Texas A&M didn’t make it easy but a win is a win
I think my heart stopped when Le’Veon Moss had the ball punched out in the 4th Quarter but the Aggies managed to survive and secure another win. It wasn’t pretty and I have a feeling that many Texas A&M fans will be disappointed.
The Aggies will need to improve dramatically in the rest of conference play to avoid a disappointing season but better to be talking about improvements after a win than a loss.
Marcel Reed
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Marcel Reed came back to Earth in his second start at quarterback for Texas A&M. The throws weren’t great for Reed but his legs managed to generate some decent plays. He needs to be more accurate as the Aggies get into conference play.
Reed did have 91 yards on the ground and given the aerial struggles, his runs were huge. Through the air, Reed was 16/29 for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
Offensive Line
The first half marked the worst performance of the season for this unit as Texas A&M struggled to get anything going in the run game. Pass protection was a little bit better but after thoroughly dominating the Florida Gators last week, this was a disappointing performance. Texas A&M also lost TJ Shanahan early on with Kolinu’u Faaiu stepping into fill the role at center. That marks the second significant injury for Texas A&M at the position with Mark Nabou already out for the year.
The run game was better in the second half but only slightly. If A&M wants to be competitive in SEC play it will take a much better effort through the remainder of the season.
Setting the Edge
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The Aggies struggled to set the edge in the run game once again this week. This is a concerning trend moving forward as they will face teams in conference play with much more speed on the edge.
Texas A&M absolutely has to get better against the perimeter run as the season continues as another performance like this will spell disaster for the Aggies against squads like Mizzou and LSU who can capitalize.
Buckling Down
For a big piece of the first half, Bowling Green had the ball with decent field position. For Texas A&M to limit the damage to just three points in the first half was impressive. This contest could’ve very easily been a one-score contest at halftime had this defense failed to rise to the occasion.
In the third quarter, Bowling Green blocked a punt to start with first and goal. Once again the Aggies buckled down and forced a field goal – a kick that the Falcons missed to maintain a 20-17 lead. The Aggies got a field goal on the ensuing possession to take a 23-17 lead.
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The defense did limit the Bowling Green offense to just 89 yards rushing. That’s something to build off of.
Harrold Fannin Jr.
I have to mention the star tight end for Bowling Green. He is a hell of a player and gave the Aggies fits all night. Texas A&M knew he would be a problem going in. Let this serve as a lesson for when the Aggies face targets that can take over a game as the season goes on. In particular, I’m worried about Luther Burden from Mizzou.
A win is a win. It wasn’t an impressive performance but the Aggies got the job done. We move on to the next week.
BTHOarkansas