After back-to-back 8-5 seasons that began with such promise each year, patience is wearing thin in College Station to produce a top-notch football team to match the upgrade in facilities.
The Aggies went to work this spring to begin to accomplish that goal, answering some questions while others still remain. Here are five takeaways from this year’s spring practices.
1. Attitude adjustment
It seemed like the Aggies came to camp with a new attitude. The addition of quarterback Trevor Knight seemed to spark a new feeling of confidence and determination. Veteran defensive end Myles Garrett told campusrush.com that he felt it from the time Knight stepped on campus after the Oklahoma graduate transferred for his final year of eligibility.
Sweeping changes to the coaching staff have also infused a new enthusiasm among the ranks. The addition of offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and his up-tempo style has perked the attention on that side of the football.
2. Quarterback competition continues
Knight and Jake Hubenak continued to share the quarterback duties this spring and the battle for the starting position will likely remain undetermined into fall workouts.
That’s a testament to Hubenak and his progress as a third-stringer behind five-star recruits Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray, who followed each other out the door transferring to Houston and Oklahoma, respectively.
Hubenak’s ability to run the offense should not be surprising. He performed admirably in his first career start at last year’s Music City Bowl.
Knight’s accomplishments, on the other hand, are well documented, lending many to believe the job was his hands down. But to Hubenak’s credit, he’s making it a competition, although he was under the weather in the Maroon and White Game and saw limited action.
3. Emphasis on stopping the run
In his first season at Texas A&M, defensive coordinator John Chavis made great strides in improving the overall effort. The Aggies rose from the bottom of the SEC in total defense to the middle of the pack. It was a good start.
But the Aggies still struggled at stopping the run. They ranked 108th in the country in fact, yielding an average of 213.7 yards per game. Now, in the second year under Chavis’ system, the Aggies hope to use more athletic ability and do less thinking about it.
Defensive ends coach Terry Price summed it up after a recent practice: “”It’s not a very complicated defense but it’s amazingly good,” Price said. “The better our guys know it, the more our guys can put it on automatic pilot and go in there and play fast and make plays on Saturdays.”
These two guys had a big day — Texas A&M rush ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall: #SpringGame pic.twitter.com/so8fXM6vAD
— Brent Zwerneman (@BrentZwerneman) April 10, 2016
4. O line still has “a long way to go”
Offensive line coach Jim Turner returned to Texas A&M to try and rebuild an offensive line similar to the ones he put together in his first stint at College Station (2008-11) when names like Luke Joeckel, Jake Matthews and Cedric Ogbuehi anchored the Aggies’ offensive line. “We’ve got a long way to go,” Turner said after a recent workout.
Inexperience and learning a new system are the challenges, but Turner is a proven veteran and is worthy of the task. He won’t make excuses that only left tackle Avery Gennesy returns after starting every game last season. Guard Keaton Sutherland is the only other player along the line with any real experience, with seven starts.
The offensive line was able to establish somewhat of a running game during the Maroon and White Game, especially in the second half. That has to leave Turner and Mazzone optimistic in looking forward to fall practice.
5. Running game to be featured
When you think of up-tempo offenses, like the one Mazzone is implementing, the passing game comes to mind. But that’s not what entirely drives this offense. Oregon has proven that time and time again: the running game also must work in order for this offense to work.
Therefore, it’s imperative that the new faces in the backfield step up. James White (196 yards, 1 TD) and Keith Ford, who like Knight, transferred from Oklahoma, are the most experienced and could get the most carries.
However, as we saw in the Maroon and White Game, there are a handful of capable backs to go to. Included in that group are Kwami Etwi, Kendall Bussey and Trayveon Williams.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
