Texas A&M football: Aggies offense now has an identity with Johnson at QB
Published:
What a difference a week makes. Well, that and a veteran quarterback. Not to mention the return of All-SEC Freshman Team center Bryce Foster. All those things and more contributed to the Aggies’ 17-9 victory over No. 13 Miami on Saturday night at Kyle Field. And then, based on that score, you can’t overlook the job the Aggies’ defense did.
Mostly, it was the play of transfer quarterback Max Johnson, who breathed life into an Aggies offense that struggled in its first 2 games this season, looking rudderless in a shocking loss last week at home to Appalachian State.
The junior transfer from LSU didn’t light the world on fire. But considering where the Aggies’ offense was prior to Saturday night, his poise and leadership were a welcome relief.
Johnson managed the game and did what he had to do to be successful. He ran when necessary, hung in the pocket when the situation called for it and made good decisions with the football. By simply doing that, Johnson was able to keep the offense on track and put it in position to win the game.
He did what was necessary and didn’t try to do too much. He completed just 10 of 20 passes for 140 yards. But he did not throw an interception, and he did toss a touchdown pass. In addition, 5 other completions went for 1st downs.
When you play the kind of defense that Texas A&M does, that’s really all that’s needed for a successful outing. The Aggies’ defense limited Miami to just 5 3rd-down conversions on 14 attempts. It bent but did not break. When it counted, the defense came up big, keeping the Canes out of the end zone and holding them to just 3 field goals.
Getting Foster back at center helped tremendously in giving Johnson time in the pocket, as well as opening up running lanes for Devon Achane to fly through. Achane rushed for a game-high 88 yards, averaging right at 5 yards per carry. He also caught 4 passes for 42 yards and 1 touchdown.
But back to Johnson, who showed poise in the pocket and came through like a veteran. He completed 6 of his final 8 attempts for 69 yards, including the 25-yard TD pass to Achane.
Was he perfect? No, far from it. He threw 6 consecutive incomplete passes early on before settling in and having success when it counted. He trusted his offensive line, stood tall in the pocket and didn’t flinch down the stretch, giving Texas A&M every opportunity to come away with a victory.
One wonders what Haynes King could have done under center with a healthy offensive line. We may never know. Johnson’s performance most certainly cemented him as the Aggies’ starting quarterback moving forward.
With Johnson, at least the Aggies have some sort of identity. It isn’t a particularly crowd-pleasing one, though there’s nothing unsavory about winning. At least there appears to be a working formula, and that is to have a quarterback that manages the offense, takes care of the football and doesn’t need to do too much.
It’s the defense that will win games for Texas A&M, as it did on Saturday. It’s a return to the old-school style of play that made the SEC the top conference in the country. Some people call it “winning ugly,” and that’s fair. But it’s a blueprint for the remainder of the season that will allow Texas A&M to win far more games than it will lose.
Until Saturday, until Johnson took the reins of the offense, that wasn’t the case. But now the Aggies have someone they can depend on under center, a leader. And that’s a key characteristic that won’t show up in any stat sheet.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
