Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) left Kyle Field with a 26-20 win over Bowling Green (1-2) on Saturday night, but this wasn’t the type of victory that had the coaching staff and the fan base pleased with the Aggies’ performance.
Coming off an impressive 33-20 victory over Florida the week prior, backup quarterback Marcel Reed’s impressive performance led to his second career start. He looked the part again early in the game.
Throwing a perfect endzone strike to sophomore tight end Theo Melin Öhrström in the Aggies’ first offensive drive, the offense failed to find consistency, but this wasn’t due to poor play on Reed’s end. Following Pro Football Focus’s grading system, here is how Marcel Reed performed in Saturday’s win against Bowling Green.
Passing:
On the night, Reed completed 16/29 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per completion and ending the game with a 75.5 QBR. Per PFF, Reed’s 15 completions on 24 dropbacks came with a clean pocket, earning a 70.2 offensive grade and a 67.8 passing grade. Reed also went 0-4 in the air when completing outside the numbers past 10 yards, which could help opposing defenses moving forward if improvement does not take shape.
However, when pressured, Reed was 1/8 for eight yards on 11 dropbacks, earning a low 51.8 offensive grade and a 37.9 passing grade. While he needs to get the baller out quicker under pressure, Reed still hasn’t thrown an interception all season.
Rushing:
There’s no doubt that Marcel Reed is the most versatile quarterback on the roster, running for 83 yards and a touchdown last week vs. Florida, eclipsing these numbers against the Falcons after scrambling for 91 yards on 12 carries, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt. While injured quarterback Conner Weigman looks like a more polished passer, no one can deny that Reed’s twitchy athleticism and notable speed only make the Aggie offense harder to stop moving forward.
Grade:
In his second career start, Marcel Reed gets a B- with plenty of room for improvement in the pocket.
This week, after not dressing out against Bowling Green, Marcel Reed is expected to start his third game of the season as the Aggies head to AT&T Stadium to face Arkansas on Saturday afternoon.
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