TEXAS A&M VS APP STATE
Aggies raise major questions ahead of matchup with Mountaineers
Sep 7, 2022, 10:19 am
The Aggies are off to a 1-0 start on the season. Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images.
Texas A&M kicked off their 2022 campaign against the Sam Houston Bearkats last Saturday with a commanding 31-0 victory. Kickoff was at 11:03 A.M. The final whistle was not blown until 5:04 P.M. An almost three-hour halftime due to inclement weather at Kyle Field made the matchup feel like two different games.
The two halves saw two different Texas A&M teams. The first half team answered questions that were pondered during the offseason and raised some somewhat concerning questions as well. The second-half team eased the minds of some Aggie faithful but still was not particularly convincing. Let's examine what we saw from the Maroon and White in week 1.
Something that surprised the 90,000 plus that were in attendance at Kyle Field was how many true freshmen played for Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies. Most notably, two wide receivers who seem to have what the Aggies have been lacking for a long time, big play capability. Evan Stewart and Chris Marshall got the starting nod in Fisher's offense and did not disappoint. They combined for 9 catches and 98 yards, which on paper does not look like a lot, but watching them play felt like a lot. Outside of Ainias Smith, Texas A&M has severely missed a big play threat on the outside. These two true freshmen seem to be exactly what Jimbo was looking for as he wasn't afraid to target them early and often.
On the defensive side of the ball, plenty of true freshmen saw meaningful snaps, and not in garbage time either. The #1 recruit in the nation DT Walter Nolen collected 3 tackles, defensive back Denver Harris, safety Bryce Anderson and defense lineman LT Overton combined for 6 tackles. Adding these freshmen in with an already salty group of veteran defenders put to bed any concerns of a possible regression in the defense under new Defensive Coordinator DJ Durkin. Granted it was against an FCS opponent, but the unit looked as dominant as ever, holding the Bearkats to under 200 yards of total offense and keeping them off the scoreboard completely.
Now on to the more concerning questions that were raised on Saturday, quarterback play and offensive line struggles. Statistically, Haynes King had one of the best passing days by an A&M QB since the 2020 season. King threw for 300+ yards for the first time since October 10th, 2020, when Mond threw for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns in an upset win over #4 Florida. Despite this accomplishment, King’s performance left many Aggie faithfuls uneasy. Haynes looked uncomfortable in the pocket and hesitant to run. He also threw 2 more interceptions, which gives him 5 in 5 quarters of play. These concerns are fair, but it could be argued that it is due to inexperience, and a little more time under center for the maroon and white will bode well for King.
The offensive line was also dealing with a fair bit of inexperience. Outside of Duece Fatheree and Aki Ogunbiyi, three Aggie offensive linemen saw their first full game of action. The unit pass protected well but was very ineffective when it came to run blocking. The explosive Devon Achane was held to only 42 yards on 18 carries. Jimbo Fisher credited Sam Houston’s Defensive Line for mixing things up against the inexperienced line, but the group needs to make a big stride from week 1 to week 2 as the Appalachian State Mountaineers come to College Station.
App State comes off of a heartbreaking loss against the North Carolina Tar Heels and will look to shock the college football world by upsetting another top 10 team on their home turf. I think the Mountaineers will make things uncomfortably close throughout this one but look for the Ags’ defense to smother App State and allow for the home team to pull away. The Aggies win 41-21 to improve to 2-0.
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The Chicago Cubs acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros on Friday, paying a big price for one of baseball's best hitters.
The Cubs sent third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith, one of their top infield prospects, to the Astros for Tucker, who is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Be sure to watch the video below as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros reacts to the trade and lays out what the future holds for the new-look Astros.
Tucker was limited to 78 games this year because of a fractured right shin, but he hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs for the AL West champions. He batted .284 with 29 homers, an AL-best 112 RBIs and 30 steals for Houston in 2023.
Tucker, who turns 28 on Jan. 17, joins a crowded situation in Chicago's outfield, but the Cubs are reportedly looking to trade Cody Bellinger, who also can play first base. They also have talked to Seiya Suzuki's agent about the outfielder's no-trade clause.
The Cubs have finished second in the NL Central with an 83-79 record in each of the past two years, and there is increased pressure on president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to get the team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Cubs announced later in the day that they had agreed to an $11.5 million, two-year contract with catcher Carson Kelly, a Chicago native. He played for Detroit and Texas this year, batting .238 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 91 games.
The New York Yankees also were in the mix for Tucker before the trade was completed.
“We certainly had many conversations with the Astros.” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “At the end of the day I’m glad that Mr. Tucker is not in the American League East or the American League at all. But it’s a big get for the Chicago Cubs.”
Paredes is an option for Houston at third base if Alex Bregman departs in free agency. The 25-year-old Paredes hit .238 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs in 153 games this year. He made the AL All-Star team with Tampa Bay and then was traded to Chicago in July.
Paredes, who bats from the right side and is known for his pull power, chuckled as he talked about taking aim at the Crawford Boxes in left field at Minute Maid Park.
“I feel very happy. It's not only a beautiful stadium, but it's a stadium that benefits my hitting,” he said through a translator.
Even with the acquisition of Paredes, who also can play first, Astros general manager Dana Brown did not close the door on a reunion with Bregman.
“Pretty much Alex Bregman's status is still the way it is,” Brown said. “Nothing has changed since the last time I've talked to you guys.”
Wesneski, a Houston native who played college ball for Sam Houston State, will compete for a spot in the Astros’ rotation.
The right-hander, who turned 27 on Dec. 5, went 3-6 with a 3.86 ERA over 21 relief appearances and seven starts this year. He was on the injured list from July 20 to Sept. 20 with a right forearm strain.
“It’s just a dream-come-true kind of thing,” Wesneski said. “I am excited to be an Astro.”
Houston is hoping the addition of Paredes and Wesneski will help the team continue its impressive run as one of baseball's best teams. It has made the playoffs for eight straight years, winning the World Series in 2017 and 2022. It was swept by Detroit in the wild-card round this year.
“Look, make no mistake. We're still going to compete,” Brown said, “and this is probably one of those moves that I think in the future people will see and understand like, yeah, wow, I understand it now, I get it. ... I would say that this is more to strengthen our opportunities down the road without losing any footage in the current year.”
While Paredes and Wesneski could have an immediate impact, Smith also was a key component of the deal.
Smith, 21, was selected by Chicago with the No. 14 pick in this year's draft out of Florida State University. He hit .313 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 32 games over three minor league stops, finishing the year with Double-A Knoxville.
“It's a really good first-round college bat with power, with a chance to hit, and he's pretty athletic as well,” Brown said. “So we're really excited about Cam Smith.”
Tucker was Houston's first-round pick in 2015, taken No. 5 overall. He made his big league debut with the Astros in 2018.
Tucker had a breakout performance three years after his debut, hitting a career-best .294 with 30 homers and 92 RBIs in 140 games in 2021. He won a Gold Glove the following year.
The Tampa, Florida, native is a .274 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBIs and an .869 OPS in 633 career games — all with Houston. He also has appeared in 64 postseason games, batting .229 with eight homers and 28 RBIs.
Kelly gets $5 million in each of the next two seasons, and his deal with Chicago includes a $7.5 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. He can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses during each of the three seasons; $250,000 each for 81 and 91 games started.
The Cubs were in need of more depth behind the plate. They also have Miguel Amaya, who played in a career-high 117 games this year, and Matt Thaiss, who was acquired in a trade with the Angels on Nov. 20.