Coming off a culture-setting win over LSU that propelled Texas A&M to No. 10 in the AP Top 25, coach Mike Elko now faces a quarterback controversy for the second time this season. With a looming road trip to face off against the vaunted South Carolina defense, the decision on who will lead the offense becomes even more critical.
After starting redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman struggled in the first half against the Tigers, redshirt freshman QB Marcel Reed powered the Aggies to a victory with three second-half touchdown runs. With LSU woefully underprepared to face Reed’s dual-threat skill set, the Maroon and White only required Reed to throw the ball twice, an untenable game plan against the Gamecocks’ front seven.
“We’re not in a really good timing rhythm of the quarterback going through his progressions in the right timing, the wideouts being in the right windows in the right timing,” Elko said. “And then, when all of those things are happening, sometimes the O-line’s failing, and that happened more Saturday night than it has in previous weeks.”
The bedrock of South Carolina’s defense is the two scalded dogs that fire off the edge of the defensive line to generate pressure for the nation’s 13th-best total defense. Freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart has tallied 4.5 sacks and provides the quick-win pressure that tilts an offensive line’s protection in his direction. His bookend, Georgia Tech transfer EDGE Kyle Kennard, gives the defense the stouter presence it needs — as exhibited by being second in the nation in tackles for loss per game and third in sacks per game.
“[The Gamecocks] are extremely talented,” Elko said. “Their front is phenomenal. … They got the transfer from Georgia Tech and the freshman playing for them on the edge. Both of those kids are going to be first-round draft picks.”
Having dynamic players gives the Gamecocks’ defense the ability to get pressure without blitzing additional rushers, allowing the defense to be a robust run-stopping unit. Ranking third in the SEC in rushing defense, South Carolina, in theory, has the blueprint to stop the A&M offense.
“What they’ve done is successfully turn people over and create opportunities for their offense,” Elko said. “So in the games they’ve been really successful, the defense has taken the game over in so many ways.”
A&M’s rushing offense has continued its dominance, landing as the ninth-best unit in the country with a variety of players factoring in. Junior running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels both average well over 4.5 yards per carry. Reed’s legs have been a major factor when he plays, making him the third player on the team to tally five or more rushing touchdowns this season, joining Moss and Daniels.
If A&M can establish the run against South Carolina, the Aggies should have no trouble controlling the game’s tempo and creating enough offense to get out of South Carolina with a win. But if the Gamecocks force the Aggies to play left handed and lean on the passing game, A&M could find points hard to come by.
Roaming around the South Carolina secondary is junior safety Nick Emmanwori. The ballhawk has magnets in his gloves, hauling in four interceptions and batting down two more passes. South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White moves Emmanwori around his zone defense like a chess piece to hunt matchups and confuse quarterbacks.
“[South Carolina] has a first-round safety who’s 6-foot-3, 225 pounds back there,” Elko said.
The Aggies’ quarterbacks will be forced to deal with pressure and dissect an opportunistic secondary. On paper, Weigman seems like the better choice, given his knack for navigating muddy pockets, but against LSU the passing production simply wasn’t there. Reed undoubtedly gave A&M a spark, but with a week of preparation, South Carolina won’t be beaten as easily by zone read plays in the quarterback run game.
Elko’s quarterback decision is not only pivotal for Saturday’s result but also A&M’s broader quest for the College Football Playoff. With stakes rising every week, countering South Carolina’s defensive brilliance will be another valuable step forward for the Aggies.
“[South Carolina] is by far the best group we’ve played to date,” Elko said. “Playing them coming off of a bye week where they got extra preparation, and they are gonna be really dialed in on what they want to do against us. It’s going to be a huge challenge.”
