Click HERE to view Texas A&M’s Monday press conference.
Perhaps one of the more key, yet overlooked, elements of No. 3 Texas A&M’s 38-17 football victory over Missouri last Saturday was the successful juggling of the Aggies’ offensive line.
Right guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams sustained an undisclosed injury and was sidelined throughout the second half.
A&M had prepared for such a situation. Players cross-train at different positions in the line.
So, with Reed-Adams out, left tackle Trey Zuhn III shifted to center. Center Mark Nabou Jr. moved to right guard. Reuben Fatheree II came off the sidelines to fill in at left tackle.
Those three, along with tackle Dametrious Crownover and guard Chase Bisontis, cleared the way for A&M to roll up 316 yards of offense, 220 rushing, in the second half alone.
“Everyone always asks questions about the O-line,” A&M coach Mike Elko said on Monday at this weekly press conference. “‘Why do you shift guys around? Why do you rotate? Are you serious about Trey Zuhn playing center?’
“We do those things because, at some point in a game, something’s going to happen, and you’re going to need the group to go out and play a certain way to win a football game.”
“We do those things because, at some point in a game, something’s going to happen, and you’re going to need the group to go out and play a certain way to win a football game.”
- Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko
Most teams might have difficulty replacing a player of Reed-Adams’ caliber. Most teams wouldn’t make three moves to account for one injury.
But then most teams probably wouldn’t dominate the line of scrimmage in the second half without one of their top linemen.
“We think about these things from a big picture standpoint from day one,” Elko said. “For us, it’s really important that you have enough continuity on that line and enough guys ready to go that it’s not one injury that would rock your world.
“Ar’maj got dinged up. He couldn’t go anymore. He tried. He gave us everything he had, but he couldn’t keep going. So we went with the group that we felt like gave us the best chance to win the rest of the way.”
Fake debate
There’s no special teams player of the week from the Missouri game because, Elko said, there was a question of who called for the momentum-changing fake punt.
The Aggies held a 21-7 lead, but Missouri had just scored. On the ensuing A&M possession, the Aggies were facing third-and-3 at their own 36.
They lined up to punt, but Dalton Brooks took a short snap, picked up blocks from Jacob Graham and Albert Regis and sprinted downfield for a 48-yard gain.
The play set up a key field goal.
But there was some on-field debate about whether the Aggies should call the play.
“I think with most things like that, there’s always a mechanic to check it off if you don’t feel good about your ability to hit it,” Elko said. “I think there was an on-field debate about whether they had one of those looks or didn’t.
“Ultimately, they decided to keep it on, and it worked.”
It definitely worked. But just who decided to go ahead and run the play is in question.
That’s why Elko didn’t name a special teams player. Apparently, he was uncertain which one deserved the honor.
“There was a lot of debate on who the special teams player of the week was,” Elko said. “Some thought Dalton Brooks. Some thought Albert Regis. (It was) Depending on who you believe about whether to keep the fake on or call it off. I’ll let you guys decide who gets that one.”
Move Brooks?
Not only did Brooks run 48 yards on the fake punt, but he also returned a fumble 26 yards to the Missouri 2-yard line to set up a score.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
In addition to the fumble recovery, Dalton Brooks had six tackles, including two solo stops.
Brooks, a running back at Shiner High School, looked so comfortable running the football that Elko was asked if he should consider letting him run more.
“No,” Elko said with a laugh. “Shoot, he should have scored on both of them.”
Elko added: “He’s a really talented kid. He’s a really athletic kid. That’s a game you dream of when you’re a safety to be able to account for 78 total yards. Obviously, two huge plays for us.”
Home sweet home
The Aggies return to Kyle Field on Saturday to face South Carolina.
The clash will be A&M’s first home game since defeating Florida, 34-17, on Oct. 11.
Since then, they had to win three consecutive road games. They defeated Arkansas, 45-42, No. 20 LSU, 49-25, and then No. 22 Missouri, 38-17.
As a result, the undefeated Aggies (9-0, 6-0) come home with a trip to the SEC Championship Game and a spot in the College Football Playoff field very much within reach.
“It’s funny. I stood on the podium after the Florida game, and I said, ‘We’re gonna go on the road for about five weeks and, hopefully, when we return to Kyle Field we’ll return with a lot on the line,’” Elko said. “Certainly, there’s a lot on the line Saturday.”
Will Huffman, TexAgs
Texas A&M is 6-0 in conference play for the first time since 1998. The Aggies won the Big 12 championship that season — the program’s most recent conference title.
Elko said he expects a big, enthusiastic crowd after the Aggies pulled off such a challenging three-game winning streak on the road.
“Honestly, look me in the eye and tell me that you thought we could do that at the beginning of the year,” Elko said to reporters. “That’s not in a bad way. I’m not sure that I would have looked in the mirror and said I thought we could either.
“You have to learn how to do those things. This program hasn’t really done that recently, so I think it’s a testament to the kids.”
I know nothing
In a postgame press conference on Saturday, Missouri offensive tackle Cayden Green said A&M’s defense appeared to know the Tigers' plays before the football was snapped.
“They made some good adjustments,” Green said. “They started to key on what we were doing, call out plays at the line. It is what it is.
“They started to get reads on formations and stuff. Maybe stances. I don’t know.”
Had A&M coaches picked up Missouri tendencies? Had they deciphered signs?
“I don’t know anything about that,” was all Elko said.
NOTES
• Elko said linebacker Scooby Williams, who was injured and did not play vs. Missouri, is making progress. “Getting better every week. We’ll kind of see how this week goes,” Elko said. He said Reed-Adams is “good,” which seems to indicate he’ll be in action on Saturday.
• Quarterback Marcel Reed was named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s “Great Eight” for Week 11 of the season. Reed completed 20-of-29 pass attempts for 221 yards and two touchdowns. He added 29 yards on the ground. The O’Brien Award is presented to the nation’s premier quarterback.
• Honorees as players of the week for the Missouri game were Dametrious Crownover and Trey Zuhn III (offensive linemen), Tyler Onyedim (defensive lineman), receiver KC Concepcion (offense) and nickel back Tyreek Chappell (defense). Scout team players who were cited included lineman Tyler Thomas (offense), linebacker Aidan Herrera (defense) and Tristan Jernigan (special teams).
