Texas A&M football: 5 statistical trends the Aggies must reverse in 2022
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Texas A&M broke into the SEC like gangbusters in 2012 and 2013, winning 11 and 9 games over those first 2 seasons. But that trend has taken a dip, and Jimbo Fisher was brought in to bring back, or better, those initial outputs.
Here are 5 statistical trends that Fisher and Texas A&M must turn around to get back to those earlier numbers.
1. 8-4
Sorry to beat this dead horse, but as trends go, there isn’t another as glaring. The Aggies have finished the regular season with a record of 8-4 in 5 of the past 9 seasons. They’ve won 7 or 8 regular-season games in each of the past 9 campaigns. That includes an 8-1 COVID-shortened 2020 season.
But the fact remains that the Texas A&M football program has become synonymous with 8-4. It’s a head-scratching trend that Fisher must break through if he’s ever going to accomplish what he was brought to College Station to do.
Bringing in the top recruiting class should help in that endeavor. But until it’s proven on the field, this is the albatross that hangs over the program.
2. Passing offense
Since joining the SEC in 2012, the Aggies have been among the top 5 teams in the conference in passing offense. But that trend began heading south in 2020 when Texas A&M finished 9th. Last season, the Aggies were 12th. Only South Carolina and Vanderbilt averaged fewer yards passing per game.
That’s a trend that doesn’t look so good on Fisher’s resume. A coach who has built a reputation for developing quarterbacks now finds himself in a situation where his QBs rank among the worst in the conference.
Granted, starter Haynes King was lost for the season in just the 2nd game of 2021, and backup Zach Calzada, now fighting for the starting job at Auburn, was thrust into a tough situation. But there can be no excuses in 2022. The Aggies have to throw the ball better if they have any hope of competing with the better teams in the conference.
How is that accomplished? Good question. But with King competing once again for the starting job, along with transfer Max Johnson — who was 4th in the SEC in passing last year at LSU (2,814 yards) — and with 5-star recruit Conner Weigman looking to make his mark, the quarterback position should see a major upgrade in 2022.
3. Cut down on INTs
Since joining the SEC, Texas A&M quarterbacks have thrown 9 or more interceptions in every season except 2020, when they tied a league best with 4 picks over 10 games. Last year, the Aggies threw 14 passes to the wrong team. Among SEC members, only Florida tossed up more (18).
That’s a trend the QB room of King, Johnson and Weigman must be aware of. And it will surely go a long way toward determining Fisher’s selection of a starter.
In their 10 years in the SEC, the Aggies have thrown double-digit interceptions in 7. Only twice has Texas A&M finish in the top half of the conference in interceptions thrown. That’s a trend that must be reversed.
4. Big-play offense
The Aggies have always finished in the top half of the SEC in big-play offense. That is, until last season. For the 1st time since joining the SEC, the Aggies fell to the bottom half of the conference, finishing 10th in long scrimmage plays. In plays of 30-plus yards, the Aggies were 12th. Only Mississippi Sate and Vanderbilt had fewer plays of 30-plus yards.
Returning to their big-play ways would go a long way toward lifting the Aggies into contention in the always brutal SEC West. Getting stars like Devon Achane and Ainias Smith out in space with the football seems to be the avenue to help reverse the trend.
5. Time of possession
What happened to that ball-control offense we’ve been accustomed to seeing from Fisher’s teams since he came to College Station? The Aggies led the SEC in time of possession for 3 years in a row before slumping all the way to 8th last season.
Inability to convert on 3rd down was a key reason. The Aggies were 10th in the conference in 3rd-down conversions. A quarterback with a QB rating that ranked 12th in the SEC certainly didn’t help.
Getting back to a solid run game, featuring Achane, coupled with a more consistent quarterback — whether it’s Johnson, Calzada or Weigman — would help lift the Aggies back up the ladder this season in the key time of possession statistic.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
