Game Preview: #5 Texas A&M vs. Colorado on Saturday, the fifth-ranked Aggies will travel to Denver to take on Colorado at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. Texas A&M opened the week as 17-point favorites for the contest, but head coach Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies are not taking their opponent for granted. While a common fear of visiting teams is the high elevation, that is not Texas A&M’s main concern in preparation. Fisher is quoted saying that elevation has never been an issue, but that the team will “hopefully get better because Colorado is a very good football team.”

The Aggies opened the season against Kent State. The game script was a bit strange – Texas A&M came out hot and looked like they would run away with it, but after a perfectly executed touchdown drive and a 6/6 start for freshman quarterback Haynes King, the only other points the Aggies would put on the board in the first half would be a field goal from Seth Small. In the second half, the momentum of the game shifted heavily after senior safety Leon O’Neal returned an interception (his second of the game) 85 yards for a touchdown. The floodgates then opened, and the Aggies cruised the rest of the way to a 41-10 victory over the Golden Flashes. King, in his first collegiate start, finished the game 21/33 for 293 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. The two-headed monster of Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane showed out as well, with Spiller rushing for 113 yards on 17 carries and Achane rushing for 124 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns. Other offensive standouts for the Aggies included do-it-all wide receiver Ainias Smith, who caught eight passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, and Caleb Chapman, who caught four for 91.

The Buffaloes also cruised to an easy victory in week one over Northern Colorado, winning 35-7. Freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis completed 10/15 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.The Buffaloes were able to rely heavily on the run game to close it out, as 48 of their 64 total plays were rushes. Leading rusher Jarek Broussard ran 15 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, but three other players (including Lewis) had eight rushing attempts each, and a total of six players had a rushing attempt.

This matchup has interesting historical implications. It is no secret that the Aggies are in their best position in years to challenge Alabama in the SEC and make a push for a playoff spot. However, the last time the Aggies were ranked in the top five this early in the season, in 1995, they were knocked off by then seventh-ranked Colorado. The Aggies will look to avoid repeating history this season by focusing on the game at hand rather than watching the circle on the calendar on October 9th. This is something that Fisher is acutely aware of, and he should be ensuring that the team focuses on the moment.