The Battalion - October 17, 2019 by The Battalion

Aggies on ice

Photos by Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M Ice Hockey will face the Texas Longhorns in a two-game series. The first game is in Austin and the second will be the Aggies’ home opener at Spirit Ice Arena on Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

A&M hockey club looking forward to home opener against Longhorns By Hollis Mills @sillohsllim Though the temperature will pick back up this weekend, Aggies can still beat the heat at Spirit Ice Arena, where the Texas A&M hockey club will host the Longhorns for the team’s first home game of the season on Oct. 19. The Aggies are skating into their home opener against the University of Texas with a 7-3 record on the season. All week long on the team’s social media accounts, the Aggies

have teased the unveiling of a brand new alternative uniform for this Saturday’s “blackout” game. Heading into another entry in the storied Aggie-Longhorn rivalry, the team is anticipating the turnout to be on par with the record-setting attendance at a Senior Night game four seasons ago, in which 1,232 fans filled the arena. Head coach Sean Boyle said he always enjoys riding the wave of tension into every home game against Texas. “Being here as long as I have, these games always mean a lot,” Boyle said. “Whether we’re in Austin and they bring their crowd, or we’re here and this place is full and people are going nuts, it’s a lot of fun.” Growing up in Alaska, Boyle said finding

his way to hockey was more a rite of passage in the community than a hobby. “Football is July 1 to Aug. 15, and then it’s hockey year-round,” Boyle said. “That’s why a lot of kids up north get into it because that’s what everyone else does. We didn’t have cleats and gloves. We had skates and sticks.” Making his first go around the rink with the Aggies this season, assistant coach Derek Harper said he is excited to see how the team performs in the high-profile game, and he credits Boyle for the club’s focus and determination. “It’s my first year helping out Sean,” Harper said. “Looking from the outside in, it’s a great honor from him just to ask me to come in and help him build something. Sean’s been

building this program for 11 years. Eventually, I would say 10 to 15 years from now, this could be a Division 1 NCAA program, and it’s all off the sweat of his back that he’s put into it.” The team will also play the Longhorns on their home ice in Austin Friday night, but Saturday’s home opener will mark a new Aggieland experience for Harper. “I actually haven’t seen a UT game, only heard about it,” Harper said. “I’m super pumped to see the crowd and the excitement HOCKEY ON PG. 6

PROVIDED

Replant Day will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, to plant over 700 trees around the community.

Rooted in tradition Students to plant over 700 trees across Bryan-College Station area By Alek Benavides @alekbenavides Every fall, Aggies put on the country’s largest one-day environmental service project led by students. Aggie Replant, a committee of the Student Government Association committee, will plant hundreds of trees in the Bryan-College Station area on Saturday. By doing so, Aggie Replant hopes to not only give back to the local community but to provide a means for students to engage in fulfilling and thoughtful community service. Claire Unruh, renewable natural resources junior and director of Aggie Replant, said the project first began to combat the effects of another Aggie tradition.

“Replant was formed in 1991, and it was formed off Aggie Bonfire, just because they wanted to go back and replant some of the trees that were being cut down due to bonfire,” Unruh said. During Replant Day, roughly 500 student volunteers will plant trees in and around Bryan-College Station. Unruh said it’s important that Aggie Replant seeks out all types of sites for tree planting, from homes to public property. “We plant at houses and community parks, that sort of thing,” Unruh said. “This way, we make sure that we serve as many people as we can.” Along with giving back to the community and providing a way for students to serve the area, Unruh said the organization also provides crucial leadership and networking skills for students. REPLANT ON PG. 3

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M rushed for 125 yards against the Alabama defense at Kyle Field on Oct. 12.

A&M to face Rebels on the road Aggies look to regain ground during matchup with Ole Miss in Oxford By Tara Drummond @TaraDrummond1 The now unranked Aggies will face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi. Both teams are coming off losses to conference opponents. Last week, Texas A&M fell to No. 1 Alabama 47-28 and is now 3-3 for the first time since 2010. Ole Miss fell short to Missouri 38-27 in last week’s matchup. Against Alabama, A&M’s offense had some key plays but was ultimately shut down by Alabama’s defense and a build-up of mistakes,

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such as miscues and unsuccessful blocking. “I thought the offense came out really strong,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “I thought we had a good balance and ran the ball, and the offensive line played better in this game. But going against a team like Alabama, there’s no lax for anything. You have to make plays.” Junior quarterback Kellen Mond came out of the matchup with a 57.1 completion percentage, 264 passing yards and two touchdowns. Freshman running back Isaiah Spiller also had some key moments with the plays he was given, starting the game with a total of 24 yards in the opening drive. The Aggies had a fast start against Alabama, scoring on their opening drive for the first OLE MISS ON PG. 4

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OPINION

The Battalion | 10.17.19

‘Fad diagnosis’ and the DSM-5 APA’s current manual could lead to the ‘medicalization of normality’ Kameryn Griesser

@kamerynbethtamu

o you spend hours a day playing video games at home instead of seeing friends? You may have Internet Gaming Disorder. Perhaps your friends would describe you as being over-dramatic, or maybe you find yourself often wanting to be the center of attention. You have Histrionic Personality Disorder. Lastly, has the death of a loved one ever caused you extreme grief for an extended period? Your care provider can now diagnose you with Major Depressive Disorder and prescribe the necessary antidepressant medications accordingly. If any of these conclusions sounded bit ambiguous or extreme to you, many experts in the field of psychiatry would tend to agree. However, the descriptions above can all be professionally validated by the contents of the newest edition of the DSM. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, is the handbook created by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) that all mental healthcare professionals in the United States use to diagnose and assess treatment for patients. Historically, the DSM’s revision and reconstruction has been a topic of debate among scientists and social workers alike. Some argue that the most recent editions have increasingly broadened the scope of what is classified as “mental illness,” in an endemic phenomenon they call the “medicalization of normality.” These critics of the DSM-5 feel the inclusion of vague diagnostic criteria and exclusion of exceptions to said criteria could be dangerously misinterpreted in the hands of non-specialist primary care providers, from which roughly 58 percent of psychotropic drug prescriptions are given. The next question is: Why? What motives would the team of experts assigned to revise the DSM possibly have for broadening the definitions of mental illness? Some suggest that this trend

reflects the corporate interests of large pharmaceutical companies, and these claims aren’t unfounded. Recently, the APA reported that over half of the most recent DSM panel members disclosed one or more financial associations with pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, 100 percent of members within the “Mood Disorders” and “Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders” sectors had financial ties with drug companies. It is important to note that these are fields in which medications are the first line of treatment for afflicted patients. Conversely, Dr. Frances Allen, a professor emeritus of psychology at Duke University and former DSM-IV panel member, suggests, “There’s an intellectual, not financial, conflict of interest that results from the natural tendency of highly specialized experts to overvalue their pet ideas, to want to expand their own areas of research interest.” This bias leads to the rise of what he refers to as “fad diagnosis,” or underdeveloped new additions to the DSM that have been said to cause rampant misdiagnosis of neurotypical patients, namely children. However, how exactly do we define “neurotypical?” To define what is mental illness, there must be a clear idea of mental health. But how do we define mental health in a world of smartphones, apocalyptic ideation and virtual reality? This is the ever-evolving labyrinth that a single panel of experts assigned by the APA must come together to navigate. The very nature of the DSM is meant to be provisional and abstract, making it subject to change and criticism. However, the contents of the DSM hold very real, tangible consequences. In many ways, it shapes the entire direction of psychiatry by influencing stigma and guiding legal judgments. With so much at stake then, why wouldn’t the APA do more to address the concerns of experts outside of its panel? Though meager efforts have been made in democratizing the revision process of the DSM in the past, the DSM-5 skipped the field testing stage and, in effect, missed an opportunity for much-needed quality assessment. Addi-

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DSM-5 is the 5th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, which is used to diagnose and assess treatment for patients.

tionally, more should be done to ensure that mental healthcare professionals are trained to properly understand the newest content of the DSM-5 and the implications of the diagnostic criteria. Lastly, the APA needs to further expand its disclosure process for the financial ties

of panel members, as simply stating ties exist does little to decrease their presence. Kameryn Griesser is a business administration freshman and opinion writer for The Battalion.

‘We all have breaking points’ What does the character of the Joker tell us about ourselves? Joshua Howell

@JoshuaEHowell he Joker has shot Barbara Gordon. Her father sits naked in a cage, his face buried behind his knees. Batman is nowhere to be

found. The point of this torture, the Joker explains, is not humor, but psychology: “I give you the average man!” he exclaims, arms wide as if introducing a carnival attraction. “Most repulsive of all are its frail and useless notions of order and sanity. If too much weight is placed upon them, they snap.” The scene takes place in “The Killing Joke,” one of the most influential graphic novels in Batman’s canon. Throughout, we learn the Joker’s origins as an irrelevant standup comedian, a man who — needing money to take care of his pregnant wife — gets mixed up in the wrong crowd. Desperate, he joins a failed heist and is left deformed after falling into a vat of chemicals. On top of it all, his wife dies in a freak household accident, so none of it mattered. At that moment — his face itching and burning from the chemicals, his hair turning a maniacal shade of green — the everyman snaps. He transforms into the Clown Prince of Crime, the incarnation of the old Mel Brooks quote, “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.” But the closer one reads the Joker’s origin, the less sympathetic he becomes. He once had a respectable job at the chemical plant where he performed the heist. He was not fired but left to pursue standup comedy. He didn’t fall into the vat so much as he jumped to avoid Batman chasing him. Nevertheless, readers would be wrong to dismiss the Joker’s beliefs as mere self-pity. His musings are, as Hamlet observed of his dithering, “a thought which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom and ever three parts coward.” It is a seductive ratio, for evil is at its most convincing when it has a point. As much as anyone with a modicum of self-respect hates to admit it, we all have breaking points. It is a frequent theme in literature, showing up in such diverse works as “The Killing Joke,” “Hamlet” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Never forget: Atop Mt. Doom, mere moments away from destroying The One Ring, Frodo also snaps — he attempts to keep The Ring for himself. It is tempting to call him a failure, but Tolkien was less judgmental. In a 1963 letter, the author wrote, “I do not myself see that the breaking of [Frodo’s] mind and will under demonic pressure after torment was any more a moral failure than the breaking of his body would have been — say, by being strangled by Gollum or crushed by a falling rock.” Tolkien added:

We must make “use of two different scales of ‘morality.’ To ourselves we must present the absolute idea without compromise, for we do not know our own limits of natural strength… [To others] we must apply a scale tempered by ‘mercy.’” In other words, if there is wisdom in knowing that all men break, there is cowardice in reveling in it. That’s the central tension between Batman and the Joker, the fact that makes their relationship so compelling: Both men had one bad day. The Joker is at peace because he revels in it; Batman stays

Creative Commons

“Joker,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, was released in theaters on Oct. 4, 2019.

strong but will never have peace. “Joker” hits on the same points but from a more sociological perspective. Arthur Fleck is a mentally-ill physical and emotional abuse victim whom Gothamites generally treat worse than the super rats which infest their city. In some sense, he never stood a chance. After one too many antagonisms, Fleck snaps as well. As Adrian Raine, a neuro-criminologist at the University of Pennsylvania, said in an interview with Vanity Fair, “[Joker] was a surprisingly accurate prediction of the kind of background and circumstances which, when combined together, make a murderer.” That’s the greatest irony in all of this: If “Joker’s” more pretentious critics — those who believe it will serve as inspiration for incels — want to be taken seriously, they will have to see the film. When they do, they will see a movie interested in the same themes as they are: culture’s responsibility in maintaining its health and the consequences of failing in that responsibility. They will see what Batman does when he stares upon the grim visage of the Joker: a demented, grotesque, fun house mirror version of themselves. Try not to laugh. Joshua Howell is a computer science Ph.D. student and opinion writer for The Battalion.

NEWS

The Battalion | 10.17.19

Following their Tempo App developed by students helps streamline event hosting process By Julia Potts @juliaapotts With a vision to make events easier to create and organize, two Texas A&M students developed an app that is already helping organizations on campus. The two creators, geosciences and geophysics Chibuike Imo and University of Texas graduate Carl Nnaji, came up with the idea to make an app focused on live events while they were still in high school. Once they got to college, the duo started taking programming classes and raising funds to help make their dream a reality, and they soon began the creation of Tempo Live Events. Since then, they have hired programmers and designers and are working with developers internationally. The app officially launched this fall and is available on the iOS Apple Store and Google Play Store. Since Aug. 26, the Tempo team has already organized events for eight organizations on campus. Imo said the app has many user-friendly features to speed up the process of event planning. “It’s a live e-ticketing app where you can create an event directly through the app,” Imo said. “You can create an RSVP event or a ticketed event. You can directly link your debit card or your bank account to the app, and you can get payments through there for your event.” The life of a college student is very hectic, Imo said, and it can be hard for people to find something to do with the little free time they

have. “Our company and our app answers that question for people,” Imo said. “They can open the app, detect their current location and see what different types of events are going on.” Imo said the app itself and the process of creating an event are both free of charge. The only fees involved are for ticket purchasers. “We don’t take any fees from the event creators,” Imo said. “The only fee that we do have is a service fee. As people are purchasing tickets, there is a service fee of $1 plus four percent, which is the cheapest on any e-ticketing platform around.” Nnaji said the team has received positive feedback since the launch of the app, and he credits this to the team’s dedication to each and every event. “People are really appreciative,” Nnaji said. “Another thing that differentiates us from event providers is we see ourselves as part of the event. We’ll help promote, we’ll help organize giveaways and do whatever we can to increase ticket sales.” Dean Andrew Morriss of A&M’s School of Innovation said managing this type of project is especially difficult, and he is impressed with the work that Imo and the other students have done. “What’s special about what he’s done is he’s taken all these steps, including forming a corporation, getting legal advice, finding a software programmer in India, managing a transcontinental employment relationship, building his team up to develop the app and developing a market plan for it,” Morriss said. “Putting all of those pieces together is really quite hard.” Morriss also said the app is a useful resource for students, and that Imo has done well in

PROVIDED

Tempo Live Events was created by A&M senior Chibuike Imo and Carl Nnaji to assist with event promotion and ticketing. The app has already been utilized by groups at Texas A&M.

assisting the customers every step of the way. “It’s answering a need for people in his age group to find events and to find a way to connect to events,” Morriss said. “He’s listened to his customers, which is what we always ask businesses to do.” Developing this app involved some long hours, from talking to developers in India to staying on top of classwork along the way. However, Imo said the app has given him the determination that he needed to get through college. “Doing it while a student has been hard,” Imo said. “It’s been difficult, but one thing

I always tell myself is, ‘You shouldn’t limit yourself to one thing.’ Going into my senior year, working on this app has actually gotten me through school.” Imo recognized the impact that Tempo has had on his life and said the project as a whole has been very fulfilling. “This app has humbled me as well because when people tell me about their experiences, and I’m able to help people out, run their event, and have successful events, it makes me happy,” Imo said. “My goal is to one day have Tempo impact the world.”

MORE ON THEBATT.COM

Kyle Park back in B-CS

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Aggie Replant also hosts Trees for The Blanco in San Marcos in addition to the Aggieland-specific Replant Day.

REPLANT CONTINUED

PROVIDED

Kyle Park will perform at Hurricane Harry’s on Friday night. This Friday, former student Wynn Williams will hit the stage ahead of Kyle Park at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 online and at the door. For over 10 years, Park has been making the trip to College Station to perform, and he says he always looks forward to returning to the rowdy crowds the city is known for. “It feels like there’s no better place to play than in College Station, as far as country music is concerned,” Park said. “It’s like the picture-perfect audience.”

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Some people are sitting in large churches, sitting on their gift of music, singing, dancing, etc. Our tiny mission church has volunteer openings for your talent! Contact Pastor Ed Udell, Sr. New Victory Temple 1115 Detroit, College Station, TX 77840 (832) 919-4966

“We take a certain number of student volunteers, train our replant members to lead these volunteers and allow them to delegate what the volunteers do,” Unruh said. “We’ll be planting a little over 700 trees this Saturday.” Robert Cook, accounting junior and associate director of Aggie Replant, said the group aims to leave a lasting impact in the community. “By planting trees and keeping our environment healthy and sustainable, we are able to do that,” Cook said. “It’s a way to give back and another way to

give students the opportunity to not only serve, but to leave an impact.” Although Replant Day can be fulfilling and rewarding, it is not without its challenges. Cook said the sheer number of trees that are planted can create financial challenges for the student organization. “I would definitely say that the hardest part is the aspect of getting enough money and funds to plant as many trees as we can,” Cook said. “We are a student organization, so it’s pretty difficult to raise enough funds for how many trees we actually want to plant.” Along with Replant Day, Aggie

Replant hosts other similar projects throughout the year. These other projects can serve different parts of Texas outside the Bryan-College Station area. Cook said this allows Aggie Replant to show its love and respect for all areas of the state. “In the past couple of springs, we have done Trees for The Blanco,” Cook said. “We partner with an organization called Tree Folks and go into the Blanco or San Marcos area. There we planted thousands of seedlings along that riverbed there to prevent future flooding of the area.”

Active Transportation Public Hearing The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will hold a public hearing to discuss the planning and development of Active Transportation (bicycle and pedestrian facilities) in the ten county Bryan District. The hearing will include presentations by Texas A&M University, the City of College Station, the City of Bryan, the Bryan/College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization and TxDOT.

Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Texas A&M Transportation Institute 1111 Rellis Parkway Bryan, Texas

The public is invited to attend this hearing. Open house begins at 5pm and presentations begin at 6pm. Learn about recent local developments and upcoming projects. There will be ample opportunity for public comment at the hearing. Visit www.txdot.gov and search: "Active Transportation" to review the presentations and other information. Written comments may also be submitted in writing to Mr. Stephen R. Copley, Bryan District Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, TxDOT, 2591 North Earl Rudder Freeway, Bryan, Texas 77803-5190 or e-mail comments to: stephen.copley@txdot.gov. Comments received before Tuesday, December 3, 2019 will become part of the Hearing record. Any person requiring special accommodations to attend the hearing is encouraged to contact our office at (979) 778-2165. Sí desea información en Español, puede llamar al (979) 778-9615.

FOOTBALL

The Battalion | 10.17.19

AROUND THE SEC

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A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE FOR WEEK 8 By Adithya Prabakaran @ADP_445

Week 7 in the SEC was filled with nail-biters and upsets. An otherwise dominant Georgia team lost to South Carolina by a missed field goal in overtime at home. LSU defeated Florida in Death Valley with the help of a near-perfect performance from quarterback Joe Burrow. And Tennessee beat Mississippi State for its first conference win of the season. This week, the SEC does not have any ranked matchups; however, it does give the ranked teams the opportunity to become bowl eligible while their opposition looks to spoil their near-perfect seasons.

No. 9 Florida (6-1) vs South Carolina (3-3)

No. 2 LSU (6-0) vs Mississippi State (3-3)

Saturday, Oct. 19 — Williams Brice Stadium — Columbia, South Carolina 11 a.m. on ESPN

Saturday, Oct. 19 — Davis Wade Stadium — Starkville, Mississippi 2:30 p.m. on CBS

Only one of these teams won its game last week, and it wasn’t the team that’s currently ranked. It was the South Carolina Gamecocks that pulled off an upset against then-No. 3 Georgia in Sanford Stadium. In a strong defensive performance from the Gamecocks, defensive back Israel Mukuamu intercepted three passes, returning one for a touchdown. However, South Carolina also saw its freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski go down with a leg injury. With the status of Hilinski unknown, expect the Gamecock’s offense to rely on running backs Tavien Feaster and Rico Dowdle as well as the legs of backup quarterback Dakereon Joyner. The No. 9 Florida Gators are hoping to avenge last week’s tight loss against No. 2 LSU. Florida can start with an improved passing game under quarterback Kyle Trask, who is taking over for the injured Feleipe Franks. The Gators also have a consistent running game with running back Lamical Perine. However, the biggest factor for Florida will be how its defense plays. After allowing LSU quarterback Joe Burrow to complete 88 percent of his passes and letting Clyde Edwards-Helaire run for 134 yards and two touchdowns, this talented Florida defense will need to step up and make up for last week’s

LSU couldn’t be off to a better start. The Tigers are currently undefeated and have beaten No. 15 Texas and No. 9 Florida along the way. Senior quarterback Joe Burrow has played like a Heisman candidate, throwing for over 2,100 yards and 25 touchdowns. His receivers, Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Mitchell, have been nothing short of extraordinary in this six-game span. Not only do the Tigers have an explosive pass offense, but the powerful run game that has become a staple of LSU’s offense is currently led by Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and has seven touchdowns on the year. This explosive new LSU offense will have another opportunity to run up the score against a Mississippi State team that is coming off a loss to Tennessee. The Bulldogs are in the middle of a quarterback battle between Tommy Stevens and Garrett Shrader, as both have played uninspiring football thus far in the season. The Bulldogs have running back Kylin Hill, but they have barely used him in the last few games. This game could get out of hand if LSU continues to run up the score like they have all season. Prediction: LSU 48, Mississippi State 20

Prediction: Florida 24, South Carolina 10

WEEK 8: STAFF PICKS

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Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss

Luke Henkhaus

Hannah Underwood

Editor-in-Chief @luke_henkhaus

Sports Editor @hannahbunderwoo

The Aggies have lost to both Alabama teams. Since Mississippi is just the knock-off version of Alabama, two wins should be easy, right?

HANNAH

LUKE

The only way I see the Aggies losing this one is if Ole Miss puts Landshark Tony in the game. We don’t know exactly what this man/shark hybrid is capable of, but I have a feeling he’d throw a pretty sweet spiral.

Brady Stone

Samantha Mahler

Head Page Designer @bradystonex

Managing Editor @mahlersamantha

SAMANTHA

Landsharknado: Coming to a tv screen near you on Oct. 19.

How are we supposed to win when their coach is named after not one, but two books in the Gospel?

BRADY Meredith Seaver

Hollis Mills

Photo Chief @MeredithSeaver

Life & Arts Editor @sillohsllim

HOLLIS

Flim flam, bim bam, Ole Miss football is a sham.

Ole Manning quit winning a long time ago.

MEREDITH

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time this season, and Mond said that will be key moving forward. “We need more of a sense of urgency and getting off to a faster start,” Mond said. “We did that in the beginning, but that’s something we need to continue to do. We just have to play better as a unit in all three phases, with defense and special teams.” Despite the loss, the Ole Miss offense

also had some key moments in last week’s matchup against Missouri. Freshman quarterback John Rhys Plumlee threw 103 yards and earned two touchdowns while adding 143 yards and another pair of touchdowns. Plumlee is also the only Ole Miss quarterback in history to rush for 100 yards in three straight games. The Aggies will meet the Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday. Kickoff will start at 6:30 p.m.

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The Battalion | 10.17.19

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5 things to watch for during A&M-Ole Miss

www.hiddencreekrv.com Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

In 2018, Texas A&M defeated Ole Miss 38-24 in Kyle Field. Then-sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond passed for 236 yards and three touchdowns against the 2018 Rebel defense.

By Hannah Underwood @hannahbunderwoo

The Aggies are unranked for the first time this season and also hold a 3-3 season record for the first time since 2010. After a loss to top-ranked Alabama, Texas A&M is looking to get back in the win column against Ole Miss on Saturday. Here are five things to watch for as the Aggies face the Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi.

Dual quarterback threat Ole Miss uses freshmen quarterbacks John Rhys Plumlee and Matt Corral in a rotation, with Plumlee serving primarily as a rushing quarterback while Corral attacks through the air. Last Saturday when the Rebels took on Missouri, the second half saw a drive-by-drive and then play-by-play rotation of the duo, with Plumlee accounting for 143 of their 204 total rushing yards. The Rebels’ unconventional quarterback play could prove effective against an A&M defense that showed signs of confusion and missed assignments against Alabama last Saturday.

A&M and Mississippi road games Since joining the SEC, the Aggies are 4-4 against Mississippi teams in the Magnolia State. Combined with a 3-6 record on the road over the past three seasons, what should be a fairly easy win for A&M could turn out to be a struggle. According to the Golden Gate Casino’s sportsbook, the Aggies are a six-point favorite to win the game, but expect Ole Miss to keep the score close throughout.

Ole Miss run defense

A&M has struggled to find any momentum on the ground this season, and the Aggies are unlikely to succeed in that area on Saturday. The Ole Miss defense has allowed an average of 118 rushing yards over the last seven games; A&M has averaged 132 rushing yards per game. A&M also lacks depth at running back after losing sophomore Jashaun Corbin to injury and freshman Deneric Prince to the transfer portal. Leaving the Aggies with only freshman Isaiah Spiller, sophomore Jacob Kibodi and sophomore Cordarrian Richardson. As a result, junior quarterback Kellen Mond has been A&M’s leading rusher in two games this season, so look for him to lead for a third time.

Mond and receivers could have an explosive game

Rebels’ rushing

The Ole Miss secondary is lacking allowing an average of 300 passing yards per game. The unit has five interceptions on the season, with three of those coming against Southeastern Louisiana University. Though a weak offensive line and unreliable receivers have prevented A&M from finding success in the passing game, a matchup against this Ole Miss team could prove to be what the Aggies need to find some rhythm on offense.

In addition to Plumlee, the Rebels also have a bit of depth at running back. Four non-quarterbacks had carries last Saturday. Though Plumlee leads the Rebels in rushing yards, freshmen Jerrion Ealy and Snoop Conner have been major contributors to the Rebels’ offense. However, A&M has a rushing defense that allows an average of 116.2 yards per game. Look for the Aggies to limit Ole Miss’ production on the ground.

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The Battalion | 10.17.19

MAROON LIFE “BEST OF AGGIELAND”

VOTE NOW! Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Junior goalie Brydon Gillilan is one of three goalies on the Aggie ice hockey team.

HOCKEY CONTINUED with the kids. It means a lot more when you have a whole crowd behind you getting into it.” Boyle said the team’s evolution from last season has been dependent on a committed group of players who lead by example and may even coach him now and again. “I’ve gone to weddings, I’ve gone to graduations, I’ve had players come to the hospital when my kids are being born,” Boyle said. “I hope at the end of the day, these guys have a fulfilling experience out of this. They’re going to enjoy these friends and this experience for the rest of their life. Whether we win or lose, that’s our goal — to be the most productive on the ice and also off it.” Colin Butler, assistant captain and team secretary, said that while it is best to keep a level head going into this weekend’s game, he cannot help but take pride in the team’s current skill set. “This is definitely the best team we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Butler said. “We obviously can’t get too overconfident going into this game, but I know that we all are going out there expecting to win, and anything less than that will be a disappoint-

ment.” There is a shared level of ease among the team this week — a “cool confidence” as Aggie forward Hank Rooney puts it. “The key word is confidence,” Rooney said. “We’ve had a couple [of] games this year where we weren’t really confident going in, like when we played UTEP. Now I look around when I’m in the locker room and everyone’s just loving life, and we feel a lot more prepared for this than we ever have for any game.” In his fourth year on the team, club president and assistant captain Huston Svondrk said he knows what his team is capable of and expects to walk out of Spirit Ice with another win on the season. Saturday’s game marks the final home opener of Svondrk’s career in Aggieland — a feeling he described as bittersweet but always worth it. “I’m trying to take it day by day and not focus on what’s coming because A&M hockey has been life-changing for me,” Svondrk said. “I’ve always dreamed about going to A&M from a young age and playing the sport that I love for my school, but playing on the team is a lot more than just playing hockey. It’s about the relationships that you build with your teammates and friends that you’ll never forget.”

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