Texas Football: 5 reasons 2018 Longhorns would beat Aggies

5. Sam Ehlinger better than Kellen Mond

Both rising junior quarterbacks Sam Ehlinger and Kellen Mond had breakthrough seasons in 2018. Ehlinger did clearly emerge among the two as the more valuable player to his team and more statistically superior. Mond had more interceptions and less total touchdowns than Ehlinger. That came by a decent margin too.

The biggest factor between Ehlinger and Mond facing off in a revival of the Lone Star Showdown is how each will fair against the other’s defense. Texas football is well-prepared to handle the run-heavy scheme of the Aggies. Texas A&M also had some up and down performances against defenses that had a lot of speed like the Horns.

Texas would have to do its best job to keep Mond uncomfortable in the pocket, but contain his ability to run when the pocket breaks down. Mond was elusive this past season, with nearly 500 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. In general, we know how dangerous Mond can be when he uses his legs as a weapon.

We can’t overlook the amount of impact Ehlinger’s legs and power run ability would have on the talented, but prone, Texas A&M defensive line. Ehlinger posted three rushing touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia. If the Horns could do what teams like the LSU Tigers and Auburn Tigers did to the Aggies, it could be a long day for Fisher’s defense.