What Other Message Boards Are Saying: 2016 Texas A&M Edition

[KBVol]

You are wrong.

Tennessee Volunteers 2016 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - College Football - ESPN

Dobbs has 1,035 yards passing. 267 yards rushing, 18 td's.
Total - 1,302 yards offense.

Texas A&M Aggies 2016 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - College Football - ESPN
Trevor Knight has 1,261 yards passing. 392 yards rushing, 13 td's.
Total - 1,653 yards total offense.

So, Knight has more total offense.

Additionally, A&M has faced an average of FPI #32 ranked team (average over all P5 teams not counting their win against PVAMU).

Tennessee has faced an average FPI #48.8.

So, A&M has faced a more difficult schedule overall and Knight has more yards passing and rushing.

I really like Trevor Knight, he's a class kid, a very good qb and a very good athlete. He has more speed that I think most thought he had. He'll be difficult to defend for us for sure.

But if you've watched both Knight and Dobbs, it's clear that Dobbs is the more talented runner. Knight ran for 157 yards vs Arkansas, with 152 yards coming on 3 runs where no one laid a hand on him. The exact opposite is usually true for Dobbs behind UT's suspect OL. He's typically running through trash and breaking a tackle or 2 to get what he gets. I'm more concerned about your OL being able to create running lanes in general for Knight, Williams and Ford.

Dobbs right now leads the SEC in touchdowns accounted for. One of the reasons his passing numbers aren't better is because he only had to pass for 90 yards in a blowout win vs VaTech. When we're down and need him to, Dobbs does his best work and it's then when he's put up big numbers.....in 3 big come from behind wins in his career, he's gone 301 passing and 166 rushing vs SCar, 312 and 118 vs Georgia and 319 and 80 vs Florida.

It'll be an interesting matchup for sure, but don't just look at the numbers right now and conclude that Knight is the better runner, cause I really don't think that's the case. Both are very good, Dobbs is just better.

 

[BESCo91A&M]

(1) Honestly Trevor Knight is not going to pick any one apart. (2) He is an excellent running QB, (3) heck Dobbs is much better passing wise than Knight.

(1) 100% true. He has thrown a few nice long deep balls that have connected.
(2) 100% true. He runs the zone-read & RPO stuff extremely well. He is also much faster than most think. Same can be said for Dobbs.
(3) I actually think Dobbs & Knight are the same in the passing department .... average.

 

[LittleVol]

(1) 100% true. He has thrown a few nice long deep balls that have connected.
(2) 100% true. He runs the zone-read & RPO stuff extremely well. He is also much faster than most think. Same can be said for Dobbs.
(3) I actually think Dobbs & Knight are the same in the passing department .... average.

Yep.

Remember the name Evan Berry.

 

[Volingatorland]

Am I alone in thinking that us and aTm are basically the same team? Seriously, watch side by side video. I get the impression that we have basically the same gameplan with similar talent. This game is gonna be a shootout.

 

[bignewt]

we need to be tough up the middle and spy Knight to stop those jail break runs, that will be the difference. We keep him under 80 yds we win.

 

[Pigfarmer]

TAM is the easiest team to scheme against because they really don't have an offense... its a gimmick. The success of the gimmick is based on the opposite DBs to be unable to tackle.

Really!?!?! Have you watched them plat this year.

I think this is going to be a great game. A battle from start to finish. The offenses and the defenses match up together pretty well. Either team certainly has the ability and talent to win.

In the end, I think it will come down to turnovers and maybe even special teams play that will decide who wins.

I got to give the edge to A&M though. Kyle Field can be a tough place to play for opposing teams.

GIG'EM

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I just laugh when other teams pull out the "They have played nobody" schtick. It just shows you how little they watch football other than their own team.

UGA and Florida are both decent to good teams. Va Tech is surprisingly one of the better teams in the ACC this. App State is not half bad either, although we should have beaten them worse.

TAMU beat an overrated UCLA team that isn't as good as most expected them to be, and almost choked the game in the final few minutes. They beat a middling Auburn team which is a decent win (would put them on par with UGA), and the jury is still out on Arkansas. I would put TCU (MISTAKE) in the same vein as VaTech, with maybe the slight advantage to VaTech based off of results so far.


Bottom line is this. We have faced pretty similar competition, and honestly, the best defense out of either team so far (Florida). The comments other fanbases make about us playing "no one" are just dumb.

EDIT: I have no idea why I thought TCU played TAMU. It's been a long week already :thud:

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Also, it just shows you how little they watch us to be knocking on Dobbs running ability. Are you kidding me? That is arguably his greatest strength. His TD run against UGA and that 3rd down conversion are things that Knight does not make. I hope the TAMU defense feels exactly this way like their fanbase does and disrespects his running ability.

If they do, they will be in for quite a surprise Saturday.

 

[DocAg]

I can't see how you can say that dobbs isn't an elite runner. Who else in the country can do the stuff he can with the ball in their hands besides Lamar Jackson and deshaun Watson?

Correct...Dobbs isn't on that level, and that is what I'm talking about. Not one person in America besides a Tennessee fan would put Dobbs in that category. Again, he is a great athlete and can hurt you with his fee and arm, but he isn't in that elite category like Watson and Jackson.

 

[BESCo91A&M]

(1) Am I alone in thinking that us and aTm are basically the same team? (2) This game is gonna be a shootout.

(1) You're not alone. The Ags & Vols are very similar this season.
(2) I don't agree with ya here .... not expecting a shootout.

A&M Defense average points allowed against P5 competition (4 games): 19
UT Defense average points allowed against P5 competition (3 games): 27

A&M Offense average points scored against P5 competition (4 games): 32
UT Offense average points scored against P5 competition (3 games): 39

 

[TexasVolfan1]

Correct...Dobbs isn't on that level, and that is what I'm talking about. Not one person in America besides a Tennessee fan would put Dobbs in that category. Again, he is a great athlete and can hurt you with his fee and arm, but he isn't in that elite category like Watson and Jackson.

Even though he's outplayed Watson this season throwing and running the football?

 

[zjcvols]

We ran a VERY vanilla offense. I still think we should have won by more than we did, but again...Tennessee has struggled with everyone they have played with the exception of Virginia Tech.

Honestly I think if A&M can run the ball effectively and Knight has an ok day passing we will win the game. If the game is put in Knights hands because Tennessee is shutting down the run game, I don't think we win. I think the same is true on the other side. I think whichever team can run the ball wins the game. A&M has seen better passers, but not a better runner to this point. How will they deal with that? Both teams have seen good defenses, but I don't know that they have seen the greatness of Garrett and Barnett yet so who causes more of a disruption and how do the OC plan to attack those 2? Neither team has seen the talent on the WR end. I don't think Seales-Jones plays and that is a HUGE loss. 6-7 230 and can run is a tough match up for anyone, but we do have great receiving depth so that shouldn't be an excuse. Tennessee has great receivers as well that we haven't seen yet. It should be a great game.

You ran a vanilla offense with knight throwing 40 times, running 12 times, and your best wideout catching 12 passes.

Yeah ok

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Correct...Dobbs isn't on that level, and that is what I'm talking about. Not one person in America besides a Tennessee fan would put Dobbs in that category. Again, he is a great athlete and can hurt you with his fee and arm, but he isn't in that elite category like Watson and Jackson.

He isn't on par with Lamar Jackson, but this season, Dobbs statistically is right up there with DW if not slightly better. People just love to discount Dobbs any opporunity that they get. Watson is overall, the better quarterback in his short career, but Dobbs has made strides the past few games with his passing game, and has produced an overall better season.

Until the Louisville game, Watson had essentially done nothing. Dobbs against Florida lit their secondary up for almost 250 passing yards in one half, a defense that is better than any Clemson has faced so far.

I just find it comical that other fans will find ways to discredit Dobbs. He could theoretically light you all up for 500 yards total offense this weekend and all we would hear is how TAMU had broken coverage, couldn't tackle, and didn't play well.

And that's fine with me. I hope people stick to the Dobbs is average or overrated shtick.

 

[moodizzzzzzzzle]

Check out one of their threads...

https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/2789343

Why don't we do this?!

 

[SanAntonioAggie]

You ran a vanilla offense with knight throwing 40 times, running 12 times, and your best wideout catching 12 passes.

Yeah ok

You certainly are entitled to your opinion but I wouldn't say our offense is vanilla, we run a lot of RPO's (run pass options) which seems to keep defenses on edge. Knight has proven to be more effective as a runner but can beat you deep if you get sucked up to stop the run. I wish he was more accurate but has been a great leader that our team has missed the past 3 seasons at that position. I don't think either team can be over confident heading into this Saturday, it will be a dog fight.

 

[rocketskates]

Let the man come hard at Dobbs. I think DeBord will just check Kamara down and dump it to him when the ends crash hard. Guaranteed 6-12 yards. After a few of those they will start staying home and Dobbs can go to work.

 

[LSU-SIU]

Really!?!?! Have you watched them plat this year.
GIG'EM

It's the same scheme they have been running for 5 years which is really not complex at all. It only looks complex if defensive backs can't cover the short routes and tackle after the catch.

There is nothing complex that these teams run, quick spread. If your DBs can tackle after the catch than the team has a very good chance of winning, if your DBs can tackle the quick WR screens right when the catch it.... blow out city. If the DBs can't tackle.... going to be a long day ahead. There really isn't much to plan for... if the DBs can't tackle... no amount of drawing on the blackboard is going to help... its going to be a long day.

It's not complex, and which gets exposed if your DBs can tackle. It's a pure flag football game when you play TAM, its not complex at all, maybe whimpy but not complex.

Here is LSU game plan against TAM or any of the quick spread teams Oregon, Missouri, Texas Tech, etc.

Coach to DB: You see that guy, you cover him, if he catches the ball, hit him hard... if you don't hit him hard we lose.

The End.

TAM is saying their WR is going to beat your DB, that is their game... if their guy wins enough... you lose. Not complex.... no amount of blackboard drawing is going to solve this... its a pure can you DB tackle a guy in open space or on the WR screens.

 

[DocAg]

He isn't on par with Lamar Jackson, but this season, Dobbs statistically is right up there with DW if not slightly better. People just love to discount Dobbs any opporunity that they get. Watson is overall, the better quarterback in his short career, but Dobbs has made strides the past few games with his passing game, and has produced an overall better season.

Until the Louisville game, Watson had essentially done nothing. Dobbs against Florida lit their secondary up for almost 250 passing yards in one half, a defense that is better than any Clemson has faced so far.

I just find it comical that other fans will find ways to discredit Dobbs. He could theoretically light you all up for 500 yards total offense this weekend and all we would hear is how TAMU had broken coverage, couldn't tackle, and didn't play well.

And that's fine with me. I hope people stick to the Dobbs is average or overrated shtick.

Please let me state again that I think Dobbs is a GREAT quarterback. I love his grit and everything about him. I'm not discounting what he does, but to call him elite I think is overstating it a bit. I just don't see him in the Watson or Jackson category right now. That isn't a bad thing, because those guys are in a league of their own at what they are able to do. Watson to your point has not been as effective this year or had that wow factor like he did last year except for the Louisville game, but I think his skill set is still way better than Dobbs.

 

[mcompton]

I live out here and have a lot of respect for A&M. Having said that, understand that they are the ultimate optimists (kinda the anti-VN). They always believe that they are going to win. Make no mistake, they know this is a huge game for them, Sumlin and the rest of their season. They're more quiet this week than normal...GBO

 

[UTodd01]

Their pass rushers better slow their role with going so far up the field on their pass rush, especially if they are in man.

Dobbs will Eat.Their.Lunch.

 

[DocAg]

You ran a vanilla offense with knight throwing 40 times, running 12 times, and your best wideout catching 12 passes.

Yeah ok

You would have to understand our offense and watch our games to understand that wasn't our normal offense. I'm not going to sit and try and explain it to you. We throw as if it were a run. Many short passes that we use as running plays getting the ball into Kirks hands or Reynolds. If you watched the South Carolina game Kirk caught most of his passes within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. We kept 4 key players home in preperation for Tennessee and Alabama. Yes, it was vanilla. I'm guessing you guys were going all in on Appalachian and Ohio?

 

[moodizzzzzzzzle]

You would have to understand our offense and watch our games to understand that wasn't our normal offense. I'm not going to sit and try and explain it to you. We throw as if it were a run. Many short passes that we use as running plays getting the ball into Kirks hands or Reynolds. If you watched the South Carolina game Kirk caught most of his passes within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. We kept 4 key players home in preperation for Tennessee and Alabama. Yes, it was vanilla. I'm guessing you guys were going all in on Appalachian and Ohio?

Of course we were going all in! We are horrible, remember?!

If it wasn't for the deal we made with the devil, we would be 0-5 right now. Forward this to Sumlin and ask him to sit the same players this week since we are a bunch of cream puffs. Rest those legs for your next opponent... some school called Bye

 

[UTwild82]

Maybe us being an underdog FINALLY gets us to loosen up in the first half and bring it all day. If that happens, there will be nothing aTm can do about it. That's not a slight to them, they are a good team. Really good. But we've been our own worst enemy every game. The few quarters we've played our best ball, we can beat anyone. Bama included.

Put the waterhose in their mouth (to quote Danny O'Brien) and don't turn it off till the clock hits zero. Another half game effort and we'll be staring a L straight in the face.

 

[ConantheVolbarian]

Does anyone know how the A&M posters feel about their team's:
- resiliency?
- complementary football?
- maintaining eye discipline?
- schematically challenges?
- situational awareness?
- grind it out mentality?
- next man up mindset?

TIA.

I wonder if they have home field discipline? Butch will make sure we have GREAT road focus. LOL

 

[DC_Vol]

Does anyone know how the A&M posters feel about their team's:
- resiliency?
- complementary football?
- maintaining eye discipline?
- schematically challenges?
- situational awareness?
- grind it out mentality?
- next man up mindset?

TIA.

You forgot some:

- being mature competitors
- do they major in the minors