Jackie Sherrill speaks on Marcel Reed's game through three starts

After yet another compelling game up at AT&T Stadium, No. 24 Texas A&M has now won four straight, setting up a top-25 showdown at Kyle Field vs. No. 9 Missouri. Legendary coach Jackie Sherrill joined TexAgs Live to share his thoughts on Mike Elko's Aggies.

Key notes from Jackie Sherrill interview

• Well, did we play really well offensively? Not really. The Arkansas game has been won in the fourth quarter for so many games. 
   
• It is better to win in a game that you must come back than in a blowout. It teaches your players that you never give up. You just keep playing.
   
• Le'Veon Moss was the player in the final quarter that won the game. He had three big runs in a row that moved the ball down the field. 
   
• We had no turnovers. There are typically five plays in a game that determine the outcome. The turnovers that Arkansas had won the game for Texas A&M. 
   
• You are seeing each week that the defensive front is really good. After the Notre Dame game, it looks like the defense has taken on the challenge and gotten better every week. There is no question the pressure they put on Taylen Green made a big difference in the game. 
   
• When you give up a big play, it could be a bust in the secondary, an alignment issue up front, or that we called the wrong defense at the wrong time. You grade every play and every player. As a coach, you check a box that says whether it is the coach's fault or not. You have to be very honest in grading films when it comes to putting that check on yourself rather than the player. 
   
• As the general audience, we think offense first and defense second. At A&M, for all those years, we understand defense. A&M is a little different in that defense is very important. 
   
• The normal fan doesn't think that the game will be won in the kicking game. That is a third of the game. You can lose the game in one play in the kicking game. You have to tip your hat off to Tyler White and Randy Bond. Whoever is in charge of the kicking game has done a good job.
   
• Every game is different. As a freshman, Marcel Reed is going to see a new scheme more and more. It doesn't matter what you practice all week. He may see a different setup upfront or different coverage, so it comes down to experience. Does he have the talent? Yes. Mentally, has he played to win? That is the most important one. If you have a quarterback that plays to win, you have a good chance to win. He is not losing the game. He is not turning the ball over. He will get better just in knowledge week after week. 
   
• The biggest story that I always tell is when we went to Jackson, Mississippi, to play Brett Favre. We were not going to win the game. Two minutes into the game, I made the decision to put Bucky Richardson in. He went 84 yards on the first play. We decided to make him our starter, and he took us to the Cotton Bowl. 
   
• The quarterback position is a decision as a staff, but you, as a coach, spend a lot of time thinking and praying that you make the right decision. Coaching quarterbacks is very hard when you are talking about if they are mentally OK. You don't want to change the mental capacity of the quarterbacks. We went through that at A&M not too long ago. The players themselves know which player is going to be the best player on the field. The one that puts wins on the board is the one that you need on the field. The responsibility of the quarterback is to get your team in the end zone and win the game.