Texas A&M's offense vs. North Carolina's defense

QB: #11, Kellen Mond (Sr; 6-3, 217; ProFootballFocus 2020 season score of 81.3)

#13, Haynes King (Fr.; 6-3, 200; PFF score of 71.7)

RB: #28, Isaiah Spiller (So.; 6-1, 225; PFF score of 76.5)

#0, Ainias Smith, (So.; 5-10, 190; PFF score of 71.6)

#6, Devon Achane (Fr.; 5-9, 185; PFF score of 85.9)

FB: #43, Cagan Baldree (RS-Sr.; 6-4, 250; PFF score of 58)

TE: #85, Jalen Wydermyer (So.; 6-5, 265; PFF score of 86.7)

#46, Ryan Renick (RS-Sr.; 6-2, 225; PFF score of 56.3)

WR: #5, Jalen Preston (RS-So.; 6-2, 205; PFF score of 62.3)

#1, Demond Demas (Fr.; 6-3, 180; PFF score of 56.5)

SLOT: #2, Chase Lane (RS-Fr.; 6, 190; PFF score of 65.2)

OR #7, Moose Muhammad (Fr.; 6-1, 196; PFF Score of 58.2)

WR: #9, Hezekiah Jones (RS-Jr.; 5-11, 180, 57)

#16, Kenyon Jackson (RS-Fr.; 6-6, 195; n/a)

LT: #65, Dan Moore (Sr.; 6-5, 315; PFF score of 69.3)

#76, Chris Morris (Fr.; 6-4, 290; n/a)

LG: #55, Kenyon Green (So.; 6-4, 325; PFF score of 74.2)

#70, Josh Bankhead (Fr.; 6-5, 320; n/a)

C: #77, Ryan McCollum (RS-Sr.; 6-5, 300; PFF score of 68.6)

#75, Luke Matthews (RS-So.; 6-4, 320; n/a)

RG: #73, Jared Hocker (Sr.; 6-5, 325; PFF score of 77.7)

#64, Layden Robinson (RS-Fr.; 6-4, 325; PFF score of 78.6)

RT: #54, Carson Green (Sr.; 6-6, 315; PFF score of 82)

#53, Blake Trainor (RS-Fr.; 6-7, 325; PFF score of 68.8)

DE: #56, Tomari Fox (So.; 6-2, 280; PFF score of 63.8)

#25, Kaimon Rucker (Fr.; 6-1, 255; PFF score of 75.6)

NT: #51, Raymond Vohasek (Jr.; 6-3, 295; PFF score of 65.4)

#98, Kevin Hester (RS-Fr.; 6-4, 280; PFF score of 63.8)

DT: #52, Jahlil Taylor (So.; 5-11, 320; PFF score of 57.9) OR #88, Myles Murphy (Fr.; 6-3, 295, PFF score of 59.2)

OLB: #12, Tomon Fox (Sr.; 6-3, 255; PFF score of 63.8)

#10, Desmond Evans (Fr.; 6-6, 245; PFF score of 57.5)

ILB: #44, Jeremiah Gemmel (Jr.; 6-1, 225; PFF score of 54.6)

#8, Khadry Jackson (So.; 6-1, 230; PFF score of 63.4)

ILB: #7, Eugene Asante (So.; 6-1, 210; PFF score of 73)

#33, Cedric Gray (Fr.; 6-2, 215; PFF score of 47.4)

OLB: #42, Tyrone Hopper (Sr.; 6-4, 245; PFF score of 59.6)

#17, Chris Collins (So.; 6-5, 240; PFF score of 57.6)

CB: #20, Tony Grimes (Fr.; 6-1, 170; PFF score of 62.8)

#15, Ladaeson Hollins (So.; 6-2, 210; PFF score of 53.4)

FS: #4, Trey Morrison (Jr.; 5-9, 195; PFF score of 54.9)

#27, Giovanni Biggers (So.; 6-1, 185; PFF score of 66.1)

SS: #2, Don Chapman (So.; 6-1, 190; PFF score of 50.1)

#9, Cam’Ron Kelly (So; 6-1, 205; PFF score of 55.8)

CB: #1, Kyler McMichael (So.; 6, 205; PFF score of 60.4)

#5, Patrice Rene (Sr.; 6-3, 205; PFF score of 61.2)

Nickel: #0, Ja’Qurious Conley (Fr.; 6-1, 210; PFF score of 67.9)

#14, Welton Spottsville (So.; 6, 215; PFF score of 63.8)

Texas A&M: WR Chase Lane (ankle) is probable. TEs Baylor Cupp (shoulder) and Blake Smith (knee), WRs Caleb Chapman (knee) and Camron Buckley (knee) are out for the year.

North Carolina: LB Chazz Surratt has opted out of the game.

Rushing: Spiller, 177 carries, 986 yards (5.6 YPC), 7 TD

Smith, 49 carries, 293 yards (6 YPC), 4 TD

Mond, 63 carries, 258 yards (4.1 YPC), 3 TD

Passing: Mond, 172-271 (63.5%), 2,050 yards, 19 TD, 3 INT

King, 2-4, 59 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Receiving: Wydermyer, 45 catches, 502 yards (11.2 YPC), 6 TD

Smith, 37 catches, 439 yards (11.9 YPC), 6 TD

Lane, 28 catches, 382 yards (13.5 YPC), 2 TD

Tackles: Chazz Surratt, 91

Gemmell, 74,

Kelly, 53

Tackles for loss: Tomon Fox, 9.5

Surratt, 7.5

Three players with 6

Sacks: Surratt and Tomon Fox, 6

Tomari Fox, 4

Passes broken up: McMichael, 6

Gemmel and Rene, 4

Interceptions: Eight players with 1

Forced fumbles: Seven players with 1

Fumble recoveries: Three players with 1

Rushing offense: 202.9 YPG (27th nationally, 2nd SEC)

Passing offense: 234.3 YPG (57th nationally, 8th SEC)

Total offense: 437.2 YPG (33rd nationally, 4th SEC)

Scoring offense: 31.7 PPG (41st nationally, 6th SEC)

First downs: 215 (39th nationally, 6th SEC)

3rd down conversions: 56.7% (2nd nationally, 2nd SEC)

Red zone offense: 85.4% (47th nationally, 5th SEC)

Sacks allowed: 4 (4th nationally, 1st SEC)

Penalties: 53 (70th nationally, 5th SEC)

Penalty yards: 492 (80th nationally, 9th SEC)

Time of possession: 35:06 (3rd nationally, 1st SEC)

Team turnovers: 8 (21st nationally, 1st SEC)

Turnover +/-: +5 (31st nationally, 4th SEC)

Rushing defense: 147.8 YPG (48th nationally, 5th ACC)

Passing defense: 248 YPG (85th nationally, 8th ACC)

Total defense: 395.8 YPG (56th nationally, 5th ACC)

Scoring defense: 28.4 PPG (61st nationally, 6th ACC)

First downs allowed: 238 (110th nationally, 9th ACC)

3rd down conversion defense: 37.9% (41st nationally, 5th ACC)

Red zone defense: 85% (76th nationally,12th ACC)

Team sacks: 33 (16th nationally, 3rd ACC)

Team tackles for loss: 65 (71st nationally, 12th ACC)

Penalties: 80 (118nd nationally, 10th ACC)

Penalty yards: 776 (123rd nationally, 13th ACC)

Turnovers forced: 11 (74th nationally, 15th ACC)

Turnover +/-: -1 (71st nationally, 9th SEC)

Continue what they've been doing for the past two months: control the time of possession, run the football effectively but keep the offense balanced with a steady passing game. They also know UNC is going to throw the kitchen sink at them to slow down the running game, which is something they have to be ready for.

Auburn and Tennessee absolutely sold out to stop the running game, but A&M still picked up 313 and 216 yards, respectively, against them. UNC gives up 4.1 yards a carry on the season and has given 200 yards or more rushing in a game three times (and Notre Dame had 199). But this may be the game where they put in their most concerted effort against the run.

If UNC is going to stack the box like Tennessee did, the Aggies will have to be ready for it. That will mean running the ball with Mond and using the option game as well as barreling ahead with Spiller. They'll also have to take some quick passes over the middle to guys like Smith, Lane and (of course) Wydermyer. That will work to A&M's favor as the Tar Heels secondary -- the safeties especially -- have not been good this year.

UNC uses a glorified 4-man front, which is three-down linemen and a linebacker standing up on the edge. They've got moderate size and have gotten moderate play out of them. Losing Surratt is a big deal, because he was the guy making the tackles around the line of scrimmage. They'll have to have someone else to step up and do that, because they probably won't walk away from their aggressive approach. That means an opportunity for the Maroon Goons to control the line of scrimmage and wear the Tar Heels down, something they've done repeatedly over the course of the year.

By now, there's nothing about A&M's offense that we haven't seen (unless they turn Demond Demas loose). The game plan is established: pound on opponents up front, get into short and manageable third down situations, keep the chains moving and control the clock. Rinse and repeat. The Aggies have challenged two months worth of opponents to beat that gameplan. So far, no one has.

They've already put their cards on the table: they're coming after the running game, Isaiah Spiller in particular. They're worried about Ainias Smith, but the running game is their foremost concern.

UNC is really aggressive with their blitz game and plays with speed, as their 33 sacks will attest to. They really like to use Tomon Fox as basically a fourth lineman, or a Joker. He plays near the line of scrimmage a lot and attacks the backfield frequently. But the charge up the field can get them in trouble, as Notre Dame's Ian Book took off and ran right past UNC's defensive linemen several times. They'll have to be aware of Mond's ability to do the exact same thing. It's possible that UNC may even put five men up front if they feel like they need to. DC Jay Bateman has done that before.

If UNC attacks up front as they have in the past, they'll play a lot of man coverage on the edges and play the safeties back. That will leave two linebackers in the middle of the field, maybe with the help of a nickel at times. They may have to mix up their coverages here, because that would mean a whole lot of passes to Wydermyer if they don't.

The Carolina defense will probably stack the box on first and second down and then drop off with more zone coverage on third down, but find ways to blitz as well. They'll be aggressive up front and mix up their coverages behind that in an effort to confuse the Aggie defense. But they're going to have to be smart and not give up big plays, something they have done more than a few times this year.