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Texas A&M handled its business on Saturday at home with a 38-3 win over New Mexico State.
The win moved A&M to 7-2 on the season and kept everything on the table for the Aggies over the final 2 weeks of the season.
Here are 3 takeaways from the game.
Downfield game is still… meh
A&M’s downfield passing game is still very much a work in progress. The Aggies threw for 268 yards against New Mexico State, but only 4 of the 33 pass attempts generated at least 20 yards. Those plays continue to elude the Aggie offense.
Marcel Reed drew the start and went 20-for-31 for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns before handing things off to Conner Weigman late in the third quarter. Reed threw an interception, but he also had 41 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
We know what Reed can do with his legs. The throw game is still very much a work in progress with him at the controls. He missed a few on Saturday that would have gone for big plays. The ceiling is obviously higher, but the consistency is still a touch off.
Coach Mike Elko is in a curious spot because Weigman has his own set of issues. He finished 2-for-5 for 37 yards. He underthrew an open receiver in the fourth quarter but came right back to hit tight end Theo Melin Ohrstrom for 23 yards while he was fading back in the pocket. A few plays later, he overthrew his intended receiver and was picked off in the endzone.
Weigman was supposed to be the guy this season and has been anything but. He doesn’t seem to be playing with any confidence, and there’s no time left for A&M to massage that. Every live rep Reed gets should benefit him and his development. But he really only has 1 more game to get into a rhythm before A&M’s season essentially goes on the line.
Against Texas at home on Nov. 30, A&M could be playing for a spot in the SEC Championship Game and a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Aggies will need to be able to hurt Texas down the field. Reed gives them the best chance to win that game, but there’s still work to do next week against Auburn.
Theo Melin Ohrstrom bursts out
To the previous point, Reed’s receivers need to help him. The Aggie pass-catchers haven’t done much this season to separate and distinguish themselves.
But Melin Ohrstrom, a sophomore tight end, stepped up in a major way. He entered Saturday’s game with 4 receptions on the season for 69 yards. In the last 5 games, he had 1 reception.
Against NMSU, he brought in all 5 of his targets for 111 yards. The 6-foot-6 tight end from Stockholm, Sweden, perhaps unlocked something for A&M to explore going forward.
The defense eats
Nic Scourton had 1.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 4 tackles. He flashed in a total team effort. The Aggies finished with 9 tackles for loss. They limited NMSU to 80 passing yards on 21 attempts. The visitors had an explosive play rate of just 8.8% and only converted a third of their third downs. A&M limited NMSU to 214 yards and 3.5 yards per play. Remove sacks from the rushing totals and NMSU still averaged only 3.7 yards per rushing attempt. You expect to see domination, and the A&M defense met the standard on Saturday. New Mexico State only had 2 drives all game that gained more than 30 yards. It never found a footing.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
