Mike Elko has run out of room for explanations, and Texas A&M’s bye week now has to be about results.
The Aggies are 4-4 after a 31-20 loss to Alabama, a defeat that did little to disguise the same issues that have followed them through SEC play. The next seven days should be about fixing those problems, not offering another round of reassurances that won’t mean much in College Station.
The passing game remains the biggest headache. Marcel Reed managed only 163 passing yards against Alabama, and Texas A&M again looked like a team searching for any reliable way to attack a defense through the air.
Better pass protection would help, but the issue goes beyond that. Offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins has had eight games to build a passing attack that doesn’t require Reed to create everything himself - and that approach has not worked.
South Carolina should be the next test of whether anything changes. Texas A&M needs to show it can put together a more organized offense, one that strings together drives instead of stacking up frustrating possessions.
The coaching decisions against Alabama only made matters worse. A fourth-and-1 near midfield ended in a botched snap and a turnover, even though the Aggies were trying to draw the Crimson Tide offside. That sequence was one of several that tilted the game Alabama’s way.
Then came the call that stood out most. With fewer than four minutes left and Texas A&M down 11, Elko punted on fourth down and trusted his defense to get the ball back while the offense watched from the sideline.
Alabama then ran out the clock. For a team that had led only 15 minutes earlier, it was a strange way to handle the closing stretch.
The start and finish were both ugly. Reed threw interceptions on his first two passes, including one returned for a touchdown, before Texas A&M clawed back enough to take a three-point lead into the fourth quarter.
What followed was even more damning: 15 yards, no first downs and no points in the final period.
South Carolina will say plenty about whether the bye week mattered. Texas A&M does not need perfection, but it does need an offense that avoids early disasters and doesn’t disappear late.
If those problems get cleaned up, the Aggies have a real chance to leave Columbia with a win on Nov. 7.
If not, anything Elko says during the bye will sound a lot like the same promise nobody’s buying anymore.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Is Forced Into A Texas QB Move That Matters To A&M
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For Texas A&M, the move matters because Mississippi States offense now has a different look heading into a game that can ripple through the SEC race. Swann replaces freshman Parker Puckett at the top of the depth chart, and the Bulldogs will be asking a veteran reserve to steady things against a ranked opponent in a matchup that could have downstream implications for teams watching the standings closely. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Got A Big Recruiting Boost At Linebacker
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Kaden Henderson is a big part of that momentum. The five-star linebacker turned in a standout performance in a recent high school game and is expected to push for a starting role once he gets to Texas A&M, which only adds to the anticipation around his arrival. He also confirmed he will be in town for the Aggies Nov. 14 game against Tennessee, a visit that should give him another close look at the program he may soon help anchor. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Bye Week Puts One Frustrating Question Front And Center
Texas A&M is using its Week 10 bye the way most good teams hope to use one, by getting healthier and taking a hard look at what has worked and what still needs cleaning up. Mike Elko said the Aggies are spending the week resting players and evaluating performance as they turn toward a Nov. 7 meeting with South Carolina, a stretch that should tell them a lot about where they stand heading into the final push.
Marcel Reed remains the starter, which at least settles one part of the conversation, even if his play has left some room for debate. For Texas A&M, the bye is less about a reset than a chance to sharpen the game plan and get the offense and the rest of the roster in better shape before the schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]