Last year’s matchup between Auburn and Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium was a doozy.

To outsiders, it felt like a meaningless battle as the Tigers and Aggies were both tied for last in the SEC West. But for the two participating programs, there was a lot of pride on the line. That was especially the case for Auburn as it was in its second game under interim head coach Cadillac Williams, who was still looking for his first win with the interim tag.

Auburn went on to win last year’s low-scoring affair 13-10.

On Saturday, the two teams are set to renew the matchup, this time at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field.

Here’s everything Texas A&M (2-1) said ahead of the Tigers’ (3-0) visit to College Station on Saturday afternoon:

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher

On last week’s 47-3 win over Louisiana-Munroe: “Happy with the guys and the performance on Saturday to come out very focus with great intent. What I was happy about, we executed throughout the ball game, played to really good standard and played well. But then didn’t let up and stayed focused… Moved the ball on offense, made plays on defense, special team guys did a really good job.”

On turning the attention to Auburn: “We played a really solid game and they stayed playing that way all the way through the game and kept a good standard. And we’re going to have to this week. We’re playing a very good Auburn team. Auburn is 3-0 and is very physical, as always.

On Auburn’s defense: Auburn is always a physical football team defensively, upfront and inside they’re big, man. 50 (Marcus Harris) and those inside guys are physical. Really strong, big guys that are hard to move once you get their guys inside. And like I said, 99 (Jayson Jones) and 50 are great, big guys. The linebacker, 9 (Eugene Asante) can run like heck. I know 6 (Austin Keys) has got a broken thumb, I don’t know if he’ll be back or not. But Nixon does a great job. In the secondary, (DJ) James is a really good player. The Nickle 0 (Keionte Scott), the Nickle 5 (Donovan Kaufman), those guys standout. Safeties tackle well. 1 (Nehemiah Pritchett) hasn’t played all year… Pritchett… but he along with the other corners (Kayin) Lee and those guys, they’re all really good players. And he’s played so to get those guys back, so it’ll be good in the secondary. Constant pressures, different coverages, mixing coverages in the secondary.”

On Auburn’s offense: “Quarterback Payton Thorne has played a lot of football at Michigan State. Was a starter — a two- or three-year starter, I believe. Had a great week last week as he rushed for, I think, 127 yards and threw for 260, 270 or whatever it was. He can throw the football. (Robby) Ashford behind him is athletic, big strong… they use him in the red zone, tight zone and he runs the football and mixes things in different packages. But the quarterback is a really good player. The (running backs)… (Jarquez) Hunter is strong, the other backs are fast, athletic. Jay Fair, the receiver, we knew he was from Texas, we recruited him and he transferred back into there. A slot that does a great job for them. The big guy (Shane) Hooks from Jackson State is a very good player. Tight end, athletic. 13 (Rivaldo Fairweather) can catch and run and vert. Tackles are big and physical.”

On Auburn’s special teams: “The punter (Oscar Chapman) has about a 42-, 43-yard average with a 4.2 hang. He does a great job, the returners are good. The kickoff guy and field goal guy, (Alex) McPherson, his brother is the one in the NFL and we recruited this guy he’s a really good player. So I mean, they’re sound all the way across.”

On the matchup problems Rivaldo Fairweather creates and who the Aggies might use to defend him: “It just depends if you’re zone or man or how you’re playing or what your other schemes are. He’s long, he’s athletic… the verticality in tight ends how I measure those guys. Those guys can get vertical and catch a ball down the field, which he can. Great ball skills, man. It becomes hard a matchup. And they make you play the middle of the field. If you don’t have to respect the middle of the field, defensively, if you can be light there, you can double the guys outside and play. But when you can’t do that and the things he brings to the middle of the field, it makes it very tough. And the schemes they use, they’re very… they do a good job on offense. But he’s a good player, man. Athletic.”

On his feel for Auburn’s new coaching staff: “I think you go back to their histories or past histories, too. I mean, guys don’t every deviate very far. You’re not going to say… Guys don’t go from running the wishbone to running to the run and shoot. Now, how they use their players, that’s the thing… you know, who their feature guy is, what are they trying to do different. They’re probably still learning their guys too a little bit and certain talents, how to feature guys to get them the ball or different things. But it stays relatively similar. But then again, that’s why you’ve gotta teach offense and defense. You’re teaching concepts.”

On his history coaching against Hugh Freeze: “We opened up the season with them one year. They had AJ (Green), they had all those receivers… it was a shootout. They (Ole Miss) were ahead like 24-6 or something and we come back to win (35-34)… Listen, Hugh is gonna be open. He’s gonna be wide open. He’s gonna be aggressive on offense, he’s gonna be dynamic, gonna create things on special teams, not afraid to call a fake, not afraid to do things. Very good coach, going to have his guys motivated and ready to play. Hugh is a good guy and a very good football coach.”