The unknown can be threatening.
However, Texas A&M safety Marcus Ratcliffe warned that what is known is the bigger threat to No. 19 A&M (1-0) in a college football clash with Utah State (1-0) on Saturday.
Ratcliffe knows the visitors from the Mountain West Conference will be eager, determined and intense when the game kicks off at 11:45 a.m. CT at Kyle Field.
He knows this because he was in their position two years ago while playing for Mountain West San Diego State against UCLA and Oregon State.
“They’re going to play with a chip on their shoulder,” Ratcliffe said. “I know what every one of those players is thinking. They think they should be at this level, and they’re going to play hard, especially because they’re playing against us. This is their shot to prove they should be at this level.”
That’s quite a burden of proof.
A&M opened its season with a 42-24 victory over UTSA last week.
Quarterback Marcel Reed threw four touchdown passes. KC Concepcion caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt for another score. Mario Craver turned two screen passes into long touchdowns.
“I thought (Reed) was comfortable,” A&M coach Mike Elko said. “I thought he was poised. I thought he delivered some really confident balls across the middle on time.”
But A&M had some problems, too. The running game produced a mediocre 108 yards. Meanwhile, the defense gave up 203 rushing yards, including a 75-yard touchdown run.
That could be a red flag because Utah State running back Miles Davis had a 58-yard touchdown run in an opening victory over UTEP. Quarterback Bryson Barnes is also a running threat. Just last season, he rushed for 193 yards and 185 yards in consecutive games against San Diego State and Colorado State.
He’s a capable passer, too. Last week, he threw for 233 yards. He had a 52-yard touchdown pass.
Elko knows all about Barnes. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know much about how Utah State will utilize its offensive pieces under first-year coach Bronco Mendenhall.
Only four returning 2024 starters are on this year’s roster, which includes 69 newcomers — the second-highest total in the nation.
That’s where the threat of the unknown comes in for Elko. It’s hard to prepare when you’re not sure for what you’re preparing.
“These opening games are more and more challenging every year because, between roster and scheme, you just don’t have a great pulse or feel for what you’re getting into,” Elko said. “So we’ve just kind of learned how to be ready to adjust and adapt. I think that’s literally what it comes down to so much in these games.
“It’s a little challenging. They played one game against a UTEP team. It’s hard to get a full feel for what we’re getting into.
“Trying to figure out what they’re going to be this year is a little bit of a challenge.”
Still, the biggest challenge figures to be the USU players’ approach to facing A&M.
“They will come into this environment and certainly play their best football and be excited to be here,” Elko said.
Ratcliffe offered a confirmation.
“We can’t go in there thinking they’re just going to give us something,” Ratcliffe said. “We definitely have to play harder than they do.”
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That's where the threat of the unknown comes in for Elko. It's hard to prepare when you're not sure for what you're preparing.
Why not? I don't understand why we have to pretend this will be anything other than a route.ArkyAg99 said:
What do you want him to say? I expect to stomp a mud hole in their a$$?
