Tag: Max Johnson

Post Game Recap: Texas A&M falls to 3-3 in the SEC play after a nail-biting finish in Oxford, losing to Ole Miss 38-35

The Aggie offense exploded in the second half but wasn’t enough to overcome the Ole Miss Rebels in a 38-35 loss.

On Saturday, Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3 SEC) dropped a heartbreaker the No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels (8-1, 5-1 SEC) at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday.

The two issues that have plagued the Aggies all season long were glaring in the first half of this game. While the defense kept Jaxson Dart uncomfortable most of the time, the secondary gave him free yards with penalties and wide-open receivers.

Even more concerning was how ineffective the offense was in their first four drives. Yards were hard to come by for the Aggies early in the game, only being able to muster 44 before they started to show any signs of life in the half. Senior QB Max Johnson was able to manufacture Texas A&M’s first scoring drive of the game with a balanced dose of passing and running, capping off a 75-yard drive with a 13-yard Le’Veon Moss touchdown run.

However, no doubt the play of the half was the blocked punt by Shemar Turner that was returned 75 yards for a touchdown and a 10-point swing. Instead of Ole Miss going up 17-0, the Aggies got their first points of the game, cutting the lead in half. Both teams would score again with the half closing out on an Ainias Smith fair catch and the Rebels up 20-14.

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The second half started off very promising but quickly went downhill. Texas A&M marched down the field on a six-plus minute opening drive that ended in a Max Johnson interception in the end zone. To add insult to injury, Shemar Turner was ejected after being called for a flagrant personal foul after throwing a lower half-of-the-body punch. Dart continued picking apart the secondary for an easy touchdown drive followed by a 2-point conversion, putting Ole Miss back up by two touchdowns.

Not willing to go out without a fight, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino kept the Ole Miss defense guessing as they stormed down the field, threatening to score again. This time, they hit paydirt with Max Johnson linking up with his brother Jake Johnson for a 28-yard touchdown pass, bringing the Aggies within one touchdown 28-21.

This quickly turned into a shootout, with both teams exchanging points with the Aggies down 28-31 early in the fourth quarter. Max Johnson, tough as nails, would come in the clutch again, leading the Aggies on a 12-play 67-yard touchdown drive to take their first lead, going up 35-31. Unfortunately for the Aggies, a few near-defensive misses on the following Ole Miss drive allowed the Rebels to maintain said drive, ultimately resulting in a touchdown.

(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Down three, the Aggies did not go away quietly; a battered Max Johnson and company willed the Aggies into field goal range. With the help of an overturned interception, the Aggies ate up a few more yards to give Randy Bond a brutal but make-able kick to tie the game with two seconds left on the clock. Bond lined up, put his foot into it, and no good. The Aggies fell 38-35 in a heart-breaking loss and must wait another week to secure their bowl eligibility.

On the heels of their ninth straight road loss, Texas A&M will look to rebound when they take on Mississippi State next Saturday night at Kyle Field.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss

Will Jimbo Fisher finally end his SEC road woes? Here are five players to watch ahead to Texas A&M’s road trip vs. 10th-ranked Ole Miss.

Texas A&M’s (5-3, 3-2 SEC) 2023 football season has been underwhelming, to say the least, as sixth-year head coach Jimbo Fisher has once again landed on the evergrowing “hot seat” list as his future at the helm is still somewhat unknown with four games remaining.

However, after the Aggies’ 30-17 Week 9 home win over South Carolina last Saturday, confidence inside the locker room has never been higher heading into this weekend’s pivotal road matchup vs. 10th-ranked Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1 SEC), and of course, Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin.

This will begrudgingly be Texas A&M’s fourth early kickoff this season, but this time, it may work to their benefit as the road team in front of a home crowd that may lack energy early on. Still, Ole Miss is a Top 10 team for good reason behind a potent offense, scoring an average of 38.8 points per game this season.

Seeking his first true SEC road win since 2021, Fisher will likely have to rely again on the Aggie’s 7th-ranked defense, while quarterback Max Johnson must show up in a big way for four quarters.

This week, we have provided several storylines to help provide the full scoop on what to expect on Saturday afternoon.

Focusing on the players that need to make plays this weekend, here are the five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss

‘We’re locking in and trying to finish this season off strong.’ Max Johnson, Shemar Turner, and Trey Zuhn look ahead to facing Ole Miss

Max Johnson, Shemar Turner, and Trey Zuhn spoke on A&M’s goal to close out the season strong, starting with Ole Miss on the schedule.

As Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) heads into Week 10, the goal moving forward remains the same: close out the season strong. The next obstacle in their path is a familiar foe in the No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels.

The Lane Kiffin-led squad has proven strong on both sides of the ball this season. Ole Miss is scoring at a clip of 38.9 PPG (10th) while holding their opponents to 21.4 PPG (43rd). On top of their hot start this year, the Rebels were the last ones to come out on top in their yearly matchup with the Aggies, surviving a 31-28 affair in College Station.

So yeah, the Aggies don’t need any more motivation as they head into The Vaught this weekend for the highly touted affair. Leaders Max Johnson, Shemar Turner, and Trey Zuhn echoed just the same on Monday afternoon.

In speaking to the media, all three noted that the Rebels pose an ample challenge for the Maroon and White and on both sides of the ball. But after a promising 30-17 win over South Carolina last weekend, each player noted that there is positive momentum brewing in the aftermath. And with that, the Aggies should be equipped to rise to the occasion in facing one of the SEC’s best teams this season.

Below are Max Johnson, Shemar Turner, and Trey Zuhn’s full press conferences from Monday afternoon, as well as notable takeaways from their time at the podium.

Texas A&M’s second half scoring woes are an issue that must be solved in the final four games

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher’s lack of second-half adjustments must change with two key SEC road trips remaining this season.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) finally entered the win column after defeating South Carolina (2-6, 1-5 SEC) 30-17 on Saturday afternoon, ending their two-game SEC skid, while matching last season’s win total.

Yes, the Aggies offense scored 30 points for the first time since netting 34 in the win vs. Arkansas, but 21 of said points came in the second quarter, including a late 42-yard touchdown strike to WR Ainias Smith with just seconds remaining in the half. Oh, and Max Wright’s incredible end zone grab that was called incomplete? That was a touchdown, folks.

However, just like we’ve seen throughout SEC play, Texas A&M’s offense scored nine points by way of three Randy Bond Field goals and have yet to score a touchdown in the second half of their past four games (Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina) including 18 total points scored with a 2-2 record, as most of the blame falls on head coach Jimbo Fisher’s last of half time adjustments.

I agree that simply stating a lack of “adjustments” is vague. However, this unwelcome trend was blatantly evident in the loss to Alabama after the Aggies held a respectable but susceptible 17-7 halftime lead. At the same time, Fisher, in his usual conservative nature, opted to allow the clock to run down instead of calling a timeout after sacking Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe to drive down the field for another potential scoring opportunity.

Fast forward to the second half, as Alabama head coach Nick Saban, dealing with a ten-point deficit in front of a packed Kyle Field, took advantage of the weak spots in A&M’s secondary while imposing their will against the Aggies’ porous offensive line with more blitz through the A and B gaps. Scoring just three points due to the uptick in pocket pressure, Aggies quarterback Max Johnson was officially rattled, and the Crimson Tide had won the battle by an underwhelming score of 26-20.

On Saturday, if it wasn’t for the Aggies’ suffocating pass rush and solid play in the secondary, we could have been discussing a complete offensive turnaround from the Gamecocks, who brought the score within seven after a quick 6-play scoring drive with just over two minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

I’m not a coach, and I don’t play one on TV, but next weekend’s early kickoff on the road vs. Ole Miss, one of the top remaining contenders in the SEC West, is the perfect matchup to finally implement several second-half adjustments, such as relying on 12 personnel looks in pass protection, implementing a quick passing game to get Johnson in rhythm, and making wide receivers Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart the offensive focal points is a good start.

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 5, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Social Media Reacts to Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina

Here are the best social media reactions to Texas A&M’s potentially season-saving 30-17 win over South Carolina.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) was in dire need of a victory after the bye week, previously dropping their last two SEC matchups in close losses to Alabama and Tennessee. Facing a beatable South Carolina team who were also coming off of consecutive losses, head coach Jimbo Fisher’s shaky future needed a jolt of energy, coming in the form of a blowout home victory.

Behind yet another impressive defensive effort led by star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (7 tackles, one sack, one TFL) and safety Bryce Anderson (7 tackles, two sacks, 2.5 TFLS), the Aggies offense, still a painfully slow work in progress, did find the end zone three times in the first half, including an impressive second quarter explosion capped by by quarterback Max Johnson’s 45-yard strike to do-it-all wide receiver Ainias with to take a 21-7 lead into halftime.

After the game, every Aggie fan, media member, and general Texas A&M hater made their way to social media to either congratulate or continue to mock the Maroon & White in an always entertaining fashion.

Here are the best social media reactions from Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

Post Game Recap: Texas A&M defeats South Carolina 30-17 behind a blend of improved offense and elite defense

Behind a stifling defensive effort and improved play on offense, Texas A&M rebounded with a decisive 30-17 win over South Carolina.

Sitting at 4-3 and 2-2 in the SEC entering Week 9, Texas A&M and head coach Jimbo Fisher were focused entirely on the task at hand: making a statement at home against the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks.

While Fisher’s future at the helm remains one of the most significant talking points in college football, the only solution to cooling off his proverbial “Hot Seat” is to either win out or at least win four out of the Aggies’ final five games. Game on?

Coming out of the bye week, the return of linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, defensive tackle Walter Nolen, and safety Bryce Anderson immediately bolstered the Aggies defense, but that’s about it, especially compared to the recent struggles on offense that have essentially destroyed Texas A&M’s chances of gaining any team cohesiveness.

Returning to a packed Kyle Field for the 11:00 a.m. kickoff against the Gamecocks, the Aggies would start the game on offense, and if you were looking for any immediate improvements after the bye, I’m sorry.

While Texas A&M’s offensive line has been a lost cause for most of the year, the utter collapse witnessed in consecutive losses to Alabama and Tennessee continued into Saturday, as quarterback Max Johnson (20/30, 249 yards, 1 TD) endured three sacks against one of the worst pass rushes in the SEC. At the same time, the veteran southpaw continued to hold the ball much too long in the process.

After several stalled drives, the Aggie’s stout defense had its first moment of weakness, allowing Gamecocks signal caller Spencer Rattler to pass his way down the field, leading to a 1-yard TD run from RB Dakereon Joyner. Finally gaining some offensive momentum, first-year OC Bobby Petrino opened up the playbook, focusing on the run game, specifically freshman RB Reuben Owens.

After Johnson connected with WR Evan Stewart on a 15-yard strike and hit TE Max Wright on a short gain, Owens weaved his way through defenders for a 14-year score to even things up at 7-7 with nine minutes remaining in the first half. While the Aggies’ defense continued to pressure Rattler to provide offense-added cushion, Max Johnson took a beating in the pocket.

However, Texas A&M’s short-yardage game starkly improved in critical moments late in the first half, as the Aggies took a 14-7 lead after an efficient 12-play drive that included four 3rd-down conversions and on 4th-down conversion (3-3 on the day), capped off by a 2-yard touchdown from sophomore RB Amari Daniels.

More offense before the half? After the Aggie’s tremendous pass rush notched its fourth sack on the day, Fisher, well-known for bleeding the clock before most halves while holding a slight lead, finally chose to trust his offense after taking a timeout with 1:12 remaining, leading to a one-play, 42-yard touchdown to do-it-all WR Ainias Smith, who would juke his way into the end zone to score his first receiving touchdown on the season and give the Aggies a solid 21-7 lead at the half—one heck of a second-quarter performance.

Second Half:

South Carolina opened the half desperate to do something on offense, and after an oddly lucky sequence of events in the passing game, kicker Mitch Jeter’s 49-yard FG cut into the lead at 21-10. With a semi-comfortable lead, Fisher and Petrino once again focused on the running game while loading the protection with 12-personnel looks. After two failed attempts to score a touchdown, Texas A&M would respond after a long 13-play drive ending with a 26-yard Randy Bond FG.

Despite the Aggie’s pass rush causing quarterback Spencer Rattler issues throughout the day, the senior would engineer an impressive 7-play touchdown drive on a 7-yard strike to WR Joshua Simon, bringing the Gamecocks within a score at the start of the fourth quarter. Still throwing confidently, Max Johnson continued to hit his targets through the air while the Aggies’ run game capitalized on the Gamecock’s poor tacking but could only muster a second consecutive Randy Bond FG after another failed red zone trip.

After multiple defensive stops, Bond hit a career-tying 52-yard FG with 7:39 remaining; Texas A&M’s 30-17 lead looked more and more decisive after every South Carolina offensive possession failed to get past midfield due to impressive play by the Aggie secondary in man coverage. Bond’s first miss on the day provided the Gamecocks with good field position to make something happen, but nevertheless, a fumble recovered by Aggie DT McKinnley Jackson would seal the game for the Maroon & White.

It wasn’t pretty offensively (outside of Ainias Smith’s 42-yard TD), as A&M has failed to score a second half touchdown in its last four games, but Jimbo Fisher and his resilient team, yes, found the inches and earned a much, much-needed victory to end their SEC losing streak and get back on track in their quest to finish strong in 2023.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Aggies Wire Staff Predictions ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

Our Staff at Aggies Wire have predicted just how things may shake out during Texas A&M’s Saturday home matchup vs. South Carolina.

Texas A&M (4-3 2-2 SEC) is coming off their bye week after consecutive close losses to Alabama and Tennessee, set to host the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks (2-5, 1-4 SEC) on Saturday afternoon.

Taking center stage week after week, the Aggies floundering offense starts and ends in the trenches, as A&M’s offensive line has continued to digress after solid showings to start SEC play, leaving quarterback Max Johson either on his back or scrambling for his life after every snap.

Looking to show some improvement against a porous Gamecocks secondary and unimpressive pass rush, there’s plenty of improvement to be had, especially in the passing game. Again, with such a talented receiving core led by Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, Noah Thomas, and Moose Muhammad, there’s no reason the offense should be struggling at this rate.

Ahead of the battle for the Bonham Trophy, we at Aggies Wire have provided several key storylines and five players to watch ahead of the game. At the same time, Our Staff has made our predictions ahead of Saturday’s showdown.

Cameron Ohnysty, Managing Editor: 

“Coming off of their bye week, will Texas A&M’s offensive line finally show some level of improvement? South Carolina may be the cure to the Aggies’ offensive woes. 

While quarterback Max Johnson needs to get the ball out faster, above-average blocking should be enough to reignite the offense and get back to “feeding the studs” in the passing more consistently. While SC quarterback Spencer Rattler is certainly a threat, the Aggies’ 10th-ranked defense, specifically the pass rush (29 sacks), should feast against the Gamecock’s O-line, ranked 132nd in sacks allowed per game (5.0). 

All in all, this should (hopefully) be a much-needed rebound game for the Maroon and White.” 

Final Score Prediction: Texas A&M 28, South Carolina 14

Pete Hernandez, Staff Writer: 

“After two tough back-to-back matchups against SEC behemoths, A&M comes off a much-needed bye week and is greeted with a softer matchup compared to the last two weeks. Simply put, it’s do or die, and the Aggies HAVE to win this game.

Being two-touchdown favorites seems generous, but then again, SC boasts just the 81st-ranked scoring offense and the 114th-ranked scoring defense. Texas A&M needs to show marginal improvement, and they should get a much-welcomed return to the win column.”

Final Score Prediction: Texas A&M 28, South Carolina 17

Jarrett Johnson, Staff Writer: 

“I’m not sure what to think about this team anymore. Every game, they have shown the potential to score at least 30 points but disappear in the second half of games. That could be attributed to several things; however, with the experience the team possesses across the offensive coaching staff, they are still a step behind the elite teams.

Getting back on track, South Carolina is not an impressive team right now. Even though I believe in the concept of “Any Given Saturday,” there is no way in my mind that Bobby Petrino will call an aggressive game, putting his players in the best position to score points.

The defense will handle business as usual, as DJ Durkin has been in his play-calling bag since the Miami game. The defensive line is clogging lanes, keeping the linebackers clean, and helping propel Edgerrin Cooper to an All-SEC type of bounceback halfway through the season. In conclusion, the Aggies will have a lot of yards, and the defense will have a lot of sacks en route to a comfortable victory.”

Final Score Predictions: Texas A&M 30, South Carolina 12

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

Will the O-line show a sign of life? is QB Spencer Rattler a threat? here are five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

We’re slightly past the halfway point of the 2023 college football season. For Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC), head coach Jimbo Fisher and his talented but underwhelming offense have plagued any sense of consistency, recently dropping two consecutive SEC matchups against Alabama and Tennessee.

While Fisher’s coaching future in College Station remains a mystery, the final five games of the regular season will likely provide more answers down the line, especially if what we’ve seen from the Aggies since reaching 4-1 after decisively defeating Arkansas to reach 2-0 in the SEC.

Yes, quarterback Conner Weigman’s season-ending injury certainly threw a wrench in the Aggies’ offensive plans. Still, second-year O-line coach Steve Addazio’s failure to fix the blocking issues in the trenches has put then-backup signal caller Max Johnson under constant duress, virtually destroying any rhythm in both the passing and running game since.

However, facing a Gamecocks defense that allows more than 30 points per game should give the offense confidence heading into the matchup.

This week, we have provided several storylines to help provide the full scoop on what to expect on Saturday afternoon.

Focusing on the players that need to make this weekend, here are the five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina.

Texas A&M Football 2023 Midseason Grades: Quarterback Max Johnson

With A&M heading into their bye week, we’re taking a pulse check on how each positional group has fared so far, starting with QB Max Johnson.

With Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2) looking to take a breather and reassess heading into the bye week, the Aggies Wire team is doing the same. Namely, there’s no better time to take a pulse check on how the Aggies have fared through the first half of the season, with a deep dive on each positional group.

To kick off the midseason review, we’re looking at quarterback Max Johnson, who took over the starting role from Conner Weigman following the latter’s season-ending injury.

Highlights

Johnson’s 72.9 passer grade, according to Pro Football Focus, is the second-highest of his career and is preceded only by his 2020 season at LSU (74.8). His 7.6 passing yards per attempt mark a career-high for the senior southpaw, and despite playing behind a shaky offensive line, his 56.8 completion percentage is just a shade under his 58.2 percent average during his time in Aggieland.

Again, the fact that Johnson stepped up to the challenge in light of Conner Weigman’s season-ending injury has to be commended. Outside of external factors, with much of them falling on said offensive line, A&M’s offense has not taken a step back due to quarterback play alone. It speaks to the Aggies’ luxury with Johnson in the quarterback room.

Areas of improvement

You don’t need to check the box score or crunch the numbers to highlight the glaring area of improvement for Johnson. Simply put, he needs to get the ball out quicker. As Aggies Wire covered in a deeper breakdown, Johnson is ranked 14th in average throw time at 3.19 seconds.

Under normal circumstances, we may not bat an eye. But with a porous offensive line protecting him, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Johnson is a seasoned veteran who has consistently echoed the need to improve himself. As the Aggies exit the bye week, look for the senior southpaw to do just that by way of getting the ball to his targets much faster. It’s not ideal, but A&M will take anything that gets this team back into the win column at this point in the season.

Final grade: B-

Johnson hasn’t been exceptional since taking over as the starter from Weigman, but by no means has he been the reason for A&M’s 4-3 start. Like the larger offense, the senior can surely correct some of the things that have plagued the progress made early in the year. Among them is getting the ball out quicker, which is a simple but nonetheless key area of improvement to address.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

How much blame does Aggies QB Max Johnson deserve? Let’s look at the numbers

Amid Texas A&M’s two-game losing streak, QB Max Johnson deserves some blame, but the offense is broken, and the O-line is in shambles.

Whenever a team loses, it’s almost inevitable that the losing quarterback shoulders most of the blame, no matter the circumstances, and for Texas A&M, veteran Max Johnson struggled immensely in the Aggies 20-13 loss to Tennessee on Saturday afternoon.

Sitting at 4-3 and 2-2 in the SEC, a dark cloud has once again appeared over College Station and head coach Jimbo Fisher, but don’t blame the Aggies’ 10th-ranked defense, as the beyond problematic offense led by first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has placed Johnson in a poor position to succeed.

On Saturday, outside of Texas A&M’s 80-yard first-quarter drive to take a 7-0 lead behind a successful end-zone scramble from Johnson, the run game was nonexistent for the second straight week (1.9 yards per carry), while any future success in the passing game virtually died on the vine. On the day, Johnson completed 16/34 for 223 yards and two interceptions but was pressured on an A&M record 64.1% of his drop-backs, which included 11 quarterback hits.

In front of a borderline anemic showing from the Aggies’ struggling offensive line, Johnson had no chance to gain any rhythm through the air, as Johnson was constantly under attack after the starting five recorded the worst pass protection grade of the weekend (21.6) per Pro Football Focus.

But again, despite enduring the worst pressure rate in the country at 50.7%, Johnson deserves some blame amid the issues in the trenches, precisely his release time after the snap. Staying with PFF, Max Johnson is ranked 14th in average throw time at 3.19 seconds, which doesn’t seem ludicrous at face value, but with this blocking, that ball needs to get out much faster.

This falls on Petrino to implement a quick passing game with five games remaining to consistently “feed the studs,” as time will tell if the running game improves in the slightest after the bye week. Again, Johnson’s play has been underwhelming the past two weeks, but Fisher remains confident that he can turn things around based on experience and impressive resume during his two seasons with LSU.

“We can get open better, we can play better, Max is playing good football. He is a really good player, good kid, and competes his butt off.”

Although the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time, changes on the O-line, whether coaching or personnel, need to be made, but for the offense to re-establish their early season identity, Max Johnson’s play will determine the latter half of the 2023 season.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.