Last weekend’s debacle in South Beach left many fans asking, “Is Texas A&M a pretender?” Well, until SEC play, that’s a tricky question to answer, but with sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman at the helm, the Aggies are in excellent hands no matter who they face in 2023.
On Saturday afternoon, after what was an hour delay due to thunderstorms in the College Station area, Weigman put on an absolute show against the visit UL Monroe Warhawks, shredding the secondary for 337 yards and one touchdown, adding a 19-yard touchdown run on the ground in the second quarter.
Most notably, Weigman completed 25/29, as his 86.2% rate was just four percentage points lower than the current record held by former Texas A&M quarterback and NFL coach Gary Kubiak’s 90.5% rate in 1981 against Arkansas with a minimum of 10 attempts.
With starting wide receiver Evan Stewart on the sideline while recovering from an undisclosed injury, senior do-it-all wideout Ainias Smith had one of his best games since last season before his injury, recording a game-high seven receptions for 127 yards. In contrast, breakout Grand Valley State transfer wide receiver Jahdae Walker used his 6-5 frame to his advantage, hauling five receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Weigman’s ascendance isn’t surprising to those of us who cover the program, knowing that his five starts last season prepared him for the gauntlet that is SEC play and the arm talent, accuracy, toughness, and enhanced pocket presence to get the job done every week.
Last weekend’s brutal loss to the Hurricanes included Weigman enduring blitz pressure on 33 of his 57 dropbacks, and according to Aggies left tackle Trey Zuhn, he was right back in the film room to focus on sliding protection and anticipating pressure in the pocket, which showed in the win on Saturday.
With Auburn coming to town next weekend, UL Monroe served as the “get right” game the entire team needed to refocus and reset, and for Conner Weigman, this is only the beginning of his incredible 2023 story.
Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.
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