Click HERE to view Texas A&M’s Monday press conference.
Believe it or not — and most probably don’t —Texas A&M’s starting quarterback vs. South Carolina on Saturday remains a gametime decision.
Aggies football coach Mike Elko suggested as much on Monday at his weekly press conference.
Elko did not commit to starting redshirt freshman Marcel Reed or junior Conner Weigman, but indicated gamesmanship may be involved.
Earlier this season, Elko frequently said the starting quarterback would not be announced until game time.
“I think the possibility is there for a lot of things,” Elko said. “We’re going to look at this week and kind of figure out what we think is the right thing for us. What we think gives us the best chance to win.
“It’s probably too early in our mind to make that decision. And even if we did, we probably wouldn’t tell you right now, anyway.”
Weigman started the previous three games, but struggled vs. LSU. The Aggies trailed 17-7 when Elko brought in Reed midway through the third quarter.
Reed, who had started victories over Florida, Bowling Green and Arkansas while Weigman was sidelined with a sprained shoulder, ran for three touchdowns and led the Aggies to scores on five consecutive possessions in a come-from-behind 38-23 victory over LSU.
“We just want to see how this week plays out (in practice),” Elko said. “Kind of see what it gives us the best shot to go in this environment and be successful.”
Reed would seemingly give the Aggies the best shot. Although Weigman may be considered the superior passer, Reed has thrown more touchdown passes (6-3) and fewer interceptions (4-0).
South Carolina is sixth in the SEC in pass defense. The Gamecocks also have snatched 10 interceptions. They’ve gotten at least two interception in three of their four victories. They had one in the other.
South Carolina also is second in the SEC with 28 sacks. Therefore, the more mobile Reed, who has rushed for 288 yards, would appear more capable of avoiding the pass rush.
But Elko clearly hasn’t lost faith in Weigman, who last week completed just 6-of-18 passes for 64 yards.
“I think — and he’d tell you this — he gets sped up sometimes,” Elko said of Weigman. “His clock starts moving faster when he’s not having success. His eyes are going through the progressions a little too quick. He’s getting the ball out of his hand a little to quick. I think we saw that a couple of throws.
“Or he rushes his mechanics a little bit and the ball sails on him.”
Elko pointed out Weigman is still relatively inexperienced even though he’s a junior.
Weigman started four games as a true freshman in 2022. Last year he started four before sustaining a season-ending foot injury. This year he sustained a sprained shoulder in the season-opening loss to Notre Dame and missed three games.
He returned to complete 82 percent of his passes and throw for 276 yards in a 41-10 victory over Missouri. But he wasn’t sharp in a 34-24 win over Mississippi State before struggling vs. LSU.
“He still has a ton of growth and still has a ton of repetition that he needs and experience that he needs to gather to just be able to consistently go through the progressions at the pace and speed that you need to,” Elko said. “Everything in the passing game is about your eyes and feet being on time with the wideouts. If the wideouts aren’t there that’s a problem. If your eyes and feet aren’t there that’s a problem.
“Sometimes our wideouts are a little too slow getting where they need to be. I think sometimes Conner is a little too fast as he goes through his progressions.”
Weigman has completed just 59.6 percent of his passes (62-of-109). That’s a tad higher than Reed, who has completed 55.6 percent (45-of-81).
Elko acknowledged improvement is needed for the No. 10 Aggies, who lead the SEC standings, to win the conference championship.
“We have to get our passing game working in a rhythm that it can be more productive and more efficient for us if we are to go down the road the way we want to,” he said.
Sophomore left guard Chase Bisontis, who missed the LSU game because of an injured left ankle, won’t play vs. South Carolina.
“He’s probably going to be out for a couple of weeks until we get him back,” Elko said. “We’ll see where that progress is coming out of the bye week.”
After facing South Carolina this weekend the Aggies will have an open week. They face New Mexico State at Kyle Field on Nov. 16.
Freshman TJ Shanahan replaced Bisontis in the starting lineup vs. LSU. Kam Dewberry also saw action at left guard.
Elko acknowledged that penalties are becoming a huge concern.
The Aggies average 68.9 yards in penalties, which is the fourth-highest total in the SEC.
Last week they were penalized 10 times for 101 yards.
“The penalties are a concern,” Elko said. “We addressed it again this morning. We continue to address it. We address it every day.
“Until you get it fixed and corrected you’re not doing in the right way. As a staff we’ve got to look at ourselves and figure out ways (to fix it).”
Elko said he was particularly frustrated by pre-snap and post-snap infractions.
“You’re going to play football in the SEC, there’s going to be holding penalties, there’s going to be a defensive PI (pass interference),” he said. “Those things are going to happen.
“Our pre-snap procedural penalties on offense and our post-snap penalties are going to kill us. We’ve got to do a better job as a staff making sure the players understand that. We certainly try but we’re not getting it done.”
Eyebrows raised on Saturday night when Elko made a statement about how he sells the culture of his program to recruits.
“We’re very honest,” he said. “We’re very open. And this is a real program. It’s not fake. It’s not a politician running this program, talking fast and BSing everybody. This is a real program. And for all the recruits out there, this is a real place. And if you want to be really good at football, this is a really good place to be.”
Some interpreted that as a criticism of former A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, who was well-known for his fast talking. Others thought Elko was referring to LSU coach Brian Kelly, for whom Elko once worked with as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.
Obviously irked by those assumptions, Elko made it clear he was not referring to anyone directly.
“In the postgame (press conference) I was asked to give a synopsis on how we sell culture to our program,” Elko said. “In doing so I made a statement that seemed like a very benign statement that somehow managed to be taken as a direct shot at people.
“You guys (local media) gave me multiple opportunities in nine months to take shots at people and I’ve never done it.
“I have nothing but respect for coach Fisher. I’ve said nothing but positive things about coach Fisher. I’m the head coach at Texas A&M because of coach Fisher. I appreciate who he is. Everything he’s done. For anybody in the media to think that’s what I was doing post-LSU … it’s asinine.
“For it to be about any other head coach who gave me and opportunity and hired me. That’s not who I am. I’ve never been that person. It’s ridiculous.”
LB12Diamond said:
Dang, Weigman must be making a ton to not just state Reed is the starter by this point.
4 said:LB12Diamond said:
Dang, Weigman must be making a ton to not just state Reed is the starter by this point.
Purely strategic. Forces South Carolina to split practice time preparing for two completely different styles of offensive play.
LB12Diamond said:
Dang, Weigman must be making a ton to not just state Reed is the starter by this point.
angryocotillo said:
"Against LSU, Marcel Reed became the first Aggie QB to rush for three or more touchdowns in a game since Trevor Knight did so vs. Tennessee in 2008."
Was that 2012?
redjalapeno-87 said:
"Weigman has completed just 59.6 percent of his passes (62-of-109). That's a tad higher than Reed, who has completed 55.6 percent (45-of-81)."
62 of 109 is 56.9% completion rate, not 59.6%. That is what ESPN stats show for CW in 2024.
Or it could be that both still give us something the other does not.LB12Diamond said:
Dang, Weigman must be making a ton to not just state Reed is the starter by this point.
'16Shoefly! said:angryocotillo said:
"Against LSU, Marcel Reed became the first Aggie QB to rush for three or more touchdowns in a game since Trevor Knight did so vs. Tennessee in 2008."
Was that 2012?
14 I believe.
LB12Diamond said:
You from now on will be know as spherical Drax.
How about Scourton? Everyone's saying he's such an amazing player, so what's Elko doing by not starting him at QB?Bob Knights Paper Hands said:
We should really mess with SCar and start Bisontis at QB.
They'll. Never. See. It. Coming.
PyriteAg said:How about Scourton? Everyone's saying he's such an amazing player, so what's Elko doing by not starting him at QB?Bob Knights Paper Hands said:
We should really mess with SCar and start Bisontis at QB.
They'll. Never. See. It. Coming.
