That’s the way to get a first win.
In front of 90,000 strong on a beautiful Saturday morning, the Fightin’ Texas Aggies were able to get their first win of the season in a comfortable 52-10 result over the visiting McNeese State Cowboys. Led by an extremely efficient first-half effort, the Aggies were able to start fast and not let up at all against an overmatched opponent en route to an easy victory for the good guys and Mike Elko’s first W as the head coach of the Maroon and White.
I know it’s only McNeese, but it’s a much-needed result that brings some encouragement and good vibes back to the program after a disheartening first week, a loss that maybe got worse after the then-#5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost in the upset of the season so far, falling to a previously-unranked Northern Illinois team at home that were 28-point underdogs.
I’m not gonna dwell too much on that, though. Transitive property can only get you so far when dissecting college football, or any sport for that matter.
Overall, though, it was a good game for Texas A&M in a warm-up contest heading into next Saturday’s SEC opener in The Swamp. We’re here to break down and debrief some points from Saturday’s contest before a big one that is looming on the horizon.
Conner Weigman
He played better - a lot better. And that’s all I was really asking for on Saturday.
Yes, it’s McNeese. Yes, I know he only played a little under two quarters. But in the time he was playing, he was really sharp.
The footwork looked to be cleaned up. Weigman had some poise in the pocket. He was really efficient, finishing 11-for-14 for 125 yards and two touchdowns, including a great back-shoulder throw to Noah Thomas. He led the offense to five touchdowns in five drives. Would’ve liked to see him get the ball out a bit faster at times, but for the most part he was fine.
A really good, much-needed bounce back game for #15 resulted in him being the highest-graded quarterback in the nation in Week 2, according to Pro Football Focus.
Now, it’s time to keep that positive momentum rolling against a tougher opponent in a hostile environment next week. That game will be a big indicator as to how I feel about his outlook for the rest of this season.
The Strengths
While Weigman had a good game, I was more excited to see the potential of a good running game finally come to fruition.
This was supposed to be offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s bread-and-butter when he was hired from Kansas State, and the Aggies were able to torch the Cowboys on the ground after a tough showing against the Fighting Irish. After struggling to get much movement in Week 1, it felt like the Maroon Goons were just bossing the line of scrimmage all day en route to a whopping 333 yards on the ground on 38 carries for Texas A&M.
Le’Veon Moss got his first multi-touchdown game as an Aggie, averaging over 9 yards a carry. Amari Daniels added two touchdowns of his own. Terry Bussey took a well-blocked jet sweep 65 yards to the house. All six players who recorded rushing stats averaged at least five yards a touch.
In addition, Chase Bisontis, Dametrious Crownover, Reuben Fatheree, and Ar’Maj Reed-Adams all had big games on the o-line, especially in the running game. They were a big reason as to why that was able to hum all Saturday morning.
Unlocking this running game can really make this offense take off in the coming weeks as conference play looms.
I also think the secondary played another great game. McNeese couldn’t really pass the football at all (except at the end when all the backups were in). Will Lee and Marcus Ratcliffe - two major early standouts this season - notched their first interceptions in the Maroon and White and the Aggies’ first two takeaways on the season. The pass rush played a big role in those interceptions too, particularly on the Ratcliffe snag.
It’s early, but the pass coverage looks to be much better this year. It’ll be tested against better offenses later in the year like Missouri, LSU, and Texas, but the initial returns are promising.
The Depth
This majority of this contest was mainly used to give some of the backups and other depth some valuable in-game snaps to show what they have to offer as well as making their case to get some more playing time for the future.
And while there were some warts, there also was a lot of promise from a number of guys that were able to get some snaps on Saturday.
Rylan Kennedy got the second-most snaps on defense and continues to impress me. True freshman Jordan Lockhart showed some flashes in his first real game action. Solomon DeShields showed some great effort. Myles Davis had a hell of a first hit. Walk-on kickoff team! Terry Bussey showing his big-play ability on his first career touchdown!
A lot to like from the backups.
Run Defense
The one complaint I will probably take away from this game.
The run defense may be a problem.
After giving up close to 200 yards on the ground against Notre Dame, McNeese State were able to put up 180 yards in the running game against Texas A&M. The ground game was about ⅔ of the offensive production for the Cowboys on Saturday.
I understand the backups played a lot of this contest, but the starters were also on pace to give up over 100 yards in the running game against a team that really couldn’t throw the ball at all. It’s been mainly poor run fits in the gaps that have been the culprit, and I trust that it’ll be coached to be better as the season goes on, but there are legitimate concerns to be raised about this area of the defense, for as good as it’s been so far this year.
Something to keep an eye on.
Marcel Reed
After Conner Weigman bowed out of this one, it was the Marcel Reed show for the remainder of the game. The young signal-caller had his ups and downs, but overall it was nice to see him out there in some more real game action.
It ended up being about what I expected. Elite athleticism was on full display, with his dynamism on the ground being the main indicator of that. Rushing for 43 yards on 7 carries is really good for a quarterback. Throwing was a little bit of an adventure, going 5-for-11 for 71 yards, but it was his first game time in this new offense, and I think that consistency will come with more development.
Showed some flashes, no doubt, and he could be dangerous down the line. Liked seeing him get a ton of run in this one.
Cyrus Allen
Texas A&M right now is searching for a WR1.
If the first two games are any indication, the guy that is emerging and is most likely to fill that void has been Cyrus Allen, the Louisiana Tech transfer.
The only receiver so far to have hit triple-digit yardage on the young season, the former Bulldog has proved to have been a nice addition this past offseason, winning the battle for that starting slot role and running with it. He had five catches for 72 yards on Saturday to lead all Aggies, and his run-after-catch ability is something that can create a sorely-needed big-play threat for this offense.
I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him so far, even if he dropped a touchdown on a great throw from Weigman on Saturday. I hope he can continue to be a big part of this offense and the passing game as a whole.
That’ll basically do it for this game. It ended up being about what we expected - a tune-up. Very nice feel-good win. Now, a much bigger contest looms in the near distance. The first SEC game of the Elko Era. Big one on deck.
See you all soon for the preview.
-Sourav