Texas A&M’s stumble against Kentucky did more than hand the Aggies their first loss of the season. It also put a spotlight on a part of the team that Kirk Herbstreit believes has to improve fast: the running game.
On “Nonstop” with Joey Galloway, the ESPN college football analyst zeroed in on Texas A&M’s lack of balance after the preseason No. 8 team fell 31-21 at home to an unranked Kentucky squad. Herbstreit didn’t sugarcoat the issue.
"Where is A&M's running game? Where is A&M's ability to run the ball, keep Kentucky on the sideline, have a balanced attack?"
Herbstreit said. "I think Marcel Reed led them in rushing, he ran the ball I think 10 times.
If they're gonna get to where they need to go, I think they're going to have to become a more balanced team."
That concern only grew after a third quarter that completely flipped the game. Texas A&M had opened the season with two comfortable wins, but the Kentucky loss exposed some of the same problems that had already been lurking beneath the surface.
The Aggies’ 48-20 win over Arizona State in Week 2 looked far cleaner than it really was. Texas A&M piled up 17 points off turnovers in the fourth quarter, including two pick sixes, which covered up a messy outing in other areas.
Marcel Reed was 15-of-25 passing and had several troubling misses. The ground game never found a rhythm, and the secondary gave up 189 yards and two touchdowns to Cutter Boley and Reed Harris before the late turnover surge changed the look of the final score.
A single loss does not wipe away College Football Playoff hopes, and recent 12-team fields have included teams with two regular-season defeats. Still, Texas A&M’s path gets a lot tougher from here, and the schedule offers little margin for error.
The next test comes in Week 4 with a night trip to No. 10 LSU. The Tigers are coming off a painful loss at Ole Miss and will be eager for a response, especially against Texas A&M after last season’s meltdown that ended Brian Kelly's tenure.
And LSU is only part of the problem ahead. Alabama and Texas are still waiting on the schedule, and both bring their own concerns for the Aggies.
Alabama’s offense has been rolling through three weeks, which is a bad matchup for a secondary that already looks vulnerable. Texas has also been a difficult spot for Texas A&M, which fell behind early in each of the last two seasons and never managed to claw back.
In Other News...
Kentucky Finally Gets To Enjoy The SEC Shorts Joke
SEC Shorts leaned into another round of SEC chaos this week, and Kentucky got a rare turn in the spotlight for the right reasons. The Week 3 video touched on LSUs loss to Ole Miss and Kentuckys upset of Texas A&M, while also playing with Lane Kiffins return to Oxford and even bringing in Morgan Freeman as the voice guiding the mayhem.
For Kentucky fans, the amusing part is not just the win getting noticed, but the tone of the joke itself. After plenty of past sketches where the Wildcats were the punch line, this one had them in a much better place, which is about as good a sign as any that the football season has started to tilt their way. [Read more 🡒]
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Mincheys recognition also moved him onto the Davey OBrien Midseason Watch List, adding another layer to a week that already felt significant for his place in the offense. For Kentucky, the bigger question now is whether one sharp outing was just a breakthrough moment or the start of a much larger conversation under center. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's Upset Left Texas A&M Dealing With A Brutal New Blow
Kentuckys 31-21 upset of Texas A&M in Week 3 did more than hand the Wildcats a notable win. It also left the Aggies trying to absorb a sharp drop in the rankings, from No. 9 to No. 23, after a game that felt costly well beyond the final score.
Texas A&Ms bigger concern came almost immediately, when wide receiver and kick returner Terry Bussey went down on the opening kickoff and never returned. Bussey had been a key piece for the Aggies and entered the season as a preseason All-SEC kick returner, making the loss especially tough for a team already recalibrating after a setback that changed the mood in College Station fast. [Read more 🡒]