TaxAct Texas Bowl No. 22 Oklahoma State (9-4, Big 12) vs. Texas A&M (7-5, Southeastern Conference), Dec. 27, 9 p.m. Eastern (ESPN)
Line: Texas A&M by 1 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Series record: Texas A&M leads 18-10.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The Cowboys look to reach the 10-win mark for the second time in three seasons (12-2 in 2021) when they face Texas A&M, which wraps up another disappointing season that led to the firing of coach Jimbo Fisher. Oklahoma State is coming off a 49-21 loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game and the Aggies will try to finish the season strong after a 42-30 loss to LSU the last time out.
KEY MATCHUP
Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II vs. Texas A&M’s run defense. Gordon entered the transfer portal but announced Sunday that he’s staying at Oklahoma State. He led the nation with 1,614 yards rushing to become the first Oklahoma State player to win the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back and was named a unanimous All-American. Now he’ll face a Texas A&M run defense that ranks 17th in the nation by limiting opponents to 106.7 yards rushing a game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Oklahoma State: LB Nickolas Martin. The sophomore ranked first in the Big 12 with 133 tackles and was first among linebackers in the conference with six sacks. He also had 16 tackles for losses, which ranked second in the Big 12. Martin had two games this season with 17 tackles.
Texas A&M: QB Jaylen Henderson. He started the last three games for the Aggies, helping them to wins in the first two. He threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores in his first start, against Mississippi State, and has thrown two touchdown passes and finished with at least 260 yards passing in his last two games.
FACTS & FIGURES
These teams first met in 1913. … This is the first meeting between them since Texas A&M got a 24-21 win in the 2019 Texas Bowl. … Oklahoma State has won four of the last five meetings. … This is the third time these teams have met in a bowl game; A&M got a 33-16 victory in the 1981 Independence Bowl. … Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is 4-4 in his career against Texas A&M. … The Cowboys are in their school-record 18th straight bowl game. … WR Brennan Presley ranked first in the Big 12 with 85 receptions and had 839 yards receiving with six TD catches. … K Alex Hale made two 53-yard field goals this season. … LB Collin Oliver had 15 1/2 tackles for losses. … Mike Elko was hired last month to replace Fisher, but he will not coach the bowl game. Interim coach Elijah Robinson will lead the team Wednesday night before leaving to take a job as the defensive coordinator at Syracuse. … The Aggies return to a bowl game for the first time since 2020 after opting out of the Gator Bowl in 2021 because of COVID-19 issues and not qualifying in last year’s 5-7 season. … This is Texas A&M’s 44th bowl appearance and its fourth trip to the Texas Bowl. … The Aggies had more than 400 yards of offense in seven of their 12 games this season. … DL Shemar Turner has six sacks and 10 1/2 tackles for losses this season. … A&M leads the SEC with 96 tackles for losses. … The Aggies have allowed just seven rushing touchdowns this season, which ranks first in the SEC.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football