Rapid Reaction: Texas A&M ‘wins’ against Louisiana-Monroe without Kenny Hill
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Here are some quick thoughts on Texas A&M’s 21-16 win against Louisiana-Monroe.
What it means: Operating without suspended QB Kenny Hill, Texas A&M’s offense more than labored against a middle-of-the-road Sun Belt team. That’s after a bye. So much for the “we were worn out after four consecutive tough SEC games without rest” excuse. This team looks pretty awful right now, and if not for some timely stops against a bad offense, the Aggies could be 5-4 and in danger of not reaching bowl eligibility.
What I liked: The defensive line got good pressure on Louisiana-Monroe quarterback Pete Thomas all game, overpowering a weak Warhawks offensive line. Speedy Noil and Tra Carson both made highlight touchdowns, Noil on an incredible catch and Carson on a run that made the ULM defense look silly.
What I didn’t like: A team that Kentucky and LSU beat by a combined 65 points had two opportunities to take a fourth-quarter lead. Kyle Allen threw for 106 yards and an interception in his first start, completing less than 50 percent of his passes. Cornerback Deshazor Everett, right tackle Germain Ifedi and Josh Walker all left the game due to injury. My, have the Aggies fallen from their No. 6 perch entering October.
Who’s the man: Myles Garrett. The true freshman racked up 3.5 sacks and now has 11 for the season. Most of them have come against weaker offensive lines, but that’s a terrific game against any FBS team one year removed from high school.
Key play: Armani Watts picked off Pete Thomas early in the second quarter, making an athletic catch to take away what looked like a potential touchdown. Thomas put way too much air under the throw, and with a little more mustard, Louisiana-Monroe likely would have taken a 14-7 lead, but the takeaway and subsequent drive led to great field position and an eventual A&M touchdown, turning the game.
What’s next: Texas A&M (6-3, 2-3) must travel to Auburn to face another read-option team. The Aggies have not fared well against running quarterbacks like Nick Marshall in recent seasons.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
