The Aggies smashed The Citadel on the way to the fourth win of the season for Texas A&M. Given the level of the opponent, it’s tough to really take away anything significant from the contest. I haven’t really gained any insight into whether anything has been improved, especially with a significant number of players missing for the Aggies. Still, there are some positives to talk about, and I want to give some flowers to the players who showed exceptional effort regardless of the foe.
Jamarrion Morrow has been banged up for most of the season. He flashed a bit against Missouri, but this game felt like a real step forward for the true sophomore with three first-half touchdowns. If he can stay healthy, he and KJ Edwards might become an excellent one-two punch for the Aggies. Speaking of Edwards, the true freshman tacked on over 100 yards rushing himself, showing off some of the explosion that has been missing from the run game.
Nothing in the passing game truly gave me confidence as Marcel Reed went 8 for 13 with one touchdown before Brady Hart took over in the second half. However, TK Norman continues to show his talent, and I expect he may end up being a more regular feature of the offense moving forward. His impressive sideline reception popped the Kyle Field crowd. Aaron Gregory also notched two touchdown receptions, and the young receiver also appears to be a weapon that could be prominently featured moving forward.
Not being able to read too much into this game goes doubly for the defense, as while The Citadel has pivoted away from the flexbone, they still run a heavily triple-option-based offense from the spread. No other offense on the Texas A&M schedule features the kinds of challenges this Bulldogs offense did. Still, keeping it scoreless against a unique offense is a nice feather in the cap. Option football is all about assignment football
The Aggies did surrender over 100 yards rushing. Obviously, you’d love to keep that number lower, but there were some good things taken away as Brandon Davis-Swain continues to look like a piece that was missing from the interior of this defense. Later in the game, Tristian Givens flashed some things that showcased his talent. He’s a player I’d like to see more of as the season progresses and his development continues.
Finally, David Olano continues to be an absolute rock in the kicking game. The Illinois transfer wasn’t asked to boot anything from 50 yards or more in this contest, but it still feels great to be able to have a reliable leg when you need to kick.
The schedule through the rest of the season is a gauntlet. Here’s to hoping that today’s absences were precautionary and lead to a healthier roster for the rest of the season. It’s great to get back in the win column. It’s great to see some of the youth get a chance to shine. Maybe this game provides some confidence. We’ll see.
Until next time!