3 defensive keys for Texas A&M against Arizona State in Week 2

The Texas A&M defense dominated its Week 1 opponent, holding the Missouri State Bears to 67 yards, four first downs and 1.7 yards per play. Arizona State will face a significant step up in competition after showing a balanced attack and posting 681 yards in its 70-7 win over Morgan State.

Sun Devils quarterback Cutter Boley had a monster debut , completing 21 of 27 passes for 387 yards and six touchdowns. Three ASU receivers surpassed 100 receiving yards and scored at least one touchdown. The Sun Devils also ran for 249 yards, presenting enough balance to challenge the Aggie defense at every level.

As head coach Mike Elko indicated, there are levels to college football, and Missouri State was not equipped to truly test a Texas A&M defense that Elko believes is his deepest since arriving in Aggieland. ASU has enough talent to make this game interesting despite entering as the underdog. If the Aggies want to keep the game under control, they will need to key in on the following areas.

Key 1: Prevent explosive plays and tackle in space

ASU was a big-play machine in Week 1, recording a ridiculous 10 plays of at least 25 yards and 365 yards after the catch. Reed Harris, Grayson Rigdon and Omarion Miller each surpassed 100 receiving yards. Rigdon was the most efficient, turning two catches into 110 yards and two touchdowns.

The Sun Devils pride themselves on blocking downfield and helping spring explosive plays. The Aggie secondary must keep ASU's receivers in front of it, close quickly and finish tackles. If it does not, the Sun Devils can turn a short pass into a 50-yard gain in a hurry.

Boley finished his ASU debut with 387 yards, six touchdowns and a 77.8% completion rate. However, you have to consider the level of competition. During his final season at Kentucky, Boley showed plenty of talent but went 4-6 as the starter while throwing 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and taking 26 sacks.

Arizona State's offensive line entered this season with only 33 combined career starts. If the Aggies can take advantage of that inexperience, they should be able to generate consistent pressure, disrupt Boley's timing and force him into mistakes.

This might be the biggest key of the three because ASU's running back rotation combined for 249 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. The Sun Devils use a committee approach, which makes them more difficult to prepare for than an offense built around one featured back.

Winning on first down will be paramount for the Aggies. Slowing the running game can create predictable passing situations and give Texas A&M better opportunities to pressure Boley.

This is the type of early-season test Texas A&M needs before entering conference play. If the Aggies tackle well, pressure Boley and keep ASU behind schedule, they should be able to prevent the explosive plays that powered the Sun Devils' Week 1 performance.

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