Aggies playing for pride, momentum in finale versus Wake Forest

Records: Texas A&M is 7-5; Wake Forest is 7-5
Kickoff: Noon at Bank of America Stadium
TV: ESPN
Line: Wake Forest -3
Weather: High 53, low 27. Partly cloudy. No chance of precipitation. Wind 9 mph

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Schedules and calendars can sometimes be misleading.

For example, the schedule and calendar indicate the Belk Bowl clash with Wake Forest on Friday will conclude Texas A&M’s 2017 football schedule.

Yet, some Aggies maintain it’s the first step in the 2018 season as a “try-out” of sorts for new coach Jimbo Fisher.

“(It’s the) first step toward preparing for next year,” junior defensive tackle Kingsley Keke. “We know all the stuff we’ve been going through since Coach Fisher came in. Getting this done means a lot carrying into next season. It brings a lot of fire into next season. Getting a W is a must.”

Junior defensive end Landis Durham shared that thought.

“He’s (Fisher) going to be at the game. It’s imperative everybody goes out and plays as hard as they can and the best they can,” Durham said. “You want to go out there and send a great impression to him and really just get a win. I feel like this momentum  — win or lose — will carry over into spring ball and into next season.”

Ronnie Woodard

Jimbo Fisher will take the helm in Aggieland for the 2018 season, but he denies that the Belk Bowl is a try-out for next year.

For his part, Fisher doesn’t seem to be putting added pressure on the Aggies. He’ll watch intently to better understand the team he’s inherited, but he said there are no “try-outs.”

“It’s not an audition,” Fisher said. “You’re just evaluating guys and watching them play and seeing what their talent levels are to see how you want to coach and put schemes in the feature those players."

Don’t interpret that to mean Fisher doesn’t care about the outcome. He’s made it quite clear he wants the Aggies (7-5) to notch their fourth consecutive eight-win season.

“When you win it builds confidence in what you can do and where you’re going as a program and as a player,” he said. “When you have confidence on the field it makes you grow. “

Wake Forest (7-5) may enter the game with confidence boosted by November victories over Syracuse and North Carolina State. The Demon Deacons also have productive dual-threat quarterback John Wolford, who leads an offense that averages 450.8 yards per game.

However, coach Dave Clawson admitted the big-play ability of receiver/punt returner Christian Kirk and A&M’s pass rush, which produced 41 sacks, are cause for concern.

“When you go to bed you have nightmares about what they can do in the return game,” Clawson said. “They’re hard to block up front defensively. We’re going to have to give John time. We’re going to have to have a run game. We’re going to have to have some balance on offense. And when we get in the red zone, we’re going to have to score points.”

Wolford has passed for more than 2,700 yards and rushed for more than 600. Containing him would be difficult for the Aggies at full strength. However, the problem he poses is multiplied by the absences of safety Armani Watts, who is injured, and defensive tackle Zaycoven Henderson, who is suspended.

“We have to play our game … tight defense, tight coverage,” Durham said. “There’s going to have to be a lot of pressure.  Keep him in the pocket. Try to get him out of his game.”

Ronnie Woodard

Interim head coach Jeff Banks knows the Aggies must find a way to run the ball effectively on Friday.

Interim head coach Jeff Banks agreed in principle. However, Banks said A&M must run effectively while preventing Wake Forest from doing so. That goal could be complicated. Guard Connor Lanfear is rumored to be sidelined by injury and is expected to be replaced by freshman Jared Hocker.

“The line of scrimmage is where this game is going to be won,” Banks said. “They can run the ball effectively. Obviously, they do it with the zone read and they do it with different zone concepts with the tight end and the quarterback being a runner that’s got over 600 yards.”

Banks acknowledged A&M has had injuries in the offensive line but remained optimistic.

“Our lineup at O-line has changed several times because of injury,” he said. “We’ve struggled with certain fronts at times. But we have a great O-line coach in Jim Turner. We feel good at where we’re at.”

Perhaps he shouldn’t. A&M rushed for fewer than 120 yards in six of its final seven regular season games. Meanwhile, the Aggies’ last six SEC opponents all rushed for more than 200 yards. The Aggies allowed a season-high 250 rushing yards in a closing 45-21 loss to LSU, which rolled up 601 yards of total offense.

“We were not happy with how the LSU game finished,” Banks said. "We were torn (up) that we didn’t finish stronger in that game and win the game. That’s the taste that we have in our mouth.”

Banks said that lingering bad taste would provide the Aggies even more motivation than the need to impress — or audition for — their new coach.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with Coach Fisher to be honest … with all due respect,” Banks said. “I think it has a lot more to do with our team. This is the 2017 Texas A&M team that can win eight football games with as many young players as we’ve played. We’d be pretty dang excited to win the Belk Bowl.”