Three big concerns are hanging over Texas A&M heading into its trip to LSU, and each one could decide whether the Aggies leave Death Valley feeling better about their College Football Playoff case.
Mike Elko’s team needs answers on defense, at quarterback, and in the backfield. After a rough Week 3, Texas A&M is trying to steady itself against an LSU team that also needs a win of its own.
The stakes are clear enough. The margin for error is not.
The first issue is the one that keeps showing up: explosive plays allowed in the secondary. Arizona State did damage in Week 2, with Reed Harris nearly reaching 200 receiving yards, and Kentucky followed that up in Week 3 by finding DJ Miller nine times for almost 100 yards on five receptions at Kyle Field. That kind of leakage has put the Aggies in a hole too often, and the fix has to start with tighter coverage.
Marcus Ratcliffe said the week of practice was too loose and that the little details weren’t being handled well enough. That kind of sloppiness showed up on Saturdays.
Elko also took responsibility after the Kentucky game, where the coverage wasn’t at the standard the program expects and the tackling looked shaky at times. Now LSU’s Winston Watkins, Eugene Watkins, and Jackson Harris will be looking to test that same area again.
Marcel Reed is facing a different kind of pressure. Through three games, the quarterback has thrown three interceptions, which was one of the main areas he worked to clean up in the offseason.
The accuracy hasn’t matched the expectations so far. He owns a 54.3 QBR, which ranks 73rd nationally, and he has thrown for 632 yards and six touchdowns while adding one rushing touchdown.
The setup around him has not made things easier. Texas A&M’s offensive line is newly built, with only one returning starter, and Reed has already been sacked four times.
The Aggies also have a new playcaller in Holmon Wiggins, and the offense has trended the wrong way in completion percentage since Week 1. Reed completed 70 percent of his passes against Missouri State, then dropped to 60 percent against Arizona State, before falling to 53.1 percent in Week 3.
With the receiver talent available, that has to improve. Reed also needs to use his legs more and become more decisive if he is going to get back to the quarterback people remember from last season, when he helped lead the program to 11 straight wins.
The third question is whether Texas A&M can find a run game that holds up through the injuries. Tiger Riden Jr. is already out for the season, Jamarion Morrow did not play last week, and Morrow is doubtful against LSU.
KJ Edwards was expected to see several touches, but he was shaken up last weekend. That leaves Rueben Owens II and Carsyn Baker carrying the load.
So far, the Aggies have run the ball 117 times for 515 yards over three games. Owens leads the team with 45 carries for 186 yards and one touchdown, while Baker has scored the most rushing touchdowns with two. After the 31-21 loss, that duo will need help from the offensive line and the rest of the offense if Texas A&M wants to get the ground game moving early.
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Texas Just Gave SEC Fans A Debate Texas A&M Knows Well
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For Texas A&M fans, the result lands as the kind of familiar conversation starter the SEC always seems to produce. Tennessee made things interesting late with a touchdown and an onside kick recovery, but could not find the final answer, and Texas' ability to close out a tough road game will only sharpen the talk around how the SEC race looks when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
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Texas A&M Heads To LSU With Two Huge Questions Still Looming
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For the Aggies, the bigger issue is less about the name on the other sideline than the concerns surrounding their own play. Saban pointed to Texas A&Ms recent defensive performance and the uncertainty at quarterback as the reasons he sees trouble ahead, and those two areas will shape everything about how competitive this one looks when the lights come on in Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]