Texas A&M junior quarterback Max Johnson got another strong review from a notable teammate, 2 days after he threw for 140 yards and 1 touchdown in his first start in a 17-9 victory over Miami at a rocking Kyle Field.

Aggies junior running back Devon Achane said: “It was probably a lot of pressure for him. … I think he did good. He was leader and took control of the offense.”

Head coach Jimbo Fisher called on Johnson, a transfer from LSU, to replace the struggling Haynes King after an embarrassing home loss to Appalachian State in Week 2. Johnson didn’t throw for a ton of yards but also didn’t throw an interception. He was 10-of-20 passing.

Now another challenge awaits this Saturday in the Aggies’ SEC opener against Arkansas at Jerry’s World in Arlington, Texas.

Wide receiver Ainias Smith wasn’t satisfied with Saturday’s 17-point output by the Aggies’ offense, saying Monday: “We played pretty good, not outstanding. We still have work to do. We had a few miscues, and we have a lot of work to do to be where we want to be.”

Smith was also cautious to not say anything for the bulletin boards about a Hogs pass defense that’s ranked last in the country: “We can get confidence in that. They still have a pretty good defense. That’s something we need to take advantage of.”