Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) enters the first of two bye weeks this season just a day after demolishing the 9th-ranked Missouri Tigers 41-10 on Saturday afternoon, led by the return of quarterback Conner Weigman, who had missed the last three games.
After returning to practice last week, head coach Mike Elko was coy regarding Weigman’s potential return to the lineup. Backup quarterback Marcel Reed earned a perfect 3-0 record in his absence. However, his accuracy in the pocket had become an issue in the last two games.
Listed as a game-time decision, Weigman was seen throwing with the first-team offense, as Elko revealed just minutes before kickoff that the redshirt sophomore would start his first game in nearly a month, leading to one of his best performances of the year.
Looking supremely confident from the first snap, Weigman’s footwork resulted in several impressive NFL-level throws in tight windows. At the same time, the deep pass was finally utilized to perfection to pick up chunk gains and open up the running game.
While he didn’t throw a touchdown pass, running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels did enough on the ground in the red zone to produce all five Aggie touchdowns, as Weigman finished 18/22 for 276 yards, completing 82% of his passes. Per Pro Football Focus, Weigman earned a team-high 86.7 offensive grade, including an 88.6 passing grade, ranked top-10 nationally in Week 6.
Interestingly, Weigman utilized his legs more than expected, running for 33 yards on five carries and earning a notable 70.3 run grade.
With the bye week approaching, Elko and his staff will focus on recruiting. At the same time, Weigman and the rest of the roster will rest and recuperate ahead of the second half of the season, starting with a Week 8 road matchup against Mississippi State.
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