Murphy’s Law is an old adage that states “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”
This was especially true for Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies on Saturday afternoon.
Battered Aggie Syndrome (BAS) is currently at an all-time high in College Station, so buckle up as I maneuver my way through what was a terrible game for Texas A&M.
Jimbo, It’s Time We Talk
I have been extremely low on Coach Fisher this entire season, but I don’t think I’ve ever been lower on him than following this game.
I don’t even understand what points could be made to be added to comments I’ve said previously this season in these articles or on the podcast.
His offensive scheme is something that should’ve disappeared with the dinosaurs, his quarterbacks’ talent is hampered by it, and his skill position players suffer greatly because of it as well.
I am absolutely sick of the offense being exclusively Devon Achane running on first down, wasting a throw on second because the offensive line is incapable of blocking (more on that later), and then not gaining enough on third down.
A&M’s longest offensive drive in the first half (where this game was lost) was just seven plays. Those seven plays went for just 38 yards. That’s embarrassing.
To win in the SEC, especially the SEC West against an opponent who will test your defense to their limit like the Bulldogs will, you have to be able to sustain drives to give your defense a chance to actually catch their breath and give them just a little bit of room for error.
The Scheme is What the Scheme Is
I’m not going to further explain the scheme in future articles because we know what they have and there’s no point in going into further detail of it.
It’s a pro-style offense from the 1980s with little pre-snap motion that relies heavily on the ball getting out quickly from your quarterback’s hands and his first read is open because there’s little creativity in the route tree.
I do think Fisher’s scheme was more effective against Mississippi State than in previous games, but change has to happen.
I mean, what is Darrell Dickey’s actual role with the Aggies? He’s paid as an offensive coordinator but does nothing in terms of calling plays. It’s really confusing, so don’t ask me what’s going on there.
Nonetheless, all of this pressure has to be getting through to both Fisher and Ross Bjork (who I know does read articles like these), and a hire HAS to be made following this season.
Not even going to lie, I wouldn’t mind the boosters getting that buyout money ready if this season continues to go in the direction that it is. The money that is about to come into the school from SEC expansion more than supports a move if it had to be made.
The Aggies Beat Themselves on Offense
The amount of points given away by the Aggies was atrocious.
I’m starting to understand why Hogs fans were so mad last week. Sloppy play is the worst kind of football to watch.
The Aggies lost by 18 points on Saturday and lost 17 points due to their own mistakes. The blocked field goal led to a 10-point swing by itself. That is where the game was lost.
Evan Stewart had easily his worst game as an Aggie, dropping a touchdown pass that resulted in four points lost, and one of his drops resulted in a late-game Haynes King interception.
I don’t think Max Johnson or King had bad games by any means. It can be argued that neither of King’s interceptions were his fault and Johnson had no time to throw due to some atrocious offensive line play.
Regarding that offensive line play…
What an absolute disaster that game was in blocking for passes and on the ground. No one looked like they knew what they were doing and the offensive line looked simply overpowered in all aspects by the Mississippi State defensive line.
To make matters worse, I don’t know what’s wrong with Bryce Foster at the moment. I said last week the snaps had to be better, and somehow they looked worse this game. Johnson needed as much time as he could get and it seemed like a quarter of the snaps were completely off line. Sigh.
It Seems We’ve Overrated this Aggies Defense
The Aggies’ defense struggled mightily against the Bulldogs’ attack.
Mike Leach’s systems are always tough to scheme for just because of the tempo they work at and how hard they make defensive backs work, but the Aggies were just no match for Will Rogers.
Also, D.J. Durkin’s time in College Station may be very short-lived.
It’s absolutely inexcusable to run a three-man front the entire game and give Rogers that much time in the pocket. It just does not work for an entire game when you don’t pressure and just pray you can defend the pass in the air.
I’m no defensive genius, but your luck will run out when you refuse to pressure the quarterback. A&M needs to dial up more of those Mike Elko-style blitzes that worked so well for the Aggies in the past. There’s way too much talent on the defensive line to not use their skills consistently. Do better, D.J.
The Aggies also dropped quite a few interceptions, including one by Tyreek Chappell and another by Antonio Johnson.
I have confidence things will look better with the defense, but the problems to be fixed on this side of the ball are too simple to not fix. Only time will tell.
About the Quarterback Situation
Max Johnson injured his thumb late in the game, similarly to Cowboys QB Dak Prescott earlier this year. Luckily, the prognosis for Johnson has been more positive than Prescott, and Jimbo Fisher describes him as “day-to-day.”
Based on Fisher’s comments during Monday’s press conference, I would assume that Johnson will not play on Saturday night vs. Alabama.
So, could this mean what I think it may?
Yes, it absolutely could. It may finally be Conner Weigman time in College Station.
Based on this tweet, Jimbo may be keeping all of his options on the table against the Tide, and using Weigman may be the best option.
Weigman’s arm talent is ridiculous, and he’s got outstanding football IQ to go with it. His athleticism is also in the upper echelon of younger quarterbacks based on his time at Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Tex.
If there was ever a time to release your shiny new toy on a national stage, this is it.
This will either look like a galaxy brain move from Fisher or it will fall flat on his face.
Only time will tell with this as well.
With each passing moment, though, I am more confident in the Weigman era beginning sooner rather than later.
Game Grade and What’s Ahead
Grade: D-
The Aggies continue the season-long road trip, this time in Tuscaloosa against the Alabama Crimson Tide. There is no program other than that one in Austin who wants to beat the Aggies more than coach Nick Saban and the Tide after the game last year and comments made in the offseason by both coaches. However, don’t count out the Aggies. We’ve seen what happens when you sleep on the Aggies following a really bad loss to Mississippi State. Let’s see if the Aggies can turn it around. Gig ‘Em.
