Texas A&M’s 2024 season officially ended in the early hours of Saturday morning, as the Aggies fell to USC in the game’s final minutes after holding a dominant 24-7 lead in the third quarter. Losing 35-31, the Aggie fan base was up in arms, and coach Mike Elko was equally upset at the poor defensive effort down the stretch.
However, as I noted in a recent article, some bright spots were seen throughout the night, especially the play of starting quarterback Marcel Reed and junior edge Cashius Howell, who provided solid tape ahead of taking the next step next season.
Even though the situation is at its lowest, Elko is keeping the program headed in the right direction. However, this doesn’t guarantee that every coach, including defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, is secure in their position.
After the game, Pro Football Focus released its player grades from the Las Vegas Bowl, starting with how the offense fared after scoring 31 points, led by Reed’s 292 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one rushing score.
Offense:
Texas A&M’s offensive line graded out well, as left tackle Trey Zuhn (78.2), left guard Chase Bisontis (70.2), and right tackles Dametreous Crownover (69.4) and Reuben Fatheree (65.5) all earned 80-plus pass blocking grades.
Marcel Reed (64.3) earned a 60 passing grade and 70 running grade, average to above average, in one of his most productive days through the air.
Defense:
Defensively, Cashius Howell unsurprisingly earned the highest overall grade (83.8) and a prolific pass-rush grade (90.6). Twelve Aggie defenders earned 60 or better defensive grades, while starting linebacker Taurean York was all over the field, earning 84 tackling and 83.4 run defense grades.
However, the low point came at the feet of freshman cornerback Dezz Ricks, who surrendered six receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown against the Trojans.
\This season, Ricks has been one of the lowest-rated corners in the country, allowing 655 yards, which is the most for Texas A&M since cornerback Charles Oliver allowed 664 yards.
Tackling-wise, The Aggies missed 149 tackles, according to PFF, which is the most since the 2016 season (174). Missed tackles directly reflect on the coaching staff, so this needs to be fixed as soon as the spring football season.
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