Texas A&M breathed a little easier after Mario Craver briefly exited Saturday’s home game against Kentucky, but the scare still landed hard in College Station.
The wide receiver came up after his fifth catch of the afternoon and needed help from the medical staff to get off the field. He was taken into the medical tent, where A&M radio’s Will Johnson said trainers were checking his right leg and that Craver was out of the tent while they monitored whether he would return.
He did return not long after, and he quickly made his presence felt again on Texas A&M’s first scoring drive of the day.
That was the good news for the Aggies, who had already lost another receiver on the first play of the game. Terry Bussey was carted off after the opening kickoff, adding to a growing list of injury concerns at wideout. Ashton Bethel-Roman was already out, and running back Jamarion Morrow was also listed among the unavailable players.
Craver has been central to this offense over the past couple of years, and his absence would have forced Marcel Reed to lean even more heavily on the rest of the receiving group. Isaiah Horton remains Reed’s top target, and the Aggies would need more from that room if Craver had been sidelined for good.
Texas A&M entered the day 2-0 under Mike Elko, who has guided the team through early adversity and kept the roster pulling in the same direction. That has already shown up this season, including when Daymion Sanford was injured and unable to contribute on defense.
Craver arrived at the game with a résumé that already made him one of the key pieces on the roster. He was listed as an ESPN top 100 player, and his production through the first two weeks backed that up. He had eight catches for 75 yards entering Saturday.
At Kyle Field in the home opener, Craver caught five passes for 41 yards, with a long reception of 12 yards, and he also scored in that game. In Week 1, he added three receptions for 34 yards, averaging 11.3 yards per catch.
He was even more active against Kentucky before the injury scare. Through one quarter, the Birmingham, Alabama native had already piled up five receptions for 55 yards. He had 21 yards after the catch and had hauled in a pair of 21-yard gains before leaving the field.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Suddenly Has Two Problems Fans Cant Ignore
Texas A&Ms SEC opener in Lexington brought a reality check, and it came in a game the Aggies were expected to handle. Kentucky controlled enough of the evening to hand A&M a 31-21 loss, leaving the group with immediate questions on both sides of the ball after entering the matchup as the favorite.
Mario Craver and KJ Edwards provided some encouraging signs on offense, but Marcel Reeds interceptions and a defense that surrendered too much yardage and too many points, especially in the third quarter, stood out for all the wrong reasons. For an Aggies team that needed a clean start to conference play, the loss was more than just a setback because it exposed problems that cannot be brushed aside. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Mike Elko Problem Before LSU
Texas A&Ms trip to the top 10 came apart quickly on Saturday night, when the Aggies lost 31-21 at home to unranked Kentucky. It was the worst defeat so far in Mike Elkos tenure, and it came with the kind of defensive letdown that makes a ranking drop feel inevitable. Kentucky piled up 408 yards, and the Aggies slid from No. 8 to No. 20 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.
Now the attention turns to LSU, and the timing could hardly be less forgiving for Elkos team. A home loss like this raises obvious questions about consistency and resilience, especially with a rivalry game next on the schedule. Texas A&M still has plenty of season left to repair the damage, but the margin for error suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Terry Bussey News Leaves Texas A&M With A Huge Offensive Problem
Terry Busseys season is over, and Texas A&M is now dealing with a problem that goes well beyond simply replacing one receiver. Mike Elko confirmed in a press conference that Bussey will miss the rest of the year after suffering a lower body injury in the Kentucky game, taking away one of the Aggies more important offensive pieces and a regular presence on kickoff returns.
For a team trying to keep its passing game moving, the timing stings. Texas A&M does have other receivers available, but Busseys versatility made him difficult to replace in one spot, let alone all the ways the Aggies used him. The next few games will show how much the offense can absorb before his absence starts to reshape the whole rotation. [Read more 🡒]