A&M at Colorado 9/11/21 *Papa Dude Lock of the Week*

The Aggies won their opener 41-10 over Kent State but there were concerns coming out of week 1. They only led 10-3 at the half before using their superior athleticism to dominate the second half. The Golden Flashes gained 336 total yards and 226 of that came on the ground which is disturbing for A&M”s run defense. Meanwhile, Colorado wasn’t overly impressive in their 35-7 opening win over FCS opponent, Northern Colorado. They struggled throwing the ball but did run for 281 yards. They will have to be better this week.

Quick Overview of Texas A&M: The Aggies replaced 4-year starter Kellen Mond with Haynes King who completed 21 out of 33 passes for 292 yards and 2 TD’s. However, he threw for 3 interceptions and that will have to be cleaned up. There was nothing wrong with the one-two punch of running backs, Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane who combined for 237 yards on 29 carries. Those two have the potential to wear a defense down over four quarters. The leading receiver was Ainias Smith who had 8 catches 100 yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Chapman also is a threat with 4 catches and 91 yards. The offense finished with almost 600 yards of offense but the quality of opponent must be considered.

The Aggies defense will be primed and ready this week after giving up 226 yards on the ground in week 1. More will be expected out of Jayden Peevy and Tyree Johnson upfront. They are solid at linebacker with Aaron Hansford leading the way. The secondary played well and are deep and talented.

Coach Jimbo Fisher is proven and is continuing to build a solid foundation to the often-overhyped Aggies. Can they take the next step to reach the top level of the SEC?

Quick Overview of Colorado: The Buffaloes are led by Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, running back, Jerek Broussard. He rushed for 94 yards on 15 carries in the opening game win. Colorado wants to run the ball and they rushed for 281 yards behind a deep and experienced offensive line. There are concerns at quarterback as redshirt-freshman, Brendon Lewis got the start. He threw only 15 times completing 10 for 102 yards. He also had 8 carries for an additional 44. They didn’t get much of a chance in the opener, but the receiving corps has capable players.

Defensively, a major emphasis in the off-season was improving the rush defense, and that was accomplished in game one after Northern Colorado finished with 20 yards. The Colorado linebackers are led by Nate Landman and Chris Miller and they are both solid players. They lost an impact player upfront in Mustafa Johnson but they seemed to hold up in the opener. In the secondary, three starters return and should be a strength.

Colorado is led by head coach, Karl Dorrell who went 4-2 in the abbreviated schedule of 2020. He is quietly building the program and changing the atmosphere in Boulder.

Summary: This looks to be an interesting game on the schedule this week. It is hard to tell much about either team from their opening game because their opponents were overmatched. Texas A&M is highly ranked and are looking to build on last year and make a run at Alabama. Boulder, Colorado can be a difficult to place to play and if the Colorado fans are into this one they can be intimidating. The Aggies are favored by 17 points and I think they win the game but fail to cover the line.

PAPA DUDES LOCK OF THE WEEK: COLORADO +17