Texas A&M Aggies vs Ball State Cardinals preview, prediction, betting odds, live stream info

Sep 5, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin looks at the Jumbotron during a timeout against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin looks at the Jumbotron during a timeout against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M Aggies vs Ball State Cardinals

Kyle Allen, Tra Carson and the rest of Kevin Sumlin’s Texas A&M Aggies will be waiting in Kyle Field on Saturday to take on the Ball State Cardinals. After an impressive outing and upset victory in their opener, the Aggies are hoping to avoid being upset themselves by Jack Milas and the Cardinals on Saturday evening.

Details for Saturday’s game are below:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: College Station, TX
Stadium: Kyle Field
TV Info: ESPNU
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Here
Ticket information: For Texas A&M ticket information click here.

Keys to Victory

After the Aggies offense couldn’t be stopped against Arizona State in their season-opener, Allen has the opportunity for another monster game this week. Allen has shown his ability to air it out before and he should have the chance to do so in this game. Against VMI in their own opener, Ball State allowed Keydets quarterback Al Cobb to throw for 399 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinals ultimately pulled out the victory, but if they allow Allen and the Aggies offense the same kind of time that they did VMI, they will be eviscerated come Friday. Subsequently, it’s going to be vital for the Cardinals to get pressure on Allen and to try and create opportunities for themselves by forcing turnovers and forcing Aggies into costly mistakes.

The biggest battle in this one, though, is going to come down to the battle in the trenches between the A&M front seven defensively and the Ball State offensive line. The Cardinals have experience on their line and have a quick-hitting offense designed to help alleviate pressure that gets into the backfield. Contrarily, the Aggies defense looked like an uncontainable force against the Sun Devils, anchored by the performances of Daeshon Hall and Myles Garrett. Whoever wins the battle in the trenches more consistently and whether or not Milas can get the ball out before being pressured will almost surely determine how close the Cardinals can keep the score in College Station.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Texas A&M -30
Moneyline: Texas A&M -10,000
O/U: 63.5

Prediction

There’s a recipe for success for the Cardinals in this game, but it’s a recipe full of unstable ingredients that’s very easy to completely ruin. A&M looked much better than expected last week and we should expect more of that type of performance from the Aggies against the Cardinals.

Final Score: Texas A&M: 44, Ball State Cardinals: 10

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