Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) defeated Bowling Green 26-20 in a game that was way too close for comfort from start to finish, as quarterback Marcel Reed made his second consecutive start amid Conner Weigman’s ongoing shoulder injury.
In a game where the Aggies never trailed, it certainly felt like the home team was playing from behind, as Reed and the offense failed to find consistency through the air, while the run game stalled out on multiple possessions but still produced 235 yards on the ground.
Defensively, the D-line was great against the run, limiting the Falcons to 85 rushing yards, while Shemar Turner and Shemar Stewart recorded their first sacks of the year. While defensive end Nic Scourton finished second on the team in tackles, the junior knows the pass rush must improve.
“I thought the D-line played OK. We are supposed to be a dominant force on that defense… It’s a lot of holes and stuff that we can fix and put less stress on the backend.”
While the score was close compared to the pregame expectations, Pro Football Focus’s newest player ratings show progress from several players on offense and defense.
Along the offensive line, starting left tackle Trey Zuhn III (88.8 pass-blocking grade) and right guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams (86.1 pass-blocking grade) did now allow a pressure in 30-plus pass-pro snaps. At the same time, backup center Koli Faaiu, who came in for the injured TJ Shanahan, finished the game with a team-high 80.8 offensive grade.
Returning to Scourton (6 tackles, one tackle for loss) and Stewart (2 tackles, one sack), both defensive linemen recorded the highest defensive grades on the night. In the secondary, safety Marcus Ratcliffe recorded his third interception in three consecutive games, recording three tackles on the night. Here are the rest of the notable PFF defensive grades.
- LB Scooby Williams (81.5)
- LB Taurean York (82.0)
- LB Daymion Sanford (80.9)
- CB Will Lee III (81.1)
- CB Jaydon Hill (80.0)
- S Marcus Ratcliffe (70.4)
Note: In an earlier article, we examined quarterback Marcel Reed’s PFF grades.
Texas A&M will face Arkansas inside AT&T Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN.
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