My biggest takeaway was the success on 3rd/4th down. Initial stats look bad at 5/13 on 3rd down but on passing plays we were 5-7 on 3rd and 4th downs when Quinn was playing including 2-2 on 4th down after Bijan runs. Last year we were abysmal on 3rd outside of the Louisiana game. It shows how much faith Sark has in QE by running Bijan on 3rd and trusting him on 4th down.
42-38 Texas. This is Quinns coming out party a la Sam against USC. I'm not wasting a first in generation home game groveling because we're supposed to lose. This game is for Colt and the entire 2009 team.
Haynes has started two games and has 5 TDs and 5 picks in his career without playing a P5 team. Do aggies really think that he'll throw less picks and more TDs against better competition?
Sam Houston stopped themselves more than a&m did especially on their sustained drives with a bad pick and fumble in the red zone. Those blown coverages won't always be there against P5 competition and King continue to throw ducks. If App State can get to 35 points next week them watch out.
Oct 1 is probably the date he gets benched imo. Struggling against Arky and Miami regardless of win/loss result and then gets benched when Miss State is up at half
Here's how I see the QB battle going:
King wins the job mostly due to system experience.
King throws picks and loses a game early
Johnson takes over and keeps the Bama game within 21 points
They win a game against LSU or Florida and Johnson finishes the year on a high note
2023 is proclaimed as the year and Weigman/Johnson battle it out after King leaves
The Spring loser transfers and the winner is the QB savior; natty confirmed
2023 ends 9-3 or worse and then rinse and repeat
So the aggies are supposed to be favorites after losing the following:
Top 5 DC that was very well liked and replaced him with a downgrade (coaching and recruiting) and known psycho
Respected OL coach and replaced him with a with a downgrade (coaching and recruiting) and known psycho
Leading receiver (Wydemer) and rusher who was allegedly the best in the country according to them.
The QB who pushed King for a starting role and won the biggest game in their history and replaced him LSUs sloppy seconds
Their best DL (will still be good there) and best OL on a mediocre squad without any elite replacements and no current players are stepping up.
And fall practice they have:
Had no separation in QB room that is the envy of no one
Moved their QB coach to WR and WR coach to QB in mid august the most pivotal development year for King/Johnson
Had their best returning WR get arrested and narrowly miss a suspension
They will win 7 games guaranteed due to a joke of a schedule but what they are not prepared for what is their first ever season as the hunted (2013 they were the darling with Manziel). Every year Texas, Bama (in the Saban era), ND, tOSU, and USC have a target on their back because a win against would make that teams season, see Kansas and Texas A&M in 2021. They may narrowly escape an early season Miami team that will be rolling by November but Bama will do their thing but Ole Miss, Florida, LSU, Miss State and Arkansas want nothing more to do than beat the "best recruiting class" of all time so they can use that as recruiting fodder of their own this off season.
Shoutout to Card though. He seems to love the school and has worked his tail off to try and be the starting QB. From what we know there has been no portal threats or locker clean outs like another QB we wont talk about. If all goes to plan he will graduate with the best business degree around and hopefully get the chance to start and win games at a power 5 next year.
And lets all be thankful that we were not sweating the battle between Haynes King and Max Johnson.
This should not have come as a surprise. Darius Terrell reported the other day, confirmed by the open practice, that they were running different sets for Ewers in the 11 on 11 portion. That says a lot about Card that they only trusted him to run 3 step drops and nothing else.