Texas A&M’s 35-6 loss to LSU in Week 4 left the Aggies at 2-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play, and the grading sheet from Pro Football Focus tells the same story as the scoreboard: not enough offense, not enough disruption, and not enough answers.
Third-year coach Mike Elko said after the game that he will not make a change at quarterback, even after redshirt junior Marcel Reed turned in a rough outing. Reed completed just 10 of 26 passes for 106 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per completion, and finished with a 34.9 PFF grade, including a 41.2 passing grade. But the quarterback play was only part of the problem.
The Aggies’ running game actually gave them something to work with for stretches. Redshirt junior Rueben Owens posted a 67.4 offensive grade and a 72.5 run-blocking mark, while KJ Edwards finished with a 69.0 offensive grade and an 86.1 run grade. Up front, three of the five starting linemen landed above-average blocking numbers: Wilkin Formby graded at 69.8 overall with an 89.0 pass-blocking grade and a 64.7 run-blocking grade, while Trovon Baugh and Tyree Adams both checked in at 64.2 overall.
That makes the play-calling sequence stand out even more, because the ground game appeared to be the more reliable path for most of the night before OC Holmon Wiggins leaned on the passing game. Owens, in particular, looked like he could have pushed well past 100 rushing yards if Texas A&M had kept feeding him.
On defense, the grades were just as bleak in the aggregate, even if a handful of players held up well individually. Texas A&M’s defense had six players finish at 70 or better, led by sophomore defensive tackle Landon Rink, who posted a 74.0 defensive grade, a 71.2 run-defense grade and a 74.3 tackling mark.
Senior linebacker Daymion Sanford followed at 71.8 overall and led the team in tackling, which stood out on a night when the Aggies missed 14 tackles. EDGE Anto Saka, defensive tackle DJ Sanders and linebacker Noah Mikhail also finished above 71 on defense.
The pass rush, though, never came close to changing the game. Texas A&M generated nine pressures but no sacks, even as freshman defensive end Tristian Givens turned in a 90.9 pass-rush grade. LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, who was clearly injured, still managed to throw for 312 yards and two touchdowns against a secondary that had been viewed as one of the deeper parts of the roster.
With Arkansas coming to College Station for a primetime matchup on Saturday night, what had looked like a straightforward win before the season now looks like another difficult test for an Aggies team that has fallen apart fast.
In Other News...
Johnny Manziel Just Said What Texas A&M Fans Are Fearing
Johnny Manziels postgame criticism landed with the kind of force only a former Texas A&M star can bring. After the loss to LSU, he took to social media to question what the Aggies are doing right now, and the reaction was not hard to understand. The offense has struggled to find rhythm, the defense has had its own issues, and the overall look has been of a team still searching for something steady to hang onto in SEC play.
For Aggies fans, the uncomfortable part is that the problems do not seem isolated to one side of the ball. Coaching, cohesion and the lack of a clear offensive identity have all become part of the conversation, with the running game looking like one area that could help set a tone if it ever gets going. Until then, the concern Manziel voiced is the same one hovering over the program: the season feels like it needs a reset, and there is no obvious sign yet of where that comes from. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Craver Is Giving Texas A&M Fans A New Reason To Vent
Texas A&Ms rocky start has already left Aggies fans looking for answers after two straight losses erased the momentum of a 2-0 opening, and now receiver Mario Craver has given them another topic to grumble about. The latest frustration came off the field, where Craver drew criticism on social media after liking Instagram photos of Peyton Blomquist, the Florida Gators fan who went viral during Floridas win over Ole Miss.
For a fan base already uneasy about the direction of the season, the timing could hardly be worse. Even a small social media gesture can become a talking point when a team is trying to steady itself, and Cravers online activity landed in the middle of a week when Texas A&M supporters were already searching for reasons to feel better about a 2-2 start. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Loss
Texas A&Ms 35-6 loss to LSU was more than just a rough night in Baton Rouge. The Aggies never found the end zone and managed only 197 yards of offense, a flat performance that turned a big SEC matchup into a lopsided setback and put an immediate dent in the direction of their season.
Mike Elkos bigger concern, though, is what came before the score got away. After the previous loss to Kentucky, the Aggies were looking for a response, but instead they followed it with another game that raised questions about their mental fortitude and ability to regroup when things start going wrong. For a team trying to stay on track in conference play, that kind of pattern can be just as alarming as the result itself. [Read more 🡒]