Despite struggles, QB Kellen Mond to remain at helm for Texas A&M

Kellen Mond regressed, but he will not be replaced.

That’s the message Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin delivered on Tuesday. Sumlin acknowledged Mond, the Aggies' freshman quarterback, took a step back in a 35-14 loss to Mississippi State last Saturday.

However, Sumlin said the blame for a poor offensive showing should not all be placed on Mond, who will remain in the starting lineup when the Aggies (5-3) face Auburn (6-2) Saturday morning at Kyle Field.

“We’re not opening up the quarterback competition right now,” Sumlin said at his weekly press conference. “(Backup) Nick Starkel made some plays, but there were some issues as well. He made a couple of mistakes and a couple really nice throws. There’s some rust on him right now. The situation will remain the same.”

Mond completed 8 of 26 passes for 56 yards in the loss to Mississippi State. He gave way in the fourth quarter to Starkel, who completed 8 of 15 attempts for 133  yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Starkel’s success might seem to give A&M a better chance of winning against Auburn. Auburn is fourth in the SEC in total defense and defeated Mississippi State, 49-10, last month.

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Mond has led the Aggies to tight wins over South Carolina, Arkansas and Florida this season.

However, Sumlin also reminded that Mond made big plays in wins over Florida, South Carolina and Arkansas and had a good showing in a 27-19 loss to Alabama. He said A&M’s offensive problems against Mississippi State were not limited to Mond’s performance.

No running back gained more than 32 yards. Several passes were dropped. The offensive line allowed three sacks and frequent pressure.

Also, veteran Mississippi State defensive coordinator Todd Grantham added some coverages and rushes that confused the Aggies.

“When Kellen was making steps, guys across the board were making plays, as well,” Sumlin said.

“We saw some new stuff that we had to adjust to from a protection standpoint. When he threw accurate balls, we didn't make plays for him. It's not just one guy. Our execution was poor. There were times when people that were wide open or in tight coverage that could make plays, and they didn't. It's a team sport. You have to block, get open and deliver an accurate ball. One of those three broke down most of the time. It wasn't all on the quarterback.”

Sumlin acknowledge his offensive staff must devise ways to move the football against Auburn, which has allowed 20 points or less in six games. Auburn also has one of the Southeastern Conference’s fiercest pass rushes, having produced 25 sacks.

Since taking over as the starter in the second game, Mond has been A&M’s leading rusher. Perhaps, giving him more carries would boost production.

However, Sumlin seems apprehensive because Mond is listed at 210 pounds and may not be able to absorb the physical pounding that might come with increased carries. Mond was knocked out of the game against Mississippi State on a hit that drew a personal foul penalty.

“We've run Mond effectively,” Sumlin said. “We did that a little in the third quarter, but he's not (2016 starting quarterback) Trevor Knight, who's 220 pounds. We have to pick and choose when to do that. He's an effective runner. We have to create lanes and seams for him. As a coaching staff, we have to be more creative in the running game and maybe utilize other people to do that.”

Perhaps a bigger concern involving Mond is his inability to consistently get the football to junior receiver Christian Kirk. Kirk caught five short passes against Mississippi State. Overall, he has 34 catches for 393 yards. The star wide receiver had at least 80 catches for 928 yards in each of his first two seasons. However, Kirk seemingly hasn’t lost faith in Mond.

“He’s made strides,” Kirk said. “Obviously, there have been some rough patches here and there. That’s expected when it comes to having a freshman quarterback. Defenses are going to do some things to try to confuse him. He’s been able to take it all in stride.”