Following an electric first career start by redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed last week, Texas A&M football looks to stay hot under the Kyle Field lights against Bowling Green on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
The Maroon and White will have to stay at the ready, as the Falcons’ defense will pose a threat to a well-equipped A&M offense. Bowling Green held its own in a Week 2 loss at Penn State that saw the Falcons manage a lead heading into the third quarter.
Regardless, if Reed is the one to go under center, he will be in a position to continue developing a rhythm for the rest of the season as he faces a defense that neither favors the run nor the pass — time to show off that arm and those legs.
However, if the starting job remains with redshirt sophomore QB Conner Weigman, he will have a chance to prove himself again as the Aggies’ gunslinger, capable of leading the offense into a deep and daunting conference schedule.
The Bowling Green backfield limited a top-10 opponent in the Nittany Lions to just 204 passing yards and will look to replicate its success against the Maroon and White’s receiving corps that has yet to see a receiver surpass 100 yards in a single game.
With that said, junior wide receiver Cyrus Allen has emerged as the go-to pass catcher for the Aggies with 181 yards on the season, in part by a spectacular 73-yard touchdown catch that drained The Swamp in Gainesville, Florida. However, with senior tight end Tre Watson having the 2nd highest yard total this year at only 44 yards, someone is posed to step up.
Fans may see junior WR Noah Thomas come into his own in Week 3 and deliver a WR1 performance after showing flashes of success in the 2023 campaign.
A breakout game against the Mid-American Conference team will be no easy task with junior safety CJ Brown defending against the deep ball. Brown’s 6-tackle performance helped limit the Penn State offense as he broke up a pass as well.
If the passing game is still in the development stage, junior running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels should plan to create a balanced 1-2 attack alongside Reed’s arm, as they have combined for 427 yards and five touchdowns through the past three Saturdays of work.
Further, the Aggies eclipsed 300 rushing yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2012 while en route to snapping a 10-game road losing streak. Between a mobile quarterback and a talented backfield, the offense is more than capable of hitting the 300-yard mark for the third straight game.
If anyone can stand in the way of adding to that streak, it is senior outside linebacker Charles Rosser, who has made his presence known with a pair of sacks and eight solo tackles over the past two competitions. Alongside tackling leader junior inside linebacker Joseph Sipp Jr., the pair will attempt to corral a capable running back room.
Sophomore OLB Myles Bradley will fill a hybrid role of a blitzing defensive end and guarding the pass after tallying half a sack in Week 2. Case in point, do not test the Bowling Green linebacker unit.
With a pivotal and physical SEC road win, A&M is back on pace to win out for the season and compete for a chance in the College Football Playoff.
