No. 5 Texas A&M’s 31-9 win over Mississippi State was just another step in the right direction, and for the first time since the 2016 season, the Aggies are 5-0. They are looking to stay undefeated before hitting the road for three straight weeks, set to host Florida on Saturday night.
Texas A&M’s defense was the primary storyline coming out of the game after limiting the Bulldogs to 1-10 on third down, while sacking quarterback Blake Shapen four times, including three sacks from senior edge Cashius Howell.
However, starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who has impressed in moments, including his breakout passing performance during the Aggies’ Week 3 road win over Notre Dame, did not have his best game on Saturday night, finishing 13/23 for 180 yards and three touchdowns, including a rushing score in the second half.
Yes, those numbers aren’t bad, but it was his early decision-making, opting to chuck several inaccurate deep balls instead of focusing on high-percentage passes in the middle of the field, or checking down to his running back in the flat.
While Reed improved in the second half, refocused on hitting short passes to wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver for explosive gains, this, combined with an elite running game, resulted in 24 unanswered points to seal the win. On Monday, head coach Mike Elko backed his quarterback, praising his improvement in the pocket as a confident decision-maker.
“You see a much more mature quarterback in his ability to sit in the pocket and deliver the football.”
“He does a lot of his work from the pocket, which is really important for us as an offense and for him from a health standpoint.”
While a bulk of the fan base feels that Reed should attempt to make more plays with his legs, the redshirt sophomore isn’t built to take a lot of hits, but when there’s an opening, making a move and sliding almost guarantees a first down or more, given his elite speed and athleticism.
Still, Texas A&M’s National Championship aspirations rely on Reed improving his deep passing accuracy. After double-clutching his deep ball attempts in the first half, Elko feels that early game anxiety is what’s holding his signal caller back from reaching his potential as a pocket passer.
“He gets a little bit anxious in the beginning of games, and that’s where you see some of the inaccuracies, and then connecting on the deep balls a little bit more.”
Reed has already developed a rapport with his wide receiver corps, as Mario Craver and KC Concepcion have already combined for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in five games, and both possess the speed and separation to get open on almost every drive, essentially.
For those who don’t remember, Marcel Reed made his first career start vs. Florida in the Swamp last season, resulting in a dominant 33-20 win. Elko was asked about Reed’s memorable start on the national stage.
“That wasn’t an easy situation. Not a lot of people wanted to give us a lot of credit for that win, but it ended up being a big win against what ended up being a pretty good Florida team in a place that’s not easy to play.”
“If we don’t do the things we need to do in our preparation this year, none of that will matter.”
If Texas A&M’s defense and run game continue to play at an elite level, Marcel Reed’s accuracy and ability to thread the needle in the passing game will determine just how far the Aggies will go this season.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M HC Mike Elko trusts QB Marcel Reed’s deep ball will improve
