Saturday’s Maroon & White Game was boring. Maybe, one of the most boring ever. And that wasn’t a bad thing.
There wasn’t a lot of flash as the Maroon defeated the White, 24-10. Backup quarterbacks Marcel Reed and Jaylen Henderson combined for 184 yards passing with each throwing a touchdown. Reed, specifically, was impressive. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 84 yards with a 1-yard touchdown to wide receiver Noah Thomas. He also had four carries for 34 yards, showing that his 390 yards of total offense in last year’s 31-23 loss to Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl wasn’t a fluke. This guy’s got talent and he could flourish under offensive coordinator Collin Klein. The former Kansas State quarterback was a dual threat during his glory days, but he’s demonstrated he’ll not try to reincarnate himself and instead utilize a player’s talents.
Henderson’s numbers were just as good. The junior completed 8 of 13 for 100 yards, but Henderson didn’t turn heads like Reed and Thomas, who was targeted seven times, catching them all for 82 yards. His best play was a 43-yard reception that padded Henderson’s stats. Thomas wasn’t open, but the 6-foot-6, 200-pounder made the catch. That’s the kind of playmaker A&M needs.
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Ironically, Thomas a year ago in the Maroon & White Game, got dinged in the head in the first series and didn’t return. He had a stellar spring and former head coach Jimbo Fisher expected Thomas to wow the crowd at the spring game and have a banner season, but neither happened. Thomas had an OK season with 29 receptions for 359 yards (12.4 avg.) and five touchdowns. But that’s not even close to earning all-conference honorable mention recognition.
Thomas was part of A&M’s 2022 recruiting class that was ranked best in the country. He was overshadowed by five-star wide receivers Evan Stewart and Chris Marshall, who both have since transferred out. A&M needs a go-to receiver or two, but can Thomas finally turn potential into productivity?
“He’s getting healthier, he got healthier as spring went on,” A&M head coach Mike Elko said. “I think it’s gonna be really important for him to have a really strong summer. I think if he can develop some strength and get his body where it can possibly be, he has all the makings of being a guy that we can use as a top target.”
Sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman needs help on the perimeter and interior. Weigman, who also was part of that record-setting recruiting class, suffered a season-ending injury to his right foot last year in the fourth game. Despite not being 100% recovered from surgery, he went into spring drills as the No. 1 guy for first-year head coach Elko. Weigman gutted out 14 practices and was favoring that ankle on Saturday. He was only 5-of-14 passing for 47 yards. He also was sacked three times. He still showed why he’s the guy when he was under pressure and delivered a laser pass to junior wide receiver Cyrus Allen for 29 yards.
Everyone knows what Weigman can do, but he can’t do what he does best if the line doesn’t give him time and he has a go-to receiver. He was at a huge disadvantage because the Maroon team had the best offensive line. It helped the team rush for 180 yards on 36 carries (5.0 average). The White rushed for 70 yards on 17 carries (4.1), but sophomore running back Rueben Owens broke free for a 61-yard run. You take that away, along with Weigman’s pass to Allen, and the White offense had just 38 yards.
Maroon defensive end Nic Scourton, the transfer from Purdue, probably will make some preseason All-America teams for his play Saturday. The former Bryan High standout had five tackles, 3.5 of them for losses, including 2.5 sacks. He broke up a pass and had two quarterback pressures.
The 6-4, 280-pounder was a great addition. He and junior Shemar Stewart form “one of the best defensive end combos that we’ve had here in a long time,” said Elko, who was A&M’s defensive coordinator from 2018-21.
That’s true, but Scourton did much of his damage Saturday against offensive linemen who weren’t playing at a championship level, far from it. Offensive line has been a weak link on the team for several years.
The teams were divided equally for Saturday’s game, but it wasn’t a fair fight. Then again, A&M has a new coaching staff and brought in 24 transfers, along with 10 true freshmen. The expectations shouldn’t have been high. How do you equally divide up players you haven’t determined how valuable each is? Considering the teams combined for 97 plays and there were only five penalties, that’s impressive. There were few blatant mistakes because the effort was there.
“If you look at where this program was walking off the field at the Texas Bowl to where this program is now today,” Elko said. “I think our kids deserve a lot of credit for how they’ve righted the ship and started steering this program back in the right direction.”
There’s something to be said for hard work and effort over fool’s gold.
A year ago, a couple storylines coming out of the Maroon & White Game were how new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino would mesh to oversee an explosive offense, showcasing Stewart and a young, talented defensive line, led by a disruptive Walter Nolen, who was ready to dominate.
It’s a friendly reminder to not put much stock into 15 spring practices. However, a year ago, Fisher also was high on the incoming true freshmen from an under-the-radar class, led by linebacker Taurean York, who has been better than advertised. Why? Because he works hard and always gives effort.
Sometimes it’s good to get back to the basics.
Line help on the way: Utah center Kolinu’u Faaiu, who is in the transfer portal, has pledged to signed with A&M, according to On3.com. The 6-3, 324-pounder played in 11 games last year, starting the last eight at center. Bryce Foster is A&M’s center, but he missed spring drills for the second straight year to concentrate on throwing the shot put for the track team. Foster, who had a great freshman season, also had to deal with a knee injury.
Other returning starters in the offensive line for A&M are sophomore guard Mark Nabou Jr., junior left tackle Trey Zuhn III and sophomore tackle Chase Bisontis. Other offensive linemen who have started are senior Reuben Fatheree III and juniors Dametrious Crownover, Aki Ogunbiyi and Kam Dewberry.
A&M’s offensive line has been one of the team’s weaker positions in recent years. A&M averaged 136.2 yards rushing last year to rank 90th in the country. A&M also allowed 2.3 sacks per contest to rank 86th.
A&M in the offseason added junior Ar’maj Reed-Adams, a transfer from Kansas, who started at guard and tackle last year. Derrick Graham, an offensive linemen the Aggies added from Troy in the offseason, went back in the portal earlier this week.