By Chris Marler
Season in a sentence
The Aggies overachieved in year one under Mike Elko, but now he has to deal with something worse than Texas and the SEC, expectations.
Three Highs
- LSU win
Trailing at the half, the Aggies forced three turnovers and got a huge win over their biggest out of state rival. Before you question the legitimacy of that, just ask them because it definitely is.
- The Missouri Win
Missouri came to College Station with a top ten ranking and got absolutely embarrassed. The Aggies took a 34-0 lead in the third quarter and then starter Conner Weigman had the game of his life, completing 22-of-26 passes for 276 passes.
- The Vibes
Genuinely one of the best parts of this season for the Aggies was having Kyle Field put on national display multiple times. The stadium entrance and vibes around Mike Elko’s regime were the highest they have been in years. It’s an exciting time in College Station.
Three Lows
- The loss to South Carolina
Texas A&M went to Columbia at 7-1 and ranked in the top ten. They went to halftime tied at 20. They left Williams-Brice with a 24 point loss and started their run of losing three of their final four games.
- The loss to Auburn
The loss to South Carolina felt understandable because of how well South Carolina was playing at the time. However, the loss to Auburn felt inexcusable. Sadly, the Aggies became the latest victim of the Jordan-Hare Saturday night scaries, after their four overtime loss.
- Back to being little brother
Despite the aforementioned losses to South Carolina and Auburn, Texas A&M still controlled their own destiny to get to the SEC Championship game. They got Texas to close the season and they got them at home. However, the offense was stifled all night and the Aggies were, once again, shoved in a locker by their long-time big brother.
The Offense
Coming into the season, it looked like Texas A&M would have one of the better offenses and wide receiver groups in the league. They had former five star Conner Weigman coming in at quarterback, who was generating first round mock draft buzz in August. They also had several good pieces in the receiver room. However, the passing game underwhelmed for a majority of the season.
The Aggies finished the year ranked in the bottom half of the league in every major statistical category, except rushing offense. Freshman quarterback Marcel Reed was the cornerstone to their success. However, he was also the scapegoat when they were lacking in it. Reed has all the makings of being a star in this league. The perception of him as a passer is overshadowed by his exceptional ability as a runner.
The passing game will need to improve next year, but the main focus will need to be taking care of the football. Aggie quarterbacks combined for two interceptions in their first six games and both of those came in week one against Notre Dame. After not throwing an interception for five consecutive weeks, they combined for nine in their final seven games.
Offensive Grade: C
The Defense
Year one of Mike Elko’s defense was fun to watch, as the Aggies featured one of the best front fours in all of college football. However, statistically they were horrible. They ranked 11th or worse in scoring defense, passing defense, and total defense.
The secondary was the biggest liability of the entire team and Elko voiced his frustrations about it following the bowl game loss to Southern Cal. There should be plenty of optimism about the defense moving forward, as Mike Elko has a proven track record of good defenses. However, the big question will be how he replaces the pieces leaving up front, like Shemar Stewart.
Defensive Grade: C+
Overall Grade
The 8-5 jokes will definitely be made from outside fans. That’s just the nature of college football, social media, and punchline culture. That being said, year one in the Mike Elko era was a tremendous success. Half of their regular season losses were to teams that made the College Football Playoff Semifinal. The other two were on the road in extremely hostile environments with a freshman quarterback.
The future is bright in College Station, and Mike Elko’s squad should almost certainly be a contender in the SEC in year two.
Overall Season Grade: B
