This is fantastic. Stop talking about what you think or what Sean Salisbury thinks, or what Billy thinks, or who is saying what about the Ags and watch the tape. The tape doesn't lie.

So many issues on offense.

Marcel was bad and has some really bad habits that are hard to break. Formby was bad and that might just be who he is. Ruben is average at best. OL concepts need to be simplified. Craver is elite and we don't get him the ball enough.

This offense is a hot mess. Tons of talent means we score a few points, but most of the 48 were from plays you can't count on week to week.

If we play like this on offense this Saturday, we lose to UK.

Ags win 27-10 with another DST score

Film guy rocks. You can't deny much of what he says unlike 99% of the others out there trying to get click bait & advertising dollars.

Definitely agree with ignoring the "Homers," and there are plenty of them around TexAgs. It's simply the overly optimistic and sometimes blind culture that is developed internally within TexAgs. I'm not criticizing anyone in particular, but we certainly aren't getting an unbiased take on this team.

On the flip side, there is also a ton of negative bias, so I guess it balances out. And frankly, I prefer Luicci pushing the positive narrative until a Jimbo situation arises and the Kool-Aid continues to flow.
Anyway, just an observation and personal opinion. There is no doubt that TexAgs is one of the absolute best. Texas is a dumpster fire of local sports media in comparison to TexAgs.

Having said that, as fans, we should be EXTREMELY optimistic about this team and freaking pumped about where this program is headed under Elko. Anyone who isn't probably should stop calling themselves a fan altogether. That's just a tough attitude to carry through life.

Now for the criticism:

I think the biggest issue right now is Wiggins as OC. Reed is who he is, and we need to stop pretending otherwise. He has improved, but IMO, not by any significant measure. Wiggins needs to recognize that and build his schemes and play-calling around Reed's actual strengths.

1) Quit freaking running the ball out of the shotgun with delayed runs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STOP DOING IT. STUPID.
Our OL is developing. Why the hell would you consistently put them in a situation where the running back is taking the handoff several yards behind the line of scrimmage and waiting for the play to develop? That was absolutely killing me during the ASU game. It is simple! Get under center, POUND THE FREAKING ROCK with our staple of RBs.

2) Take more advantage of Reed's athleticism.
Roll him out. Move the pocket. Give him defined reads and opportunities to use his legs. He is more accurate as a runner than he is as a thrower, and his vision and overall effectiveness seem to improve dramatically when he's moving.

Those are EASILY correctable issues. You don't have to rely on the players suddenly making some massive leap. They're going to improve naturally to some degree as the season progresses.
IMO, it's all about Higgins. I hope this Elko experiment isn't a failure cause he's definitely learing on the job. We honestly do need another Michael Earley. One is enough on campus already and lots of very talented OCs would love to join this staff. I hope Wiggins figures out the recipe and quickly!

dcg4403 said:

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Film guy rocks. You can't deny much of what he says unlike 99% of the others out there trying to get click bait & advertising dollars.

Definitely agree with ignoring the "Homers," and there are plenty of them around TexAgs. It's simply the overly optimistic and sometimes blind culture that is developed internally within TexAgs. I'm not criticizing anyone in particular, but we certainly aren't getting an unbiased take on this team.

On the flip side, there is also a ton of negative bias, so I guess it balances out. And frankly, I prefer Luicci pushing the positive narrative until a Jimbo situation arises and the Kool-Aid continues to flow.
Anyway, just an observation and personal opinion. There is no doubt that TexAgs is one of the absolute best. Texas is a dumpster fire of local sports media in comparison to TexAgs.

Having said that, as fans, we should be EXTREMELY optimistic about this team and freaking pumped about where this program is headed under Elko. Anyone who isn't probably should stop calling themselves a fan altogether. That's just a tough attitude to carry through life.

Now for the criticism:

I think the biggest issue right now is Higgons as OC. Reed is who he is, and we need to stop pretending otherwise. He has improved, but IMO, not by any significant measure. Higgons needs to recognize that and build his schemes and play-calling around Reed's actual strengths.

1) Quit freaking running the ball out of the shotgun with delayed runs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STOP DOING IT. STUPID.
Our OL is developing. Why the hell would you consistently put them in a situation where the running back is taking the handoff several yards behind the line of scrimmage and waiting for the play to develop? That was absolutely killing me during the ASU game. It is simple! Get under center, POUND THE FREAKING ROCK with our staple of RBs.

2) Take more advantage of Reed's athleticism.
Roll him out. Move the pocket. Give him defined reads and opportunities to use his legs. He is more accurate as a runner than he is as a thrower, and his vision and overall effectiveness seem to improve dramatically when he's moving.

Those are EASILY correctable issues. You don't have to rely on the players suddenly making some massive leap. They're going to improve naturally to some degree as the season progresses.
IMO, it's all about Higgons.

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If you're gonna criticize the guy, have the decency to at least get his last name right.

Tough watch bc he's spot on


On the bright side there's a lot of room for improvement. Hopefully we get there

You know who I'm talking about. Higgins... Wiggins... same thing!

Until he proves himself, he's Higgins to me.

But I did make the correction once I realized it. Just like an Aggie, weekly improvement for me, too.
And I'm criticizing his play-calling, not him as an individual.

There's a difference. I'm talking about the decisions being made within the offense and how I think they could better utilize Reednot making a judgment about Higgins as a person.

And I sure hope I'm 100% wrong and I end up eating some serious crow.

First time to watch him and I learned a ton. I will follow him in the future!

dcg4403 said:

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2) Take more advantage of Reed's athleticism.
Roll him out. Move the pocket. Give him defined reads and opportunities to use his legs. He is more accurate as a runner than he is as a thrower, and his vision and overall effectiveness seem to improve dramatically when he's moving.

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The TV broadcast showed Reed holding his hamstring early in the game. I've been wondering whether that had any impact on the playcalling.

Why an offensive skill position player comes to A&M is beyond me. KC had a great year, but was drafted high because of his return skills

The good news-Elko is saying the same thing. Also, more good news: Other programs have issues too.

Yeah, Craver will be lucky to work at Whataburger after his time here….. idiot.

In my opinion, good analysis.

Offense has potential, just needs to realize it.

dcg4403 said:

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You know who I'm talking about. Higgins... Wiggins... same thing!

Until he proves himself, he's Higgins to me.

But I did make the correction once I realized it. Just like an Aggie, weekly improvement for me, too.
And I'm criticizing his play-calling, not him as an individual.

There's a difference. I'm talking about the decisions being made within the offense and how I think they could better utilize Reednot making a judgment about Higgins as a person.

And I sure hope I'm 100% wrong and I end up eating some serious crow.

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You need to watch it again.

He said 4 times "he missed a downfield throw that should have been a TD".

He said several times the OL seems to not know their assignments.

He points out poor running decisions by the RB.

More "Marcel Athleticism" is not going to change is poor throwing or bad decisions on where and when to throw the ball, nor change the poor communication between the linemen (which was also an issue last season).

He said multiple times last season when he reviewed the A&M games Marcel is taking to long or double pumping the ball and results in negative plays. He said it again in this video.

We can always wish for plays that always result in positive yardage, but football doesn't work that way.

What we need to wish for is the OL communicating better and Marcel making better decisions. I'm guessing one of those has a much better chance of happening than the other.

Hard to gauge Wiggins just yet.
Players aren't getting it done. Not to go Jimbo here, but when the execution is crap, the play call looks like crap.

It's possible the play calls themselves are fine. Maybe even great.
But a missed block, bad read, bad cut, bad throw, dropped ball….all of that stuff is player performance.

I also think they're saving opportunities using Reed's legs for later, in games that matter.
In the short term, let him continue to get reps throwing it around against other defenses, especially if the game isn't really in jeopardy

I like a lot of what he said. we have the tools to be great but we have some issues with all the new guys and Reed's processing. I also like what the Tres Amigos said. give Reed traditional play action and he will probably improve significantly.

There are clearly some issues . I'll start to be significantly more concerned if we don't see noticeable improvement this week. It's clear Elko wasn't happy with the offensive side of last week's game but he's not going to bag on his guys publicly. I'd guess it's somewhat different behind closed doors with his coaches.

Wiggins playcalling in the first 2.5 quarters is puzzling, gonna be a problem in SEC play

vander54 said:

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I like a lot of what he said. we have the tools to be great but we have some issues with all the new guys and Reed's processing. I also like what the Tres Amigos said. give Reed traditional play action and he will probably improve significantly.

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What good is play action going to do without a functional run game?

Great analysis. What I take from that is:

Mario Craver gets open if you give him time.
The scheme isn't too bad. I feel a little better about Wiggins.
Offensive line has a lot of work to do.
Marcel needs to get out of the pocket more.
Marcel needs to stop double pumping on passes.

it's not about that as much as it could help slow Reed's progressions.

Some of you guys act like playing offense in CFB is like astrophysics, launching a Saturn rocket, etc. It's not complicated.

The OL is not playing to the level we need or Elko desires, period. We can't run the ball well enough, and that also affects the QB.

Marcel hasn't been great but he's been good enough and we have excellent playmakers at WR (less so at TE) to make up for the OL and running game deficiencies vs most teams (probably against 8 teams on our schedule).

We won't be a great offense unless the OL improves and we start running the ball consistently.

The play calling has very little to do with it.

Elko is a coach that will tell you directly what the issues are, if you will listen. No interpretation needed.

He's scheming guys open. Marcel just doesn't see them. The run game is going to be dependent on the OL. Wiggins is the least of our issues at this moment IMO

Matt_ag98 said:

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Wiggins playcalling in the first 2.5 quarters is puzzling, gonna be a problem in SEC play

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He just showed you time and time again open plays that we screwed up due to poor qb play or lineman not blocking the right guy. The play calling itself was fine.

Craver was open all day over the middle

the interception to start the 3rd quarter...

didn't realize the ASU safety came all the way from the other side of the field to get the pick

I'm not down on Wiggins yet…I don't remember film guy criticising play design or how we attacked certain defensive alignments either. Based on the plays shown, the O-line or Reed's inaccuracy were the likeliest culprit. Frankly, watching the line looked similar to Jr High on some plays…bump the defender and not much more, certainly not engaging the defender and driving.

Reed is more accurate when he's throwing on time in a rhythm. He's double clutching like he started doing late last year. I think mechanically he looks worse than last year which doesn't say much (yet) for our QB specialist. Of course, Reed may be a guy that needs rely more on natural ability and instincts and overcoaching is a negative.

Bottom line, I'll feel better if we rotate some different guys into the line. We've got to get better there fast. Maybe some serious competition for playing time will push that.

Good analysis. He hit on what I've been saying about the OL. They have plenty of strength but struggle with the movement and technique needed to leverage that strength. If you watched Formby on every pass play he highlights, he looks solid in pass protection. But as soon as A&M starts pulling **** goes south. Down block, man blocking scheme, then mix in some counters and gap. Wear down the defense with power then try your gash runs in the second half.

Also, Reed has a lot of spray and pray.

He was pulling punches.

Watching this tells me how hard it is to play QB. Marcel has potential to be a good college QB but will never play in the NFL. His running will not work in the NFL and windows much smaller. His decision making is a touch slow and not accurate enough to fit the ball in small windows.

Watching the Film guy gives me much more respect for a QB. For NFL QBs, they see the field and how players will be open in the next 1 sec so they "throw" them open. For most college QBs, they do not have "it" to see this and when they do, it is too late.

SABUILDERAG said:

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This is fantastic. Stop talking about what you think or what Sean Salisbury thinks, or what Billy thinks, or who is saying what about the Ags and watch the tape. The tape doesn't lie.

So many issues on offense.

Marcel was bad and has some really bad habits that are hard to break. Formby was bad and that might just be who he is. Ruben is average at best. OL concepts need to be simplified. Craver is elite and we don't get him the ball enough.

This offense is a hot mess. Tons of talent means we score a few points, but most of the 48 were from plays you can't count on week to week.

If we play like this on offense this Saturday, we lose to UK.

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I highlighted what ive seen through 2 games of Aggie football. I might have to give these guys a listen

Jarrin Jay said:

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Yeah, Craver will be lucky to work at Whataburger after his time here….. idiot.

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He's too fast for Whataburger, you need to be slow to work there

We HAD to overpay for great receivers, to make Reed look OK.

TxAg76 said:

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Hard to gauge Wiggins just yet.
Players aren't getting it done. Not to go Jimbo here, but when the execution is crap, the play call looks like crap.

It's possible the play calls themselves are fine. Maybe even great.
But a missed block, bad read, bad cut, bad throw, dropped ball….all of that stuff is player performance.

I also think they're saving opportunities using Reed's legs for later, in games that matter.
In the short term, let him continue to get reps throwing it around against other defenses, especially if the game isn't really in jeopardy

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."You stress defenses but rolling Reed out". Says it ALL!!

Reed is limited for sure. So many WRs are open almost every play. Problem is, Reed has very limited vision as a QB, especially in the pocket. He has dudes all over. But he almost always locks into his #1 and just stares him down. His INT was the exact example of that. Never took his eyes off. He seems far,far,far better when he is rolling out and considers running.

How he hasn't learned to at least use his eyes to his advantage to move defensive players is beyond me.

I don't see this changing whatsoever. So the question comes to Wiggins? Knowing this, what can you do to help Reed be more successful?

Tough question but I great OC will figure it out. Lane Kiffen would have Reed playing like a Heisman. I have little doubts there.

If we can't get a solid and consistent run game going, our season is unlikely ending in a CFP. Reed isn't that guy unfortunately and he is 100% our #1 QB....no other options this season.

I like Reed and will continue to cheer him on but I'm also always screaming at him to make more progressions!

Always enjoy Brooks' analysis. One of the things he alluded to is that Reed needs to trust his eyes. It's as though he questions what he sees...double clutching, pulling the ball down to scramble, etc. Plays that make him think less or require just a reaction seem to fit Marcel better. RPO, rollouts, a faster paced offense. I think Marcel is readjusting to the speed of live action....at least that's my hope....and we'll see marked improvement as we go along this season.

TheDecadeSapling said:

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He's scheming guys open. Marcel just doesn't see them. The run game is going to be dependent on the OL. Wiggins is the least of our issues at this moment IMO

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Play calling is A problem, but it's not THE problem that Marcel fanatics are making it out to be. The plays are there in the passing game, Marcel just isn't making them. Too often he either doesn't see someone open or throws them a ****ty ball that they can't catch or catch and can't get any YAC.