In the 14th edition of Texas A&M vs. Auburn, excruciating heat, defense, and an untimely ankle injury to Aggies sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman illustrated one of the sloppiest games so far this season, until Texas A&M’s offense finally awoke from their slumber in the second half to defeat the Tigers 27-10 to open SEC play.
Leading 6-0 in the first half, Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper’s potential “scoop and score” return after what looked like an Auburn fumble on a swing pass from Tigers QB Peyton Thorne was oddly overturned, preventing the Aggies from taking a 13-0 lead and gaining needed momentum.
Offensively, Weigman (8/14, 70 yards passing in the first half) failed to find a report with his receivers. At the same time, the offensive line, specifically center Bryce Foster and right tackle Chase Bisontis, were the cause of several false starts that plagued nearly every offensive drive, constantly placing the Aggies behind the chains.
Backed up in his own end zone, Conner Weigman took a hit to his lower body when lined up in Texas A&M’s own end zone. He stayed in and finished the ensuing drive but immediately went into the tent once the Aggies offense was off the field. Backup veteran QB Max Johnson waited in the wings.
Defensively, Texas A&M’s pass rush was downright incredible, amassing four sacks in the first half while showing consistent physicality at the line of scrimmage. The Tiger’s offense was seemingly broken at the seams, needing more offensive firepower to correct their mistakes. As both offenses stalled, Auburn kicker Alex McPherson nailed a 53-yard FG to cut the halftime lead to 6-3.
Starting the second half on defense, the Aggies’ ferocious pass rush (I know, right?) ceased to let up, adding three more sacks for seven on the day while still controlling the line of scrimmage, leading to Max Johnson’s entry into the starting lineup, which seemed to be the spark the offense desperately needed.
Getting in a passing rhythm early, Johnson (7/11, 123 yards, 2 TD) was nearly perfect from the pocket, working through his progressions while hitting a trio of wide receivers before throwing a strike to his brother, sophomore tight end Jake Johnson, connecting for a 22-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 13-3, and creating by far the most incredible moment you’ll see this weekend.
Before you could blink, Johnson led the Aggies down the field on his second drive, throwing an absolute 37-yard dime to star WR Evan Stewart in double coverage to make it 20-3, establishing dominance on both sides of the ball.
Auburn swiftly took advantage of the Aggies’ late mistakes, returning a 67-yard fumble to make it a two-score game with over 12 minutes remaining. Tigers duel-threat QB Robby Ashford took most of the snaps in the second half, but the Aggie D continued to clamp down outside of several successful runs.
Back on offense, junior running back Amari Daniels’ 79-yard run led to sophomore running back Le’Veon Daniels running it in for a 4-yard touchdown to officially end the game and solidify one of the best second-half turnarounds from the Maroon and White in 2023.
While Conner Weigman’s injury status will likely take much of the oxygen out of the victory, strides were made this afternoon, as Texas A&M’s defense looks to be coming into its own at the right time. On the afternoon, the Aggies passed for 193 yards, rushed for 209 yards for 402 total yards, accumulated seven sacks on defense, 15 tackles for loss, and held Auburn to just 200 offensive yards (56 passing, 144 rushing) on the day.
Texas A&M will now travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m. CT., and will air on ESPN.
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