Texas A&M (3-1) earned its all-important first SEC victory on Saturday afternoon, defeating the visiting Auburn Tigers (3-1) 27-10 behind an impressive second-half 21-7 rally while withstanding both the heat and starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s ankle injury sustained in the first half,
Within one of the sloppier offensive performances, the Aggies failed to find any offensive momentum due to several false starts, constantly placing them behind the chains and notably affecting Weigmans’s rhythm, leading to the sophomore signal callers’ unfortunate lower-body injury as a low hit just minutes before halftime eventually resulted in his eventual exit from the game.
Leading by a measly 6-3, every Aggie fan and media member took a collective deep breath, knowing that veteran backup quarterback Max Johnson, who, in three seasons at LSU and Texas A&M, has thrown for 4,504 yards and 40 touchdowns, would at least steer the ship from crashing. Still, this man is no game manager, as some would learn that afternoon, as offensive lineman Layden Robinson expressed after the game.
“Max (Johnson) has always had that confidence. He came in with that fire. No matter what position he is in, he will ball out, and that’s what he did today.”
Coming in with his hair on fire, Johnson completed 7/11 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, including a Johnson to Johnson 22-yard strike to his brother, tight end Jake Johnson (that’s a lot of Johnson.)
“Pretty special moment. We have been waiting on that one for a long time. We haven’t had one since my senior year of high school.”
Finishing with one of the best passes you’ll see all season to star wide receiver Evan Stewart in double coverage, hitting the speedster on point for a 37-yard score, which extended the Aggies lead to 20-3, ultimately sealing the victory. Johnson’s trajectory with the program after Jimbo Fisher named Weigman the starter late last month was never in doubt, according to the man himself, expressing just how important Texas A&M has been in his football career.
“Never. This is where I want to be. I am getting an awesome degree here, and I love the coaches, players and the university. This is where I want to be.”
While the X-rays thankfully came back negative regarding Conner Weigman’s ankle injury, time will tell just how long he may be out in the future, leaving Johnson, whose experience, strong arm, accuracy, and consistent toughness solidifies him as one of the most reliable insurance policies in the country with one thing on his mind week to week: Winning.
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