The funny thing about a spring game is it can be difficult to understand if a 70-yard play was either fantastic execution by the offense or a collapse by the defense, since it’s the same team.
Texas A&M’s spring game Saturday, though, provided much-needed answers to a few offseason questions. Here are five takeaways from the scrimmage.
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Trevor Knight looked like the veteran he is:
Knight played much more than the Aggie coaches wanted, because his fellow quarterback Jake Hubenak reportedly suffered flu-like symptoms.
Since the Oklahoma transfer has been around the block a time or two, a short three-month period in College Station didn’t prevent Knight from seeming comfortable with the new system Saturday.
Though the game was mostly comprised of the basics in the playbook, Knight managed 282 yards on 25-for-36 passing. The senior threw an interception early on, but he made up for it with three touchdowns (one rushing).
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Trayveon Williams is a player to watch
With Keith Ford sidelined as an injury precaution, Aggie fans saw a handful of running backs they haven’t seen much action from. The one that shined was Trayveon Williams, whose versatility and shiftiness was put on full display.
Last year under Jake Spavital, there wasn’t much passing towards running backs, especially with bruisers Tra Carson and James White in the backfield. But with players like Williams under the new, screen-heavy Mazzone system, there will be a lot more where that came from Saturday night.
Williams was one of the youngest on the field as an incoming freshman, yet he torched the A&M defense on a particular screen pass that was quickly turned upfield for 43 yards. With his ability to make people miss in open space like Christian Kirk, Williams could be lethal as he matures.
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The tempo still wasn’t where it needs to be
With a limited playbook, A&M can’t afford to run plays at a normal pace or it will be predictable like last year. Even in a prepared scrimmage, the Aggies never seemed to speed it up like they did early in the Sumlin era.
There’s an explanation, as Mazzone wasn’t in charge of calling plays for the entirety of the scrimmage. Instead, Sumlin gave the reigns to the lesser offensive staff for a learning experience. That gives them a pass, but tempo should be one of the primary concerns this summer.
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The defense continues to make strides
It’s been a year since John Chavis stepped foot on Texas A&M’s campus, and the defensive improvement continues to rapidly increase.
Last year’s main issue sided with the Aggies’ run defense, but in the spring game, they only allowed a couple big runs. The tackling was the highlight of the scrimmage, and it’s a good thing when Armani Watts isn’t the one making all of them.
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Special teams is something to keep an eye on
The spring game proved that Drew Kaser and, yes, Taylor Bertolet will be missed. Kaser was arguably one of the best ever to punt for Texas A&M, while Bertolet made 50-yard field goals with regularity his senior year.
This time, fans saw Shane Tripucka and Daniel LaCamera. While Tripucka’s only punt went a nice 45 yards, LaCamera missed all three field goals from 40, 43 and 54.
