The Battalion - September 24, 2020 by The Battalion

MOND ON A MISSION Second in single game passing touchdowns Third in career passing touchdowns Third in career passing yards

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Senior quarterback Kellen Mond is close to breaking several Texas A&M football program records.

Despite losing longtime teammate Jhamon Ausbon, senior quarterback Kellen Mond is carrying newfound confidence into 2020 season By Hannah Underwood @hannahbunderwoo

exas A&M’s dynamic offensive duo is no more. A&M fans have seen quarterback Kellen Mond and wide receiver Jhamon Ausbon take the field together for the past three years, but that won’t be the case this season. Mond’s relationship with Ausbon goes back to their high school days, when they were roommates at IMG Academy. They were both committed to Baylor before ultimately choosing the Aggies over the Bears. This will be the first fall since 2015 that the pair won’t see the field together as Ausbon has elected to sit out of the 2020 season to focus on the 2021 NFL draft. Though he never considered opting out of this season, Mond said he and Ausbon discussed the right path for the receiver.

“Me and him had conversations going back to probably a week before he decided to opt out, maybe even two weeks,” Mond said. “Being his roommate, best friend and everything, I always want to put his mental health first, and if he doesn’t think he can be on the field at the time, then I never want to pressure anybody to be back on the field.” Despite the history between the pair, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said Mond has taken his friend’s decision in stride. “I’m sure inside it hurt him, and I know it did,” Fisher said. “The responsibility he has to this program and his other teammates, I think is a tribute to him about how he’s handled that situation. I’m sure inside he hates it, but it’s been the same Kellen the whole time.” Fisher said Mond’s reaction to the news is a testament to his maturity. “From the day he got here this camp, he hasn’t changed a lick,” Fisher said. “He’s been outstanding. His demeanor, his ideas with the

team, the way he’s played, his personality, his influence on guys, the way he’s pushed guys, he’s been exactly the same. When Jhamon elected to do that, what you saw was the maturity out of Kellen. You didn’t see anything different.”

“I feel really confident going into this season, and I look forward to executing in Game 1 and then moving on from there.” KELLEN MOND, A&M QUARTERBACK

This maturity isn’t something new though. “It’s not that he’s mature [now], because

he’s always been very mature, but you see him growing up, and he’s turned into a man,” Fisher said. “He’s going through reads [in practice] and doing the things he needs to, but I saw him grabbing guys on the side, other quarterbacks, and teaching them … receivers, running backs, even the linemen. … You felt his presence and leadership.” It is his experiences over the past three years that have developed that quality in him. Throughout his time at A&M, Mond has battled for and lost the starting spot, only to be thrust back into it in the first game of his college career when now-San Jose State quarterback Nick Starkel went down with a broken ankle against UCLA in the season opener of Mond’s freshman campaign. In 2018, he earned the starting role and is A&M’s first home-grown senior starting quarterback since Ryan Tannehill in 2011. Another trait that has helped Mond MOND ON PG. 3

Returning to Kyle Field Texas A&M football to kick off 2020 season against Vanderbilt after delay By Meghan Sharber @meghan_olivia02 The wait has officially come to an end as Texas A&M football prepares to open the 2020 season against Vanderbilt this Saturday. Senior linebacker Buddy Johnson said despite the uncertainties of COVID-19, the team is ready for its first game. “From the moment that we knew we were going to play or even they said that we may not, we were still preparing to play,” Johnson said. “Coach [Jimbo] Fisher would tell us to not wait to play — prepare to play. The team is fired up and ready to go.” Senior quarterback Kellen Mond said it is

important to start this year off right and adjust to Kyle Field’s reduced capacity of 25 percent. The stadium’s normal seating capacity is 102,733, but attendance during the 2020 season will be limited to approximately 25,700. “I think we are still going to have a good turnout with the 12th Man,” Mond said. “It is definitely not going to be what it would be like 100 percent obviously, but that just puts more accountability on us as players. We have to be able to create that energy on the sideline and within our place.” While five players have decided to opt out this season, Fisher said he is understanding of the decision due to the current circumstances. “All of the things that have happened out there today in recent times, there are so many different ways on how they affect young men and families,” Fisher said. “We do not know GAME PREVIEW ON PG. 3

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Kyle Field’s new capacity will be around 25,000 to accommodate the 25 percent crowd limit.

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Finding a sense of security Corps Operations Officer Gracie Davis answers the guardroom phone, following the cadet escort script. Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

has safety options to assist them. Approximately 140 emergency phones on campus are a quick way to contact University Police. To find these phones, search “EmerBy Julia Potts gency Phone” on Aggie Maps or look for one @juliaapotts of the 12-foot poles with a blue light around the A&M campus. Upon finding a phone, Following recent crimes at and around those in need can immediately talk to a poTexas A&M, it is important for students and lice dispatcher, according to A&M’s Personal faculty to be aware of the safety resources on Safety Support Information. campus. “In an emergency, simply open the door Even with the presence of campus and local on the weatherproof box and press the red police departments, crimes, such as the Sept. 2 button,” the website reads. “The University sexual assault in front of Moses Hall, can still Police dispatcher will immediately know your happen. From the Corps of Cadets escorts, exact location. Talk directly into the speaker to Texas A&M CARPOOL, to emergency in the center of the phone.” phones, anyone feeling unsafe around campus Another safety service is the A&M CARPOOL Service which operates around Northgate, across from campus. According to the CARPOOL website, passengers do not have to be an Aggie, be intoxicated or even be a student to utilize this service, which can be reached at 979693-9905. To comply with COVID-19 guidelines, only three passengers will be allowed in a vehicle at a time. The service will resume on COMPETITIVE WAGE + CASH TIPS Sept. 25. “CARPOOL is a 200 UNIVERSITY DR E H 979.695.9200 student-run 501(c)(3) APPLY AT BUSHWOODINVESTMENTS.EFFICIENTAPPLY.COM non-profit organization

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serving the Bryan-College Station community with free rides home every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am during the spring and fall semesters,” the CARPOOL website reads. One of the Corps of Cadets’ safety features is the long-standing Corps escort service, available to all students and faculty. International studies senior Gracie Davis is the Corps Operations Officer, with a primary focus on the Corps guardroom, where the service operates from. “Every year for the last 30-plus years, we’ve had cadets sit every night during the academic school year, unless there’s a university holiday,” Davis said. “On the back of the student IDs, there’s a number that people can call when you’re out on campus and you’re not feeling safe in some way, or just feel like they need a bit of extra added assurance that they’re going to get to their dorms alright.” Davis said when someone calls the guardroom, a cadet will answer and ask them where they are, for a description of their clothing and where they would like to go. A cadet will then go and meet the caller and walk with them, making sure they get to where they need to be, safely. Some adjustments have been made to accommodate COVID-19 precautions, Davis said. On a typical night, there would be six cadets in the guardroom, but due to limited capacity, only three stay in the guardroom with the other three remaining in their dorms. Then, if there is a call, the guardroom cadets will notify the cadets in their dorms. “It’s a 24-hour manned shift on the week-

ends,” Davis said. “During the academic day, they start at around 5 p.m. and go up until 8 a.m. the next morning, and are on call during the normal school day.” Each night, a different Corps outfit will man the guardroom, waiting for calls and performing the nightly guardroom procedures. Davis said any cadet answering the phone will follow the same script: “Howdy, Corps of Cadets guardroom. Cadet so-and-so speaking. How may I help you?” Additionally, every outfit who sits in the guardroom must fill out paperwork, containing official documentation of everyone working, every call the room gets and the details of every escort performed by a cadet. “There’s a checklist that they have to go through starting up in the morning, all the way down to when they finish and brief the next outfit coming in, letting them know what happened the night before,” Davis said. Davis said the larger outfits usually work in the guardroom on the weekends, since the service typically receives more calls Thursday through Sunday. Davis said she thinks the Corps Escort Service is a valuable resource on campus and encouraged anyone and everyone to call if they feel the slightest bit unsafe. “I think with us staying up all night, us being on call like this, people know that we’re here, [but] a lot of the time they just don’t call,” Davis said. “So, I think having cadets here on campus, us knowing where everything is, being able to find you quickly and get you to where you’re supposed to be is a great way to feel that sense of security.”

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CHRISTIAN FACULTY NETWORK

We are a group of professors, instructors, lecturers, and administrators united by our common experience that Jesus Christ provides intellectual and spiritually satisfying answers to life’s most important questions. We are available to students, faculty, and staff who might like to discuss such questions with us. For more information about the Christian Faculty Network and its activities, please visit our website: http://cfn.tamu.edu Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Senior quarterback Kellen Mond is currently in third place in the A&M record books for both career passing yards and career passing touchdowns.

MOND CONTINUED through his journey from backup, to inexperienced starter, to seasoned team leader is his self-confidence. A year ago, Mond caught national attention when he declared himself the “best quarterback in the SEC” at the conference’s Media Days. Though his decree didn’t ring true in 2019, he said he is even more confident in himself heading into this season. “Last year, my fear of failure at times was pretty high,” Mond said. “Coming back, throughout this whole COVID and quarantine, being able to sit back and evaluate myself and look myself in the mirror and figure out what I need to do to help my team and different ways I can lead and elevate this team. Where I’m at mentally, I don’t think I’ve been at this mindset in a really long time. I feel really good and I think this team is really feeding off my mentality right now.” While his outward confidence was present last year, Mond said he worked on internalizing it and learned to trust himself more during the offseason. “Last year, you can look at one play from each game, more in certain games, where certain throws are not very accurate because I didn’t trust the receiver, I didn’t trust myself on making that throw,” Mond said. “Taking this whole time off, just continuing to work on my craft, especially [in our first practice] I felt every ball was coming out of my hands exactly how I wanted it. I was playing with 100 percent conviction. That’s where I wanted to get to with my mentality.” Though he underwent a change in mindset over the offseason, Mond said his sentiments from last summer still apply. “Every time I step on the field, my mindset is I always think I’m the best player,” Mond said. “If I said I wasn’t, I don’t think I’d be doing the right thing giving my teammates confidence. I feel really confident going into this season, and I look forward to executing in Game 1 and then moving on from there.”

On Sept. 17, the SEC released its all-conference preseason teams, chosen by the league’s coaches. Mond made the Second Team list behind Florida’s Kyle Trask who was First Team quarterback. Even if he doesn’t end the season as the best signal caller in the conference, Mond could seal himself as the best quarterback in A&M football history. Mond is 633 yards away from setting the career passing yards record, currently holding third place. He is also third in career passing touchdowns with 52, just 15 shy of Jerrod Johnson’s 67, and second in single game passing touchdowns with six, just trailing Dustin Long’s seven from 2002. Mond is fifth in single season passing yards and touchdowns, with 3,107 and 24 respectively. He is also eighth in A&M’s single game passing yards record with 430 against Clemson in 2018. Mond said getting so close to the top of the record books is proof his hard work is paying off. “It means a lot,” Mond said. “I’ve been through a lot while I’ve been here at A&M and I’ve set really high expectations for myself and being able to be so close and allowing myself in those record books is something that I wanted when I was a true freshman, something that I worked for. It’s going to be super exciting once that time comes. For me it’s a big deal, but I just want to take it one game at a time and I want to execute one game at a time as best I can.” Mond is heading into his final year of eligibility with an offseason full of self-reflection behind him. Whether he ends the season as the best quarterback at A&M, in the SEC or in the nation, what’s important to Mond is that he simply does the best he can. “Throughout quarantine, I looked over every single play that I ever ran my junior year, and I just wanted to evaluate myself and figure out what I could do better and figure out the best way to improve myself,” Mond said. “This year I’m on a mission not only for myself, but for my teammates. I want to be a great leader and elevate everybody and take them to higher levels.”

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about all of the family effects, and there are a lot of things that happen. We wish those guys nothing but the best. It is unprecedented times right now, and a lot of players have stepped up.” Vanderbilt has a new defensive coordinator, Ted Roof, but Mond said the Aggies have bought in as a team and are prepared for the unexpected. “The defense may carry over the same scheme, but it’s different players,” Mond said. “From the offensive side, we will keep our base passes and base runs and figure out what everyone is comfortable with. Whatever we get from their defense, all of our same principles will apply.” Fisher said Vanderbilt’s defense is extremely diverse, technical and well-coached.

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“Everything is a fight, and Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason will make you earn every yard,” Fisher said. “There are no gifts. He has done a great job as a coach and then you combine Ted Roof, it is a very difficult preparation.” Sophomore running back Ainias Smith said playing football has allowed him to build a brotherhood with his teammates. “I know we are all working toward one goal,” Smith said. “With all of us working toward the same goal, you can see all of the benefits through everybody, and I am just glad to see it.” The Aggies are coming off a 8-5 finish in 2019, including a victory against Oklahoma State at the Academy Sports & Outdoors Texas Bowl game. A&M will host its first home game of the season against Vanderbilt on Saturday at Kyle Field. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

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The Battalion | 9.24.20

via Aggieland Mariachi Facebook

The members of Aggieland Mariachi performed at the 2020 Texas Independence Day Fest at the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park.

Honoring Hispanic heritage through performance Aggieland Mariachi celebrates Mexican culture through music By Jacob Gauthier @StoryweaverJ Throughout the year, Aggieland Mariachi brings Mexican culture to Texas A&M’s campus through its traditional style of music performance. Aggieland Mariachi was founded by a group of students in fall 2002. Since then, the mariachi band has grown in size and popularity, performing at many high-profile events in the past few years, including the Houston Rodeo, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, and the Texas Independence Day celebration at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Even though the organization has existed for almost two decades, it only started gaining notoriety in 2012, the group’s senior academic advisor Roy Lopez said. That year, Lopez took the members of Aggieland Mariachi on a recruiting trip to the

UIL Mariachi State Festival, a state competition for high school mariachi bands held in San Antonio. However, Aggieland Mariachi could not afford to buy the outfits usually worn by mariachi players, called the traje de charro. “We didn’t have any money at all,” Lopez said. “So, we wore a polo shirt that said Texas A&M, black pants and some shoes that we had.” Despite not dressing the part, the mariachi performed for the audience. Soon after the festival, Lopez received a check for $10,000 from an anonymous donor to buy traje de charro outfits. Aggieland Mariachi also received a combined donation of $70,000 from Renato Ramirez, president and CEO of the International Bank of Commerce in Zapata, and A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. Lopez said Aggieland Mariachi was finally recognized by the university and had enough money to buy the customary outfits, as well as the instruments needed because of how well the members performed on that trip.

“I told [the members], it’s not how you look, it’s how you play, how you sound,” Lopez said. “Put your heart into it…people will not judge you by the way you look, they’re going to go, ‘Man, they sound great!’ That’s what matters.” Aggieland Mariachi president and psychology senior Sabrina Cuadra said she came to A&M looking for an organization where she could fit in and explore her culture since she wasn’t given the opportunity in high school. “I’m also very music-oriented,” Cuadra said. “I grew up playing piano, playing [the] violin and stuff like that…so I was kind of looking for a combination of [these two qualities in an organization]. Somehow mariachi came into play, so I found them at MSC Open House, and I thought, ‘You know what, I’ll give it a shot.’” Cuadra said she has enjoyed her time in Aggieland Mariachi, going from someone who had never played in a mariachi before, to the organization’s president. “After I joined the organization, I think it

was a combination of the music, the performance aspect [and] the people I was performing with that brought me into it,” Cuadra said. “I ended up falling in love with the organization, the people there, the music and everything.” Vice President and political science junior Adrian Moreno said he joined the group because he was interested in playing mariachi in a collegiate setting while delving into his cultural roots. “Seeing that I get to wear the uniform, sing songs and meet people that all have a common heritage, culture and language is enticing to me,” Moreno said. “I was in mariachi in high school, and to know that there’s a mariachi at A&M was all the better.” If students are interested in joining the organization, Cuadra said they should not let their musical skill level stop them. “We accept musicians of any skill level – it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or expert – we don’t care,” Cuadra said. “As long as you want to join, it’s all good with us.”

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The Battalion | 9.24.20

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, visited the College Station vaccine facility and spoke with campus leaders before briefing the press on Sept. 22.

White House’s Dr. Birx visits A&M Coronavirus response coordinator briefs public on vaccine progress By Julia Potts @juliaapotts United States Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator and U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy Dr. Deborah Birx visited Texas A&M for a press briefing discussing COVID-19 in universities. Currently, Birx serves as the coronavirus response coordinator, working on the White House Coronavirus Task Force since February this year. The Sept. 22 briefing took place on campus in the 21st Century Classroom Building, following Birx’s introduction to members of A&M and a tour of COVID-19 testing and

vaccine facilities in College Station. She was joined at the briefing by System Chancellor John Sharp and President Michael K. Young. Sharp began the briefing by welcoming Birx and followed with an update on COVID-19’s presence in A&M’s 11 system schools. “[There are] an awful lot of roles at Texas A&M and A&M system in place with regard to coronavirus and the $14 million dollars of testing that we do in our system and our Health Science Center,” Sharp said. Next, Young discussed Birx’s comments about the way A&M has been responding to the pandemic since March. “I appreciate [Birx’s] comments that the university seems to be surrounding this perhaps well,” Young said. “We appreciate that insight, as well.” The floor was then opened up for Birx to

speak about her visit, followed by a question and answer session. Birx commented on the speed in which the testing and vaccine facilities were established on campus and in College Station in response to the pandemic. “We’re used to the independence of Texas, but I think what I witnessed today, from both the students, the faculty and frankly, the community, is a sense that independence linked to selfless respect for others,” Birx said. Birx said A&M has one of the lowest infection rates that she has seen among universities, with clinical testing positivity at 10.2 percent and my random testing positivity at 1.6 percent for the week ending on Sept. 12. Additionally, she said A&M students treated the Bryan-College Station community much like how they treated family, with selfless service. “We like to call it now, physical distancing

with social interaction,” Birx said. “People can understand the need to be together socially, but physically distant. The linking of this behavior to their core, fundamental values at this institution relate to respect for others.” Among the 15 universities Birx has visited so far, she said there were different beneficial practices and techniques for preventing the spread of COVID-19. She also said, like other schools, A&M has done well due to the faculty’s quick response to the virus after the outbreak in spring 2020. “[We are] really trying to compile for the institutions of higher education, what is the secret sauce?” Birx said. “And our secret sauce it seems, so far, across all the universities that have been able to open and stayed open, is they spent the spring and summer working together, learning together.” Birx also said most of the individuals who have died from COVID-19 had underlying factors that made them more susceptible to it. Birx said the main issue in creating a vaccine is finding one that accommodates all demographics, especially ones that are more at risk. “We obviously want to vaccinate [susceptible] individuals as soon as possible to protect them from this virus,” Birx said. “What we need to have [is] a vaccine that is efficacious and safe in that group, and that’s really what will determine when they will be immunized.” A major factor in determining how and when a vaccine will become available, according to Birx, is how many of the vaccines scientists are working on now will be effective, and how many doses of the right vaccine will be available. She then referred to the six different types of vaccines scientists are working on now. “We have, on paper, enough vaccines to immunize everyone. The question is [whether] all six candidates work,” Birx said. “Some of these candidates… can produce a lot quickly and some of them produce a certain other amount per month.” Assistant Professor for the School of Public Health Rebecca Fischer said future events, such as the upcoming Vanderbilt game, might affect that status of COVID-19 on campus. “I’m hopeful and then curious to see how that’s going to play out on the other side,” Fischer said. “If we do have cases that originate from social gatherings that surround that football game, or other sporting events, then we would expect to see those show up.” Fischer said she remains hopeful because of the students’ reception to the COVID-19 guidelines and safety suggestions. As of Sept. 19 there are 311 active cases among A&M faculty, students and staff. For more information on COVID-19’s campus presence, visit the A&M COVID-19 Dashboard.

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The Battalion | 9.24.20

5 things to watch for during A&M-Vanderbilt Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Senior Ryan McCollum will replace Colton Prater, Class of 2020, at center for the upcoming season.

By Emily Wedemeyer @emilynwed

It’s been 38 weeks since a Texas A&M football game, the most recent one being the 2019 Texas Bowl win over Oklahoma State. Following an unusually long offseason, the Aggies will host Vanderbilt at

Constantinou’s debut

In addition to losing Smith as a receiver, the Aggies are also without veteran wide receivers Camron Buckley and Jhamon Ausbon. Saturday’s game will be an indicator of the new wide receivers’ ability to make big plays. Although wide receivers Kam Brown, Chase Lane, Demond Demas, Dylan Wright and Moose Muhammad III have little to no collegiate experience, they do have talent. As sophomores of the team, Caleb Chapman and Jalen Preston are expected to show up and show out on the field. The Commodores lost one of their best cornerbacks when Joejuan Williams entered the NFL this season, so the unranked team’s pass defense should allow A&M’s inexperienced receivers to see the field and gain confidence in themselves and each other.

Ainias Smith position change

Nik Constantinou will be a new name for A&M fans to learn. Constantinou, a redshirt freshman from Australia, is Braden Mann’s replacement as a punter. Mann broke numerous school and NCAA records and was awarded the 2018 Ray Guy Award. Constantinou booted a 57-yard punt in his debut last season against UTSA. After a year of perfecting his craft in Aggieland, Saturday will be his first true attempt at flipping the field. As a punter, he has the opportunity to gain momentum for the Aggies in pinning their opponent deep into their own territory.

Young wide receiver talent

Kyle Field on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. to kick off the 10-game, conference-only football season.

Ainias Smith is another key player to watch for on Saturday as he sports a new number and position this season. Smith played in 12 games his freshman season as a receiver and had 22 receptions for 248 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He now joins Isaiah Spiller as a running back. The duo should be a valuable weapon for the Aggie offense and a reliable means of driving down field against Vanderbilt’s mediocre run defense which allowed 208.8 yards per game on the ground last season.

Experienced offensive line One area in which A&M does have experience is in its offensive line, another key unit to observe this weekend. Senior offensive linemen Carson Green, Dan Moore and sophomore Kenyon Green were recognized as third team members of the 2020 Preseason coaches allSEC football team. Carson Green and Moore started in all 13 games their sophomore and junior seasons while Kenyon Green started in all 13 last season as a true freshman. The trio is joined by fifthyear player Ryan McCollum who is expected to fill the void of center, now that Colton Prater has graduated. Another offensive linemen that has proven to be valuable in the trenches is senior right guard Jared Hocker.

Home-field advantage One final element to consider at Saturday’s game is whether a limited capacity of fans at Kyle Field is able to offer a home-field advantage. In what is usually a roaring atmosphere full of tens of thousands of students on their feet, will now consist of significantly less fans and a lack of presence from the Aggie band, Yell Leaders and cannon celebration. A&M prides itself on the hostile environment that Kyle Field proves to be. As ESPN’s College GameDay commentator Kirk Herbstreit once said, A&M has “the best student section in college football.” With only a fraction of the 12th Man allowed to attend the game in order to comply with social distancing guidelines, it will be interesting to see what advantage, if any, Kyle Field will give the Aggies over Vanderbilt.

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The Battalion | 9.24.20

AROUND THE SEC A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE FOR WEEK 1

By Casey Stavenhagen @CStavenhagen

Of the 14 teams in the SEC, eight are in the AP Top 25 Poll — B1G and PAC 12 teams not included — as of Sept. 20. Arguably the toughest conference in college football, the SEC has more ranked teams than any other conference, trailed by the ACC with six ranked teams. Saturday marks the opening of the delayed 2020-2021 football season

No. 2 Alabama at Missouri

No. 5 Florida at Ole Miss

Saturday, Sept. 26 — Faurot Field — Columbia, Mo. 7 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday, Sept. 26 — Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — Oxford, Miss. 12 p.m. on ESPN A strong 2019-2020 showing of 11-2 from the Gators have led to their No. 5 ranking this year. One of Florida’s most important questions will be their rushing game, which was notably weak last year, sitting at No. 102 in rushing offense. A significant amount of gained experience and returners on their offensive line should improve their ground game, particularly against a weakened Ole Miss defensive line missing all of last season’s starters. Florida’s strength will likely be shown through the air though, with a returning near-3,000 yard passer in Kyle Trask as QB1, accompanied by vital targets wide receiver Trevon Grimes and tight end Kyle Pitts that went for 1,140 combined receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2019. The Rebels’

for the SEC in its conference-only play. The SEC’s Week 1 takes things relatively easy, only seeing one ranked teams’ clash in the seven upcoming games. A quartet of new SEC head coaches looks to prove themselves by facing against top-10 opponents.

hopes are high for new head coach Lane Kiffin, coming off of a three-year stint with Florida Atlantic and has led the Owls to two C-USA titles. This game will serve as the proving ground for Ole Miss starting quarterback Matt Corral, who neared 1,400 passing yards in 10 games played with just four starts. It is time to see if he can stand up against the “big dog” defenses of the SEC, or if he will be replaced by backup John Rhys Plumlee, who proved to be a dangerous running quarterback in 2019 with 1,023 yards on the ground in eight starts. The Rebels’ inexperienced defense makes Ole Miss’ best chance at winning on Saturday to be via a shootout. However, a stiff Gators’ defense that has gained experience with few losses makes it a challenging task. Prediction: Florida 41, Ole Miss 20

Last year was fairly underwhelming for Tuscaloosa. An unrivaled LSU team, an injured Tua Tagovailoa and a missed field goal in the Iron Bowl kept Alabama from the College Football Playoffs for the first time since its adoption. Quarterback Mac Jones stepped up to the task well despite coming short of Alabama’s standards, throwing for 1,500 yards in 11 games, at an almost 70 percent completion rate. His return, now with more experience under his belt, accompanied by Najee Harris returning to running back, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith returning from a 14 touchdown year in 2019, makes Alabama poised to come out on top of the SEC East in 2020. Within the last decade, Alabama has proved to be a team that can handle losses well because of tremendous recruiting power and depth. Where depth will prove the biggest challenge is the secondary: the Crimson Tide lost four of its best starters, and newcomers

will miss out on tune-up games due to COVID-19. The veteran coaching staff should make any transition for the powerhouse team as easy as possible, however. For Missouri, new head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, who led Appalachian State to a 12-1 record in 2019, steps up looking to improve upon a program that has only beaten one AP Top 25 team in the last three years. Drinkwitz will be assisted by a solid, but not deep, returning defensive unit and coaching staff that will surely be this team’s highlight. The quarterback situation is unknown, as Missouri is down 12 unspecified players due to COVID-19. The outlook is bleak for a reliable performance this season and the chances to notch a win against the Crimson Tide seems to be slim-to-none. Assuming the 12 players are not defensive pieces, Missouri may slow down a potent Alabama offense, but offensive shortages will prevent a win. Prediction: Alabama 35, Mizzou 6

WEEK 1: STAFF PICKS A&M vs. Vanderbilt

Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network

Brady Stone

Editor-in-chief @bradystonex

The last time Vanderbilt posted a winning record, Flappy Bird was still available for download.

BRADY

Hannah Underwood

CAMRYN HANNAH

Sports Editor @hannahbunderwoo

I think the Commodores are going to be opting out this weekend.

JENNY

Meredith Seaver

Photo Chief @MeredithSeaver

MEREDITH

Vandy should hop on the first train out of College Station. Google Vanderbilt and railraods. Learn!

Camryn Lang

Managing Editor @CamrynLang

My season prediction is 1-9 and this is our only chance.

Jennifer Streeter

Assistant Sports Editor @jennystreeter3

The biggest plot twist of the season would be if we lose this game. But then at least Meredith could stop talking about trains!

Cori Eckert

Head Page Designer @corieckert

Vandy isn’t BILT for Texas, they can book their flight back to Tennessee.

CORI

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OPINION

The Battalion | 9.24.20

So why is A&M prioritizing one tradition over another, making every concession to the football team but not to the Aggies who are no longer with us? The COVID-19 pandemic is an excuse rather than a legitimate justification. There is no reason both football and Silver Taps can’t be held in-person. Based on this prioritization, I can’t help but fear A&M may have answered the mighty dollar’s call. They have elevated ticket sales and TV deals over tradition and the student body. I hope I’m wrong. I came to A&M because it was a bastion of virtue and character amid a sea of corporations masquerading as universities. Our history and traditions appeared to mean something, with the Aggie Spirit flowing through every nook and cranny on campus. Now, the only conclusion I can come to is that the primary quality separating us from the school down the road in Austin is the student body’s commitment to preserving the Aggie Spirit. In our bleak, soulless and polarized world, in which public institutions increasingly attach a numerical value to human life, the Aggie Spirit shines a light through the darkness. All Aggies are family. We may argue and scuffle with one another, but the bonds forged during our time in College Station are lifelong. When a member of our family is lost prematurely, the Aggie community should have the privilege of honoring them with the same reverence that we have always accorded during Silver Taps (with appropriate COVID-19 precautions). We now have a lonely new reality where grief is more difficult because we cannot physMeredith Seaver — THE BATTALION ically mourn together. This pain is only Opinion writer Garion Frankel discusses his thoughts about the transition to online Silver Taps. made worse by critics perceiving this as a financially-motivated change. If finances are indeed the motive for moving Silver Taps online, then decision-makers disrespect both fallen Aggies and the Silver Taps tradition. The university still has time to reaffirm its commitment to our core values and make its motives clear. Students should never be an afterthought in upper-level first game of the season, A&M, in cowith COVID-19 mitigation policies discussions. We are the university’s lifeordination with the Traditions Council, in place, any football game is a rowdy Garion Frankel blood, and putting purely financial interreleased a statement informing the Aggie event that presents multiple public health ests over ours could compromise A&M’s @FrankelGarion community that Silver Taps would be challenges. history and legacy. Football is a part of held online for the fall semester. Some For example, loud cheering or singing the Aggie experience too. There’s nothn Aug. 17, The Paul Finebaum students attended in person anyway, increases the risk of COVID-19 transing wrong with keeping as many football Show unveiled Texas A&M and I applaud them for it. The reasons mission (even with masks), while copious traditions as possible during these times. football’s triumphant return, with for the move to a virtual format were amounts of alcohol damage the immune That being said, A&M should have the the Aggies hosting Vanderbilt at a “health and safety concerns” related to system and make complications from decency to do the same for fallen Aggies 25 percent capacity-restricted Kyle Field. the COVID-19 pandemic. This contrast COVID-19 more likely. Even though and their families. Silver Taps is safer to The return of college football, (in a sodoes not make sense epidemiologically. Kyle Field has suspended tailgating for hold in-person than football, and it won’t cially distanced fashion), will be catharIt is indefensible from an epidemiothe first game and could suspend alcohol cost the university a dime. tic, and I fully intend to watch the game logical perspective for the university to sales, fans will still find a way to drink Students have proven that the Aggie with my family while gorging on pizza. bend over backward to accommodate before the game. Such rowdiness would values the university claims to uphold are However, the Aggies never play a in-person attendance for college footnever be on display or tolerated at a alive and well — administrators should game at Kyle Field without the 12th ball games while Silver Taps is unceresocially distanced Silver Taps. Moreover, do the same. Man, (whom, I would argue, encapsumoniously moved online until further the only sounds are the crack of the lates the Aggie Spirit), and the 12th Man notice. Both football and Silver Taps three-volley salute, the Albritton Bell Gary Frankel is a university studies junior includes those students we have tragiare outdoors, hence the very low-risk Tower’s soft chiming and the bugles’ and opinion writer for The Battalion. cally lost during their time at A&M. On events, but the former is riskier. Even music. the same day Finebaum announced the

The call of the mighty dollar

Opinion writer Garion Frankel says A&M should honor fallen Aggies with an in-person Silver Taps ceremony