Texas A&M football is known for its consistency: the in-stadium traditions, the always loyal and numerous fanbase, and endlessly frustrating mediocrity.However, the Aggies began the year by breaking this trend with a heart-stopping last second 41-40 win over Notre Dame, avenging last year’s loss. With all the excitement from this win, let’s figure out just how much the Aggies can accomplish this season.
Following a blown lead to end the year in the Las Vegas Bowl against USC last season, Head Coach Mike Elko said in a press conference, “We can’t cover the forward pass well enough to be a good football team and so, that’s my fault.”
Elko is a great coach and leader. He knows his errors and works hard so the team can overcome them.
It is arguable that the team’s biggest limitation right now on defense remains to be the pass coverage.
In the win over Notre Dame, the Aggie defense allowed almost 300 yards through the air. The team did well enough containing running back Jeremiah Love on the ground, but they very much struggled to stop the run against UTSA in the season opener, showing vulnerability in the rush defense as well.
So far, it’s felt as if the team has won in spite of the defense instead of because of them. Each side of the defense has played well at different times, but they need to complement each other.
That said, their week 5 game against Auburn showed a glimmer of hope as the defense dominated all fronts and held the Tigers to just 10 points, showing a trend in the right direction and giving the Aggies their first 4-0 start since 2016.
They will be led by Captain Taurean York, Cashius Howell, and Will Lee III.
On the other side of the ball, we have more positivity. New receivers, Mario Craver and K.C. Concepcion has been tearing through opposing defenses. Both are top ten in receiving yards in the SEC, with Craver also being ranked 7th nationally, thanks to the efforts of quarterback Marcel Reed, who is returning his dynamic playmaking from last year. Reed also ranks top ten in passing yards in the conference.
Rounding out the offensive attack is the running back core consisting of Le’Veon Moss, Reuben Owens II, and Amari Daniels. Moss returns his rushing dominance ranking 10th in rushing yards in the conference. To maintain a balanced attack, he will have to stay healthy unlike last season, alongside support from the other two backs.
So, the Aggies have talented play makers on both sides of the ball, but have been holding themselves back due to an egregious number of penalties. Over the season, they have amounted 38 for over 300 penalized yards and plenty of missed scoring opportunities.
According to Coach Elko, “It’s got to get fixed.” As the current state of things go, the Aggies biggest foe has been themselves due to this issue.
One last struggle is the kicking game, which has been disappointing. Place kicker Randy Bond currently has a 60% completion rate, leaving a lot of points on the field.
Ultimately, the Aggies have the players, coaching, and experience to break their 8-game ceiling and push to the SEC title and College Football Playoffs. However, defensive inconsistencies and penalty issues raise questions. If the Aggies can answer them, the sky is the limit; if they can’t correct these issues, another 8-win season seems likely. However, I believe in our team, and I hope you can too.