Diving into Texas A&M's offense with Stephen McGee & Ryan Swope

For those who didn't know, Stephen McGee is a Texas A&M and Hamilton Tiger-Cats legend. On this Halloween edition of TexAgs Live, McGee was in for a hilarious surprise and eventually talked about football's road trip to South Carolina with former Aggie wideout Ryan Swope.

Key notes from Stephen McGee interview

• *Cannot stop laughing because of Olin Buchanan’s Halloween costume*
   
• Ags win by a million this week. It’s beautiful. OB, you got me. Totally surprised me.
   
• One of our practices in Hamilton was -30 degrees. We had two guys go on IR for frostbite. Beards in Canada are a thing. You can’t have exposed skin.
   
• The greatest stat for any quarterback is wins. There is no position more important to winning a football game than QB. Marcel Reed is a spark plug. He finds ways to win. The team elevated. That's not a knock against Conner Weigman. He didn't get much help. For this offense today, right now, the best way to move the football is with creativity and speed. That’s different. It's hard to game plan for.
   
• When we did our Film Room breakdown this week, there were multiple plays where you were like, “What are the receivers doing?” It's not all on Conner. Adding another element in the run game... If you are a defensive coordinator, that’s a difficult job. Today, you have to feel like Marcel is your guy.
   
• I came up with a term this week called “The Eraser.” It doesn't matter if you have the perfect play call. Reed can make guys disappear or make them miss in space. Marcel is “The Eraser.” These types of players can go off script, and coaching can restrict them from being able to do so. You almost have let him go out there and let it rip. Have fun, but don't turn the football over. He has done a great job of that. Don’t hold him back from being who he is. I think he masks our weaknesses on offense.
   
• Conner is not fitting in this system right now. I think it's two-fold. It’s something between the ears, and he is a little bit gun-shy. It’s difficult when you are not getting much help. The young Conner I knew was very decisive. In the passing game, it seems like there is hesitation. Marcel gets out there? There is no hesitation.
   
• Buy, Sell, Lease: Who has the most job security? Billy Napier, Brent Venables and Mark Stoops. If I am taking who is hot and who is not today, Oklahoma is my sell. Kentucky is my lease. I would be buying Florida today. They have a gauntlet. Napier has flipped the script.
   
• The most common comment I have heard is, “LSU’s defense was expecting Conner, and they got Marcel.” There is some truth to that. The QB draw in the 10-yard line stood out to me. It will be interesting to see what you do to slow Marcel. If he gets out, you are done. I feel like our pass protection wasn't as good as it's been. We had some big misses. This is a good D-line on South Carolina.
   
• If I am a defensive coordinator, what am I doing to Reed? I will blitz the crap out of him. I will make sure I overload pressures. Against Florida, they started blitzing, and Reed hit the guy in the flat. That is the only thing you can do.
   
• How efficient can our pass game be without Chase Bisontis up front, and can these wide receivers, against a good backend, get open? I don't think LSU’s defense got enough credit. Did you see the coverages they were running?
   
• Yes, I worry about Marcel’s size. One of the things about running quarterbacks, there is an old saying: “You can’t help your club when you are in the tub.” Can you stay healthy? Johnny Manziel did a great job of avoiding big hits. You got to keep Marcel healthy.
   
• I am expecting a dogfight. If you turn the football over, there's a good chance A&M loses.
   
• I think Garrett Nussmeier is the best quarterback we will play all year. Not even close. LSU is a good football team. South Carolina is a completely different test. It’s hard winning. You have to humble your kids as a coach. It’s hard to overcome big wins like that.

Key notes from Ryan Swope interview

• I think Marcel gives us the spark we need. That zone read gave that defense trouble all night. I think he gives our team a different kind of synergy. All three phases of our football feed off of him. He has been very efficient, and that dude is freaking fast.
   
• Every week in this league is a test. A&M’s receivers have to be more efficient in their route running. A lot of people say, “Conner didn't do this well.” Well, our receivers aren't open.
   
• Marcel can run. You can’t gameplan for a guy like that. I feel like the turning point was Jahdae Walker’s hit. I know it was a penalty. That stuff fires me up. Maybe it was a penalty in today’s world, but that guy saw Walker coming. I loved that block. I love that guy.
   
• It’s easier to get open as a receiver when you can buy yourself a couple of seconds. Marcel extends the play. It’s kinda like Johnny Manziel. He could extend a play for a while. If you are a smart receiver and find your void in the defense, you can make your heyday out there. Reed reminds me of Lamar Jackson. He’s a baby Lamar.
   
• Jabre Barber has stepped up. He gives us that explosiveness. He has been getting better. I like Jahdae. He is physical and big, and I feel like we need to get him the ball more. As a group, they need to be on the same page. They have a lot of talent. Maybe they are playing at 85 or 90 percent.
   
• I remember Mike Evans walking in the indoor facility, and I was like, that kid will be an All-American. He was mossing seniors on his first day, his second year ever playing football. He was special. We don't have one of those guys yet. It took me time to really figure out the receiver position.
   
• I think we win by a couple of scores. I think if our defense continues to shut down the run, we will be hard to beat.
   
• If I am a recruit, I want to play for that guy. Mike Elko.