'Respect your opponent': Fisher, Aggies not overlooking Prairie View A&M
College football experts will take for granted a Texas A&M victory over Prairie View.
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher says they should instead take a college football history class. Fisher recommends the lesson starts at Sept. 1, 2007.
“Remember App State and Michigan?” Fisher asked earlier this week.
Wolverine fans would rather forget when No. 5 Michigan opened the ’07 season with a shocking 34-32 loss to then-FCS member Appalachian State.
Fisher cautioned that No. 16 Texas A&M (7-3) must not assume victory against Prairie View (7-2) on Saturday at Kyle Field.
Kickoff is 11 a.m.
“You’ve got to play all the time anywhere,” Fisher said. “If you get down anywhere, there’s too much talent out there, especially with the transfer portal. You’re getting a lot of guys at this level of football that were really Division I players that left for different reasons. There’s players everywhere.”
Case in point is Prairie View quarterback Jawon Pass, a former four-star recruit who started his career as Lamar Jackson’s backup at Louisville. He threw for 1,960 yards in 2018 but lost the starting job to Malik Cunningham.
He came to Prairie View this season as a graduate transfer. He has passed for 2,327 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Panthers, who are leading the SWAC West Division.
Fisher acknowledged Pass’ talent. He commended the Panthers’ passing offense. He warned the Prairie View defense blitzes often and effectively.
But Texas A&M should be more concerned with shoring up its inconsistent running game and sharpening its passing attack. Those were both issues in the Aggies’ 29-19 loss to Ole Miss last week.
“You respect your opponent. You prepare for your opponent, but you play to your standards,” Fisher said. “You play to your level of how you’ve got to play.
“Whether you’re playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Green Bay Packers, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Prairie View, Samford, whoever it is, you practice the same. You play the same. You do the same. The great teams and the great players do not matter who they play. It’s how they play and how they prepare.”
The Aggies must be prepared to play well. Or, according to Fisher, they could repeat Michigan’s history.