Tag: Shemar Turner

Everything Jimbo Fisher had to say after Texas A&M’s disappointing 38-35 loss to Ole Miss

Hear what Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher had to say after Texas A&M’s disappointing 38-35 road loss to Ole Miss on Saturday.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-3 SEC) has once again reached a disappointing impasse for the 5th time in sixth-year head coach Jimbo Fisher’s career at the helm, enduring four-plus losses in five seasons. On top of it all, Saturday’s 38-35 loss to Ole Miss on the road is now the program’s fifth straight loss to a Mississippi school, while Fisher still has yet to defeat an SEC opponent on the road since the 2021 season—brutal stuff.

As bad as things may be, improvement, yes, actual improvement on offense was seen through the gritty play of quarterback Max Johnson, who, after struggling in the first half through the air, exploded the second half for 305 yards on 31/42 passing for a touchdown, but did throw a costly interception in the end zone that likely altered the game’s final outcome.

Aiding Johnson in the passing game, Grand Valley State transfer wide receiver Jahdae “All Day” Walker finally lived up to his briefly held nickname, recording eight receptions for 100 yards. In contrast, do-it-all receiver Ainias Smith, the heart and soul of the Aggie offense, had six receptions for 83 yards, including several clutch catches that led to multiple scores.

While Texas A&M’s 7th-ranked defense continued to give the offense opportunities, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Tre Harris (11 receptions, 213 yards, 1 TD) took full advantage of the Aggie’s injuries at cornerback, as starters Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon missed the game due to injury.

After the game, Fisher provided context (i.e, “we need to execute) after the loss, as the Aggies’ will have to wait another week to earn their sixth win and bowl eligibility, facing Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11. Here is Jimbo Fisher’s post-game press conference.

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Aided by special teams and late offense, Texas A&M trails Ole Miss 20-14 at halftime

A blocked field goal return and a Le’Von Moss touchdown have brought the Aggies back to life on the road against Ole Miss.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) entered Week 10 on the road vs. 10th-ranked Ole Miss with revenge on their mind after falling to the Rebels 31-28 just a season ago. Making obvious headlines throughout the week, Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher has not won a true SEC road game in two seasons and is 0-2 vs. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin as well.

On Saturday, after a shaky start on offense while giving up two scores on defense, Aggies safety Jacoby Matthews’ blocked field goal return from defensive end Shemar Turner, coupled with running back Le’Veon Moss’s late second-quarter touchdown has brought the Aggies within one score at the half, trailing Ole Miss 20-14.

Quarterback Max Johnson continued to face immense pressure in the pocket amid the issues on the offensive line that have festered in SEC play, completing 12/17 for 77 yards. In comparison, Grand Valley State transfer wide receiver Jahdae Walker currently leads the team in receiving with three receptions for 41 yards. No, the running game has not fixed its issues, but Moss’s 13-yard touchdown saw minor improvement that needs to continue throughout the game.

Despite giving up 20 points, Texas A&M’s swarming defensive line, specifically the aforementioned Shemar Turner, has continued to pressure Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart, one of the better signal callers in the conference. While star wide receiver Evan Stewart leaves a gaping hole in the Aggies’ passing offense, look for Walker, Moose Muhammad III, and Noah Thomas to step up in the second half.

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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

Texas A&M’s defense is out to prove that last year’s loss to Ole Miss was simply based on inexperience

After last years defensive debacle vs. Ole Miss, Texas A&M’s defense is ready for the challenge in a rematch with the Rebels this weekend.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) will face, yes, its toughest challenge yet this season, facing the 11th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday for yet another true SEC road matchup for an early 11:00 a.m CT. Kickoff.

Going back to last year’s 31-28 prime-time loss to Ole Miss at Kyle Field, lingering memories of Rebel players stepping on the A&M logo in taunting fashion, coupled with head coach Lane Kiffin accusing Aggie safety Bryce Anderson of faking an injury, Texas A&M’s defense, who allowed over 200-plus rushing yards to Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, is out for some much-anticipated revenge.

This time around, junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is playing at an All-SEC level. In contrast, sophomore defensive tackle Walter Nolen and junior pass rusher Fadil Diggs all helped lead the Aggies’ dominant pass rush, including their impressive 13th-ranked run defense.

On Monday, star defensive end Shemar Turner sat down with the media to provide insight on how the Aggies, who now have a bevy of experience after last season’s struggles, will defend Judkins this time around, as Kiffin’s offense depends on a balanced attack to gain early momentum.

“He’s a great running back… Not letting him get too hot, not letting him too comfortable running the ball outside the tackles like he did last year.”

While Judkins remains the focal point defensively, Turner knows that Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart was an absolute nightmare on the ground, scrambling for 95 yards in combination with his three touchdown passes through the air.

“I feel like he is one of those harder ones to bring down, but I don’t think he’s harder to bring down than KJ Jefferson. Getting KJ down is tough. He’s elusive, and he makes guys miss… Getting more than one guy on him is going to be big.”

Texas A&M’s 9th-ranked defense is built in the trenches, leading the county in sacks with 33, just 26 away from breaking their single-season record. Despite the Aggies’ 14th-ranked passing defense, defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin is still experimenting with his cornerback rotation, which may or may not become a liability vs. the Ole Miss passing attack.

However, Jaxson Dart thrives in Kiffin’s up-tempo offense. Still, if the Aggies can pressure the pocket early and often to rattle his confidence, Turner is confident the defense can find their footing for four consistent quarters.

“That is a really good team at Ole Miss. It will be a difficult task, but I don’t think there is an offense that we can’t handle in the country. Slowing down the tempo is going to be a key factor in stopping that offense.”

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 4, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

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‘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.

Top 10 highest graded Aggies through Week 6 according to Pro Football Focus

Six weeks into the college football season, these Aggies have graded the highest according to Pro Football Focus.

Before Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) heads to Neyland Stadium for a pivotal road matchup against No. 19 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC), it’s worth checking how the roster has stacked up so far.

While the Maroon and White look to rebound from last week’s loss to No. 11 Alabama, the sky is not falling halfway through the season. Rather, Texas A&M has put together a significant leap regarding offensive and defensive efficiency from a season ago.

That leap resulted from both younger players piecing their skills together on the field, alongside the guidance of the veterans who returned to College Station for the 2023 campaign. There’s been no better example than that of the defense, where junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and true freshman linebacker Taurean York have been a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the ball, it’s been a juxtaposition of talented wideouts such as Evan Stewart and Ainias Smith doing damage through the air. Alongside them are the likes of Trey Zuhn III and Le’Veon Moss holding it down in the running game.

Roughly halfway through the regular season, here are the ten highest-graded Aggies according to Pro Football Focus. For reference, we excluded those who will remain out for the rest of the season (e.g., Conner Weigman) and those with fewer than 100 total logged snaps through six games.

Texas A&M’s emerging defense currently ranks atop multiple defensive categories

After defeating Arkansas 34-22, Texas A&M elite defense is ranked atop several defensive categories in five games this season.

After drubbing the Arkansas Razorbacks 34-22 behind one of the best defensive performances in recent memory, or, at least since last weekend’s 27-10 win over Auburn, Texas A&M’s ascending defense has been the surprise of the 2023 season less than a month after failing to stop the Miami Hurricanes on the road in Week 2.

Second-year defensive coordinator D.J Durkin deserves credit for turning things around, finally utilizing the abundance of talent on the roster, specifically the loaded defensive line that features some of the highest-ranking members of their respective recruiting classes. On Saturday, the Aggies controlled the game with a brand of relentless physicality, as Durkin continued implementing multiple blitz packages through the matchup, virtually harassing Razorbacks quarterback K.J Jefferson to the tune of seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

While nearly every Aggie defender produced, junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper’s leading six tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss were only rivaled to stud sophomore defensive tackle Walter Nolen’s five tackles, one sack, and three tackles for loss on the afternoon.

Team sack leader Shemar Turner showed up as usual with four tackles and half a sack, while freshman linebacker Taurean York, who makes nearly every defensive call, once again made his impact with five tackles and half a sack, being in on almost every pressure and sack.

Limiting Arkansas to 174 total yards, one of the more impressive second-half stats compared to last year’s matchup with Jefferson was in the quarterback ground game, as the Aggies limited the senior to -3 yards on 18 carries after surrendering 105 rushing yards in 2022.

After the win, Texas A&M’s borderline elite defense, at least through five games (minus Miami), is ranked in the upper echelon in multiple national rankings, including:

  • 2nd in Total sacks
  • 1st in Tackles for loss
  • 1st in Sack percentage
  • 3rd in Third-down defense
  • 5th in Total defense
  • 8th in Yards per play allowed
  • 12th in Yards per carry allowed
  • 20th in Run defense
  • 32nd in Scoring defense
  • 50th in Pass defense efficiency

So far, it’s excellent, but the schedule only gets tougher from here. Alabama is coming to College Station this weekend, followed by a road trip to Tennessee before entering their long-awaited bye week.

Texas A&M will host No.10 Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 2:30 p.m. CT, inside Kyle Field (TV: CBS).

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Five players to watch in Texas A&M’s Week 5 matchup vs. Arkansas

Will Max Johnson shine? Is the Aggie D ready for K.J Jefferson? here are five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. Arkansas.

Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) is headed back to Arlington, Texas, to face the visiting Arkansas Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1 SEC) at 11:00 a.m. CT. in the annual Southwest Classic as the Max Johnson era has begun in Aggieland after starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s season-ending injury.

Arkansas’s high-flying offense has been impressive behind the arm of senior quarterback K.J Jefferson but already incurred two losses early in the year due to a susceptible secondary, allowing 8.4 yards per pass attempt this season.

For Texas A&M, last week’s 27-10 win over Auburn may have been slightly overshadowed by Weigman’s injury news this week. Still, after Max Johnson’s second-half heroic paired with the Aggies’ resurgent defense, accounting for seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss (both season highs), momentum may be on Texas A&M’s side for the first time this season.

However, this rivalry is one of the most difficult to predict every year, and even though the Aggies have dominated the series since entering the SEC in 2012, no betting line can accurately predict just how things will shake out. This week, we have provided several storylines while going behind the scenes with Razorbacks Wire to get 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. Arkansas.

SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic is a big fan of Texas A&M DE Shemar Turner’s impressive versatiliy

SEC Networks’ Cole Cubelic is a fan of Aggies junior defensive end Shemar Turner’s impressive versatility.

Texas A&M (2-1) is just a couple of days away from hosting the Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon, as both programs are set to open SEC play in front of what should be a packed Kyle Field.

As SEC Nation has already made its way to College Station to preview the game for the next two days up until kick-off, SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic joined many of us in Aggie media and the fanbase alike concerning junior defensive end Shemar Turner, who leads Texas A&M in sacks (3) netting one sack a week so far. Due to his impressive position versatility, Cubelic notes that this may be the beginning of Turner’s rise to stardom in the trenches.

“Shemar Turner was lights out, lights out again. And this is what’s cool: he can go outside of a tackle, and he can rush the edge; he can move down into a 3-technique, outside shade of a guard, and he can strike and shed an offensive lineman and play the interior of the defensive line exactly the way it’s supposed to be played. He had an awesome game again.” 

Despite tackling issues and poor coverage witnessed in the Aggies’ 48-33 Week 2 road loss to Miami, don’t count out the defense just yet, showing vast improvement in the win vs. UL Monroe, currently ranked 39th in the country, which includes their 35th-ranked rushing defense; a steady improvement from last season.

However, the pass rush has continued to struggle, but that may be changing with Turner’s sudden ascendance, which could open up the rest of the Aggie’s defensive line to finally get in the backfield at a consistent rate, starting with Auburn’s veteran, and transfer heavy offensive line.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

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Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is well aware of the challenges ahead before taking on Texas A&M

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze knows that his first SEC road trip to College Station will start and end in the trenches.

Texas A&M (2-1) is set to open the 2023 SEC season against the visiting Auburn Tigers (3-0) in head coach Hugh Freeze’s inaugural season with the program, knowing that striking while the iron is hot is vital within an upcoming schedule that includes hosting Georgia and traveling to Baton Rouge to take LSU after facing the Aggies.

Earlier this week, Freeze sat down with the media to discuss Saturday’s battle, focusing on Texas A&M star wide receiver Evan Stewart’s game-changing potential in the passing game with ascending quarterback Conner Weigman leading the offensive charge.

“They have great receivers, One of the best I’ve ever seen in (Evan) Stewart,” Freeze stated. “He’s really talented, and I think they’re doing some really good things offensively. They’re going to be a great challenge for us to try to keep them under. Hopefully, keeping them from having explosive plays, particularly ones that lead to points.”

Even though the Aggies’ pass rush has been absent outside of defensive end Shemar Turners’ team-leading three sacks, the bevy of blue-chip talent in the defensive trenches will eventually find its footing.

If last Saturday’s 47-3 win over UL Monroe doesn’t indicate that said talent is resulting in on-field production, the Tigers may have a shot at moving the ball downfield. However, Freeze remains hesitant to doubt the Aggie D, specifically their third-down defense.

“It is a great concern. I want to be really clear; we are getting ready to play three teams that have – over the last four to five years – ranked in the top seven to five in recruiting. You are playing the best recruits in the nation. We are going to be there soon. That doesn’t mean you can’t compete. There is a reason they are third in the nation on third-down defense. They have a bunch of five-stars in the defensive line, linebacker and that safety, and that corner. They are really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front, and it is a tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe to toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week. It is our goal to get there. But that is what reality is, we have had about eight months to recruit about half a class and these others have been stacking it, and that is why they are ranked third in the country (on third-down defense)”.

No matter what it says on paper for both teams, this is the SEC, meaning every matchup for the next two months will be dogfight after dogfight. Regarding Texas A&M vs. Auburn, head coach Jimbo Fisher is looking for revenge after falling to the then Cadillac Williams-led Tigers squad, who narrowly defeated the Aggies 13-10 last season.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

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.