The 2022 college football season has just flown by, as we’re already into Week 11, which means Texas A&M’s roller coaster of a season is still somehow on the tracks, as the Aggies make their way to a sold-out Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on the Auburn Tigers this Saturday night.
With both programs sitting at 3-6, and 1-5 in the SEC combined with both riding a 5-game losing streak, finally feeling the satisfaction of a hard-earned victory for the first time in nearly two months is the only goal. To keep it short and sweet, here is a quick recap of the Aggies’ recent loss to the Florida Gators last weekend:
First off, the team began the week in good spirits after freshman quarterback Conner Weigman’s outstanding debut in a close loss to Ole Miss the following Saturday, as head coach Jimbo Fisher finally found his signal caller for the immediate future, but after a sudden flu outbreak within the locker room later in the week, it was announced that six players, including Weigman and starting O-lineman Kam Dewberry, would miss the game, inserting shaky, and quite honestly beat up quarterback Haynes King for his 5th start of the season.
In a surprising turn of events, The Aggie’s offense was stellar in the first half, orchestrated by star running back Devon Achane (3 touchdowns), wide receivers Moose Muhammad III (7 rec, 99 yds) and Evan Stewart (8 rec, 120 yds) who built a 24-17 lead at the half. The defense, however, was bad once again, and in the second half, Texas A&M’s soaring offense came crashing back down to earth, as the Gators and quarterback Anthony Richardson orchestrated three straight touchdown drives, while defensively shutting out the maroon and white to a 41-24 victory in front of a packed (over 90,000 plus fans) Kyle Field.
So, here we are, and it is what it is, but let me remind you that quarterback Conner Weigman is back on track to start this Saturday, and that’s the best news the team could receive after their disastrous showing against Florida.
To help further prepare you for the Auburn game, here are a couple of areas of concern I have for Texas A&M heading into Saturday night.
Texas A&M’s run defense vs. running back Tank Bigsby
The Aggies have been abysmal, dreadful, terrible, and just plain bad on run defense in their last three contests, giving up a total of 810 rushing yards against South Carolina, Ole Miss, and the Florida Gators. This week, the opponent is different, but the problem remains the same, as junior running back Tank Bigsby has rushed for 676 yards and 8 touchdowns this season, averaging 5.5 yards per carry in the process. For the Aggies, someone other than reliable nose tackle McKinnley Jackson needs to step on the defensive line, while the linebacker play needs to vastly improve if the defense wants to prevent Bigsby from producing chunk play after chunk play on the ground, especially in 3rd down situations.
Texas A&M’s offensive line vs. Auburn’s pass rush
During my defensive review of the current Auburn defensive line and linebacker rotation, the players that immediately caught my eye were linebackers Derick Hall (6.5 sacks) and Owen Pappoe (1.5 sacks) and defensive end Colby Wooden (5 sacks), who look to fill out the majority of the Tigers pass rush this season, with over 21 team sacks on the season. Overall, the Aggies’ offensive line, which has struggled mightily through their first 5 games, has dealt with season-ending injuries to three starters including center Bryce Foster and guards Aki Ogunbiyi, and Jordan Spasojevic-Moko.
However, with left guard Kam Dewberry slated to return this weekend, quarterback Conner Weigman’s quick release in the pocket should help the O-line avoid any early game collapse, hopefully instilling a rhythm in pass pro and run blocking throughout the game.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdd4pnb49trk727 player_id=none image=https://aggieswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[listicle id=7017]
[listicle id=7044]