Tag: Conner Weigman

Texas A&M can’t afford to start slow vs. Mississippi State in Week 8

Mississippi State might be 1-5, but this team will be ready when the Aggies come to Starkville

Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) is enjoying the first of two bye weeks this season, as head coach Mike Elko has spent the last week checking up on recruiting commits while slowly but surely prepping for next Saturday’s road test vs. Mississippi State.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs traveled to Athens to take on 5th-ranked Georgia in a game that looked like a blowout in the home team’s favor. Still, after leading 34-10 in the 3rd quarter, Mississippi State’s offense outscored Georgia 21-17 behind freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren’s 306 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Yes, the Bulldogs are the worst team in the SEC due to their record and overall play, but despite the loss, this team looks much more explosive with Van Buren at the helm.

Coming off a bye week can be good and bad for Texas A&M, as the roster’s health should be nearly 100% outside of several players. Still, the break in rhythm, especially with starting quarterback Conner Weigman back in the lineup, could result in slow starts and getting behind the chains early.

However, Texas A&M is a superior team on both sides of the ball, and after recording nine sacks and 18 tackles for loss in their last two games, the Aggie pass rush led by junior defensive end Nic Scourton should be disruptive against the freshman signal caller.

If Mississippi State’s passing attack finds life, it’s up to A&M’s secondary to not allow explosive 15-plus yard plays and only limit Van Buren to throws between the hash marks.

On offense, completing early passing in tight windows while running the ball effectively should open up the passing game for deep shots, as OC Collin Klein’s gameplan for Conner Weigman led to the redshirt sophomore completing 18/22 for 276 yards A&M’s 41-10 win over Missouri, his first game in nearly a month.

This is a “trap game” like any SEC road matchup. Still, Texas A&M’s physical identity under Mike Elko has already shown to travel after tough wins over Florida and Arkansas this season.

Texas A&M will travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 3:15 p.m. CT. The game will air on the SEC Network.

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Just how much has Texas A&M improved each week? PFF tells the story

Will the Aggies continue to improve after the bye week?

Texas A&M’s 2024 season is off to a blistering start, as the Aggies have reeled off five consecutive wins, including a 41-10 blowout over a top 10-ranked Missouri Team in Week 7.

This week, head coach Mike Elko and his staff have been focused on recruiting. The team will relax this weekend before returning to practice on Monday to prepare for a tough road game against Mississippi State next Saturday afternoon.

Heading into the final stretch with three SEC road games remaining and, of course, the regular season finale vs. the Texas Longhorns in the renewed Lone Star Showdown, improvement needs to continue on both sides of the ball. Credit to Elko and his staff for sticking to the game plan, as both units are coming together nicely.

The return of a healthy starting quarterback, Conner Weigman, certainly changes the offense’s trajectory, as the redshirt sophomore completed 18/22 for 276 yards against the Tigers, springing the rushing attack to 238 yards and five touchdowns, including three scores from junior running back Le’Veon Moss.

Defensively, A&M’s pass rush produced six sacks and eight tackles for loss, while the secondary notched five pass deflections, as junior cornerback Will Lee III currently leads the nation in deflections with eight on the year.

While the stats speak for themselves, Pro Football Focus, which has tracked the Aggies’ overall progress in every metric imaginable, shows A&M’s weekly progress from the tool’s “Overall Performance” grade. Here’s how Texas A&M has graded out in all six games:

Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame (24-13 loss): 55.6 Overall Grade

Texas A&M vs. McNeese (52-10 win): 92.9 Overall Grade

Texas A&M vs. Florida (33-20 win): 69.9 Overall Grade

Texas A&M vs. Bowling Green (26-20 win): 72.2 Overall Grade

Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (21-17 win): 80.3 Overall Grade

Texas A&M vs. Missouri (41-10 win): 82.6 Overall Grade

These numbers reflect the impressive play of the offensive line in both pass protection and run blocking, while the run game has consistently graded out in the high to mid-70s through six games. All in all, these grades show that Elko and his staff’s game plans are working.

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‘We talk about how to get better’ HC Mike Elko is focused on the future, not the past

While the loss to Notre Dame still stings, the Aggies have accomplished too much to scrutinize one defeat.

It’s fair to say that Texas A&M’s 5-1 start to the 2024 season has surprised many. First-year head coach Mike Elko was apparently entering a rebuild after Jimbo Fisher’s messy departure after six years at the helm. Still, some tunes have changed after demolishing a top 10-ranked Missouri team 41-10 last Saturday.

Beware of taking “expert” opinions without a grain of salt because Elko and the team have flipped the script, especially after the return of starting quarterback Conner Weigman, who missed the previous three games due to a shoulder injury.

Completing 18/22 for 276 yards, Weigman’s accuracy and ability to stretch the field led by the run game, producing 238 yards on the ground, including 138 yards and three touchdowns from junior star running back Le’Veon Moss.

Defensively, Texas A&M’s pass rush and much-improved secondary wrecked Missouri’s game plan, resulting in six sacks, eight tackles for loss, and five pass deflections in one of the most lopsided ranked victories in Aggie football history.

With both units improving week to week, Elko, during A&M’s Week 7 bye week before taking on Mississippi State in Week 8, spoke about the importance of focusing on future matchups instead of nitpicking the mistakes made in past games during his appearance at the Houston Touchdown Club.

“We don’t talk about 5-1. We don’t talk about how good the result was against Missouri. We don’t talk about how bad the result was against Notre Dame. We talk about how to get better.”

While the loss to Notre Dame still stings, especially concerning a possible college football playoff berth down the road, the Fighting Irish came to play that day. At the same time, Conner Weigman was likely dealing with some physical or mental discomfort that led to his career-low performance.

Since then, the Aggies have been undefeated with a conference-leading 3-0 SEC win, and they have yet to reach their potential on both sides of the ball. The future is extremely bright, and even though the remaining six games present plenty of challenges, Elko and his team have the right mindset to get the job done.

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CBS Sports’ Josh Pate is buying what Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is selling

Mike Elko is building something special, and this season is just the start

Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) is off to a hot start after finishing the first half of the 2024 regular season with a 5-1 record and a 3-0, SEC-leading conference record that has shocked many in the national media who wrote off the program after the Aggies’ season-opening loss to Notre Dame.

One of the more popular college football analysts in the country has been a fan of what Texas A&M is building under new head coach Mike Elko, especially after the Aggies blew out a top 10-ranked Missouri team 41-10 in front of a packed Kyle Field before entering the Week 7 bye week.

This week, Pate, during a segment on his YouTube show with CFB analyst Cole Cubelic, discussed the difference in recruiting/player evaluations under former head coach Jimbo Fisher, who routinely relied on raw talent rather than looking past the 5 and 4-star recruiting designations.

While Elko helped build several of Texas A&M’s recruiting classes under Fisher during his time as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator, his successful two-year stint as Duke’s head coach was based on utilizing the transfer portal and recruiting athletes who fit the team’s system. However, it’s all about selling the program to future prospects, something Elko has all but mastered.

“I would almost say, that is as much like and Ohio State, as it is and LSU, or an Ole Miss or Alabama in the way they attract kids to campus and how they sell A&M” Pate stated.

“You got a guy who understands it, so I know that it was nice to beat Missouri, but even if they had lost a dog fight to Missouri, there are so many green arrows that you get when you start raising the hood on Texas A&M. I’m buying stock.”

This week, Elko and his staff have been focused on recruiting and attending several 2025 commits’ games. Meanwhile, the team continues working out and recuperating before heading to Starkville to face Mississippi State next Saturday.

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‘Here is culture’ Texas A&M HC Mike Elko applauds his QBs in new episode of ‘The Pulse’

12th Man Productions’s “The Pulse” showed an impassioned Mike Elko thanking quarterbacks Conner Weigman and Marcel Reed for their steadfast leadership.

Texas A&M’s 2024 season is off to a successful start, as the Aggies have won five in a row after falling to Notre Dame to open the season, culminating with Saturday’s blowout 41-10 win over a top ten-ranked Missouri Tiger team inside a packed Kyle Field.

Aided by the return of starting quarterback Conner Weigman, who had missed the last three games due to a shoulder injury, the redshirt sophomore was lights out in the pocket, finishing 18/22 for 276 yards while hitting tight windows and connecting deep several times to set up the running game and open up the playbook for OC Collin Klein.

While running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels finished with five combined touchdowns, Weigman’s efficiency drove the Aggies down the field to score on seven of nine drives.

On Wednesday, 12th Man Production’s award-winning show, “The Pulse,” provided a glimpse into the Aggie locker room after the win. It showed an impassioned Mike Elko applauding Conner Weigman and backup quarterback Marcel Reed, who earned a 3-0 record and kept the Aggies above water during Weigman’s absence.

“A couple things I want to point out, Right? First of all, our quarterback, Conner Weigman. (applause) “So, man, I’m gonna say this too, Marcel Reed, where you at?” Elko Stated.

“Yes sir, because here’s culture. Culture is coming in when your name is called, leading us to 3-0, making it an extremely difficult decision, deciding to go back to our starter without him flinching, him being an unbelievable energy source, him being prepared if we needed him today, and him just being a great part of this program, that if we every go back to him, I know he’ll be ready.”

With a clear focus on Marcel Reed’s leadership qualities of taking over and helping keep the Aggies in contention for a playoff berth, Elko’s words further prove that Texas A&M has one of the best quarterback rooms in the country.

Here is the full clip, thanks to Gigem247’s Carter Karels.

https://twitter.com/carterkarels/status/1844171834822099001?s=61&t=kQZQ7hi1kyHO-VOnHpUamw

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QB Conner Weigman gives Texas A&M ‘the best chance to win’ per head coach Mike Elko

“I made him come in my office and convince me he was ready. We had a conversation Thursday and I got a strong idea that he was ready to go.”

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman made a triumphant return from a shoulder injury Saturday and led No. 14 Texas A&M to a dominant upset of Missouri.

Despite redshirt freshman QB Marcel Reed playing well in Weigman’s absence, Aggies head coach Mike Elko stuck by his starter.

“I made him come in my office and convince me he was ready. We had a conversation on Thursday afternoon, and in that conversation, I got a really strong idea that he was ready to go,” Elko recalled Monday. “The conversation for us was we wanted to see Conner at 100%, and we felt like Conner at 100% gave us our best chance to win.

“We felt like, at the end of the week, we were going to get the best version of Conner and felt that was certainly something that would give us the best chance to win.”

Texas A&M has a bye this upcoming weekend. The Aggies will return on Oct. 19 at 3:15 p.m. for an SEC road matchup at Mississippi State.

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Joel Klatt makes surprising prediction concerning Texas A&M’s playoff chances

Rat poison? Just win, baby

Texas A&M has made it through the first six games of the 2024 season with a  5-1 record and an SEC-leading 3-0 start in conference play after dismantling the Missouri Tigers 41-10 on Saturday afternoon, as the Aggies now head toward their Week 7 bye week.

While starting 5-1 has surprised nearly every media member who seemingly placed the program in rebuild territory under first-year head coach Mike Elko, the roster was always too talented to struggle through what remains a manageable schedule. However, despite the success, it hasn’t been for the faint of heart.

After two games, starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s shoulder injury resulted in the redshirt sophomore missing three consecutive games, giving way to backup QB Marcel Reed, helping the Aggies win the next three games. However, it wasn’t without some struggle.

After defeating Arkansas 21-17 behind a memorable defensive effort, Reed’s struggles with accuracy hindered A&M’s passing offense. This led to Weigman’s return to practice last week and eventual first start in nearly a month against Missouri.

After completing 18/22 for 276 yards, paired with 238 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, the Aggies torched the Tigers and now look like one of the best teams in the SEC.

Well, it didn’t take long for the national media to take notice, as Fox Sports CFB analyst Joel Klatt is all of a sudden a fan of what the Aggies have accomplished so far, stating on X,

“Wrap your mind around this…@AggieFootball (Texas A&M Football) has a good shot at the CFP…in fact I would put money on it right now.”

To quote former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, most of the fanbase will see this as “rat poison,” but it’s also not surprising that more analysts are taking notice of what the Aggies have accomplished thus far.

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Report card for No. 14 Texas A&M following matchup against No. 18 Missouri in Week 6

Following the Week 6 matchup against Missouri, we break down the Aggies’ grade.

The Texas A&M football team made a thunderous statement in front of the entire nation on Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field.

The Aggies (5-1, 3-0 SEC) won their fifth consecutive game with a 41-10 mauling of Missouri (4-1, 1-1), who entered the contest ranked No. 9 in the country. Following the bludgeoning, Texas A&M vaulted seven spots to No. 14 while the Tigers dropped nine slots to No. 18.

At halftime, the Aggies led 24-0, holding an AP-ranked team scoreless after 30 minutes for the first time since 2012. Amid junior quarterback Conner Weigman’s triumphant return from injury, Texas A&M went on to extend its massive advantage to 34-0 before going on to win by 31 points.

It was a truly remarkable rout that put the rest of the nation on notice. The Aggies proved that they are the real deal and ready to compete for a conference championship this season. With nothing to nitpick, the perfect performance earned an A+.

Texas A&M has a bye this upcoming weekend. The Aggies will return on Oct. 19 for an SEC road matchup at Mississippi State. Kickoff at Davis Wade Stadium is to be determined.

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What recruits were saying after Texas A&M’s 41-10 win over Missouri

Here’s what some recruits were sayting after Texas A&M’s 41-10 win over the Missouri Tigers

Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) destroyed Missouri to the tune of 41-10 on Saturday night, as the Aggies were looking for a statement win after a close victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks the week prior.

Dominant in every facet of the word, quarterback Conner Weigman returned to the starting lineup after missing the last three games due to a shoulder injury, finishing 18/22 for 276 yards.

On defense, the Aggies limited the Tigers to just 68 yards rushing and 189 yards passing while notching six sacks, eight tackles for loss, and five pass deflections.

Just days before the game, it was revealed that Texas A&M would host a short but important list of 2025 and 2026 prospects, including 2025 4-star offensive tackle and current Missouri commit Lamont Rogers, who is now predicted to flip his commitment to the Maroon & White.

Thanks to 247Sports’ Mike Roach, several visitors outside of Rogers spoke after the game, providing their take on what impressed them the most. Here’s what some of them had to say.

2025 4-star TE and Aggie commit Kiotti Armstrong: “In Elko we trust.”

2025 4-star Edge Tobi Haastrup: “It was electric, man,” Haastrup stated. “The Aggies came out strong and delivered every quarter. I’m loving the fuel these guys have. The road and the chants are deafening there. The sound makes your body rumble. I’m loving it.”

2026 4-star WR Jayden Warren: “A&M definitely has one of the loudest stadiums I’ve visited.” “The vibe was amazing, and the alumni was awesome. You can tell they are rich in tradition. The players’ energy was unmatched. Great game day execution for the Aggies and I really enjoyed it.”

2026 4-star ATH London Smith: “The experience and atmosphere was crazy,” Smith stated. “It was a big win for A&M and it’s good to see them becoming the powerhouse they are.”

Lastly, 2027 4-star quarterback Peyton Houston had this to say about Texas A&M OC Collin Klein: “Coach Klein’s offense is fast and it puts the ball in the playmaker’s hands quickly and in space.

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How many spots did Texas A&M rise in the newest AP Top 25 Poll?

Texas A&M has deservedly risen in the newest AP Top 25 poll after defeating Missouri 41-10 in Week 6

Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) looks like one of the best teams in the conference after demolishing Missouri (4-1, 1-1 SEC) 41-10 on Saturday afternoon. Looking to build momentum heading into the bye week, the return of quarterback Conner Weigman helped pave the way for an elite performance from the Aggie offense.

Weigman completed 18/22 for 276 yards on the day. While he didn’t throw a touchdown, the Aggie ground game produced 236 rushing yards and five touchdowns as OC Collin Klein’s impressive scheme with Weigman under center produced chunk gains in the passing game to set up successful runs in the red zone.

Defensively, Texas A&M’s defensive line continued its dominance in last week’s win over Arkansas, producing six sacks and eight tackles for loss while limiting the Tigers to 68 yards on the ground. At the same time, Missouri QB Brady Cook threw for 186 yards and one touchdown.

Texas A&M’s win over Missouri was technically an upset due to the Tigers’ previous top 10 ranking, but the chaos that followed the win has completely shaken up the newest AP Top 25 rankings. Alabama and Tennessee both fell on the road, keeping A&M atop the SEC standings.

Who’s the new No. 1? Here are the newest AP Top 25 rankings after Week 6.

1 Texas 5-0 1516 (52) +1
2 Ohio State 5-0 1473 (9) +1
3 Oregon 5-0 1348 +3
4 Penn State 5-0 1305 +3
5 Georgia 4-1 1299 –
6 Miami (FL) 6-0 1187 +2
7 Alabama 4-1 1182 -6
8 Tennessee 4-1 1001 -4
9 Ole Miss 5-1 978 +3
10 Clemson 4-1 861 +5
11 Iowa State 5-0 853 +5
12 Notre Dame 4-1 853 +3
13 LSU 4-1 827 –
14 BYU 5-0 753 +3
15 TAMU 5-1 702 +10
16 Utah 4-1 473 +2
17 Boise State 4-1 463 +4
18 Kansas State 4-1 459 +2
19 Indiana 6-0 459 +5
20 Oklahoma 4-1 459 +1
21 Missouri 4-1 352 -12
22 Pitt 5-0 196 –
23 Illinois 4-1 182 +1
24 Michigan 4-2 170 -14
25 SMU 5-1 165 –

Others receiving votes:

Southern Cal 98, Nebraska 51, Navy 43, Army 33, Vanderbilt 26, Arkansas 17, Washington St. 8, Iowa 8, Texas Tech 7, Syracuse 6, Washington 4, Louisville 4, Colorado 3, Kentucky 1.

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