After falling 23-13 to Notre Dame in one of the fiercest defensive battles, you’ll see all season, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is determined to fix the issues that plagued the Aggies in the 2024 season opener, starting with changing things up on offense.
Taking away from the positives, especially the Aggies’ revamped secondary that virtually shut down Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard for most of the night, it was A&M starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s career low from the pocket, throwing for 100 yards and two interceptions, including just 3.3 yards per completion.
Outside of Weigman’s footwork issues, which he admitted were erratic and will be mended, the wide receiver rotation failed to gain separation in their routes, a previous concern entering the season. On Monday, Elko elaborated on the issue, noting that this is also a scheme problem for getting receivers open.
“When you talk about separation, that’s not just on the wide receiver. Some of it is the routes we’re calling. … It’s making sure we call the right routes against the right leverages.”
However, junior WR Noah Thomas was open when examining the tape; Weigman just missed him, which is an obvious quarterback issue. Looking up and down the roster, Elko and OC Collin Klein should get more receivers on the field, including senior Moose Muhammad, sophomore Micah Tease, and, yes, freshman athlete Terry Bussey.
“Terry (Bussey) is a talented kid. We’re getting him going at the best of our abilities.”
While Bussey might be the most athletic option out of all three players, Muhammad, who registered just six snaps against Notre Dame, has shown to be highly explosive in the slot, while Tease (7 snaps) might be the team’s twitchiest receiver once he makes his break.
Saturday’s offensive performance looks like an aberration, but only time will tell if Elko and Klein find the answer, which starts this weekend vs. McNeese State.
Texas A&M will host McNeese on Saturday, Sept. 7, for an early kickoff at 11:45 a.m. The game will air on the SEC Network.
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