The Texas A&M Aggies might be 18-point underdogs on the road against the Clemson Tigers on Saturday afternoon, but at least one Aggie is feeling confident about his team’s chances of pulling off an upset. Left guard Jared Hocker told assembled media that the Aggies would go into Death Valley and pull off an upset, adding fire to one of the season’s best non-conference games.
Jared Hocker is confident that the Aggies will defeat Clemson on Saturday. “There will be an upset.” pic.twitter.com/tqbVqYlAe6
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) September 2, 2019
Hocker started eight games last season before going down with a season-ending knee injury against Mississippi State. He was on the field for Texas A&M’s narrow 28-26 defeat at the hands of Clemson in Kyle Field last season, the closest game the Tigers played all year on their way to the national championship.
Although the final score was close, the Aggies only led for a little over three minutes, and they were playing from behind most of the game. A Texas A&M touchdown with less than a minute remaining gave the Aggies the chance to tie if they converted a two-point conversion, but they were unable to do so, allowing Clemson to escape College Station with a win.
Jimbo Fisher after he was informed that OL Jared Hocker said "there will be an upset Saturday" at Clemson: "Well, he better play well."
— Chuck Carlton (@ChuckCarltonDMN) September 2, 2019
When Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher was informed of Hocker’s comments earlier today, he seemed to brush them off without chastising his player:
“You have a great respect for them, but you also have to go compete. Any time you line up to play, you expect to be successful. … I’m glad they’re confident, but what Jared said doesn’t need to be said. … After the first two hits of the game, that stuff all goes away anyway.”
Clemson hammered Georgia Tech 52-14 on Thursday night, but Trevor Lawrence had an uncharacteristic poor performance. Lawrence went 13-23 for 168 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and the Heisman Trophy contender must play better in Death Valley this Saturday. If he doesn’t, Hocker’s prediction could bear out.
H/T TexAgs and ESPN
