As Bill Belichick might say, “We’re on to Clemson.”
Texas A&M’s much-anticipated season started as one would expect. The 12th-ranked Aggies had little trouble with Texas State Thursday night at Kyle Field with a business-like 41-7 victory.
That means that Game Two can now be discussed. The offseason oxygen was consumed by talk of Texas A&M’s new-rope-tough schedule. On Sept. 7, the Aggies will travel to top-ranked Clemson, their first game against teams ranked in the top three of the preseason polls.
“I’m super excited about it,” A&M safety Leon O’Neal Jr. said after the game. “It gives us a chance to see where we’re at as a team. We want some revenge.”
Cornerback Myles Jones: “We’re going to start preparing [for Clemson] tonight.”
The defending national champions also started their season Thursday night by helping kick-start the ACC Network by taking on Georgia Tech in a league contest. The Tigers’ game started about 30 minutes ahead of the Aggies and they had little trouble shredding the Yellow Jackets, 52-14.
The excitement of Texas A&M facing Clemson has been increased because last season in College Station the Aggies came within a failed two-point try of forcing overtime.
Going from facing a Group of Five foe to the perceived best team in the country is like upgrading from dial-up to 2000 mbps (megabits per second). While Clemson faced a Power Five foe, Georgia Tech is under new management and not expected to contend in the ACC. So, assessing what the Aggies accomplished against Texas State is like searching for a light switch in a dark room.
That said, here are some judgments:
Mond in mid-season form
Junior quarterback Kellen Mond sparked the Aggies’ strong finish last season and he treated the opener like it was another game in 2018. Mond’s confidence and growth is obvious. He believes that he’s the best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference and he played like it.
“I thought we did a pretty good job,” said Mond, who was 19-of-27 for 194 yards and three touchdowns. “The receivers did a good job of finding the soft spots. We got a lot of zone coverage and we were able to fill the voids. As a whole, we were on the same page tonight. I felt comfortable all night.”
Jimbo Fisher’s quarterbacks are required to read their progressions in the passing game and Mond was quick and decisive against Texas State. However, the Bobcats’ defensive backs were treating A&M receivers like they were radioactive. The Aggies’ first TD came on Mond’s 21-yard pass to Quartney Davis, who lined up in the slot and didn’t have a defender within five yards before the catch and the end zone.
“I think he’s in a really good place right now,” Fisher said of his quarterback.
Last season, Mond struggled when facing pressure from opposing pass rushes. Against Texas State, the pass protection (more on that later) was spotty. That part of the glass is half empty, but the half full aspect is that Mond had several accurate throws despite scrambling or being hit in the pocket.
In the first half, A&M’s offense was on cruise control; 70 mph, not 55 mph and not speeding. With Mond running the show, the offense played with a confident pace. In the second half with a four-touchdown lead, the Aggies were content to resort to a methodical, grind-it-out approach.
Mond played just one snap in the fourth quarter before being replaced by freshman Zach Calzada. That appears to answer the question about who has won the backup quarterback battle. He (for now) has beaten out sophomore Connor Blumrick and redshirt freshman James Foster. Calzada started his career with a three-and-out on three incompletions.
Selfish defense
The biggest mismatch was A&M’s defense against Texas State’s offense, which used two quarterbacks but never mounted a sustained attack. Defensive coordinator Mike Elko helped the unit improve last season. It was third in the nation against the run but struggled in pass defense.
“Last year we played well up front on defense, played the run well,” Fisher said. “Tonight, we were able to make some plays on the ball. Those plays can change the momentum and complexion of the game.”
A bright spot was the secondary. The Aggies had seven interceptions last season but picked off four Texas State passes. They didn’t have more than two interceptions in a game in 2018.
The run defense appears to be just as salty as last season. Texas State was held to just eight yards rushing – the fewest allowed by an A&M defense since 2004.
After forcing its first turnover – a diving interception by Roney Elam – A&M smothered Texas State’s next offensive possession with a first down sack of quarterback Tyler Vitt. That led to a Bobcat three-and-out.
Clemson torched Georgia Tech for 632 yards with 411 coming on the ground. Running back Travis Etienne gained 205 yards on just 12 carries. Last season, the Aggies held Etienne to 44 yards on eight carries. Elko’s improving defense will face a huge challenge against the Tigers.
Offensive line, running game
The offensive line played as if it needed a preseason game in order to jell. In the first four offensive possessions, Mond was pressured and hit three times. He also eluded Texas State’s pass rush by scrambling to his left and throwing a dart to set up the Aggies’ second touchdown.
The pass protection was less than stellar, and the offensive line will need to make huge improvements in order to protect Mond against Clemson’s pass rush.
The first – and only – holding call came in the third quarter on a second down running play. That drive resulted in a field goal.
That play set up A&M with a first-and-goal from the one. It took three running plays to convert. In the first quarter, the Aggies managed just 37 rushing yards on 10 attempts. While the running game eventually started to click, some of that can be attributed to the Bobcats having Sun Belt Conference talent and depth. The Aggies finished with 246 yards on the ground with 105 yards coming on two attempts.
“We need to be more physical up front in how we run it in this league (SEC),” Fisher said.
Sophomore Jashaun Corbin has taken over the No. 1 rushing option. He was solid but not spectacular. The Aggies’ offense not only is replacing its leading rusher in Trayveon Williams but also leading receiver in tight end Jace Sternberger.
Thursday night, the Aggies targeted the tight end position just three times.
Opening game miscues
Just for perspective, the two games played in Week Zero were sloppy affairs. The four teams combined to convert 12 of 44 third downs, committed 40 penalties and 13 turnovers.
Based on those numbers, the Aggies played a relatively clean opener.
The two biggest mistakes were a fumble at the goal line and an interception on a second-and-goal from the Texas State seven. “Those two turnovers were just ridiculous,” Fisher said.
Mond’s third touchdown pass was a nice throw to Jhamon Ausbon. The play was reviewed by instant replay and it appeared that Ausbon failed to have control of the ball as he tumbled out of bounds. However, the replay review confirmed the call on the field. So, chalk that up to the first IR failure of a long season.
