Texas A&M Notebook: Aggies' Offense Questionable, Freshmen Feast In Win Over Bearkats

The Aggies will have several questions to answer before facing Appalachian State in Week 2.

COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said that sophomore quarterback Haynes King gave his team the best chance to win. In a sense, he’s correct, but it’s not as if things were easy for the gunslinger.

King, Max Johnson and perhaps even freshman Conner Weigman could have handled business in the Aggies’ 31-0 win over Sam Houston. Fisher said throughout fall camp that each passer brought a unique skill and could have earned the starting job.

But King, the initial starter from the 2021 season, got the first crack under center. Will he keep the title of QB1 as A&M looks to contend for a national title? Performances like Saturday certainly will keep the conversation of what Fisher should do at the game’s most essential position moving into Week 2.

Here’s a few observations from Saturday’s action at a soppy Kyle Field.

King’s Debut … Again

One of the biggest question marks to King’s game last season was his decision making. Against Kent State in Week 1, he tossed three interceptions, two of which were thrown into double coverage.

It was the same story in Week 1 of the new year.

King’s first throw looked similar to last year. He tried to find receiver Chase Lane up the seam on third down, but the Bearkats blanketed the senior to force a three-and-out.

Things settled down as the first quarter came to a close. He connected with freshman Evan Stewart for a gain of 13 and Ainias Smith for a gain of 16. He also showed off his arm strength, finding sophomore Yulkeith Brown in stride for a 66-yard touchdown.

Nothing can be easy for teams looking to contend. King threw into double coverage again looking for Stewart, this time being picked off by Kats safety BJ Foster. A drive later, he connected with Smith for a 63-yard touchdown to put A&M up 17-0. 

The roller coaster afternoon continued well into the second half. On second down, King overthrew Stewart, leading to an easy interception by Kats’ cornerback Kameryn Alexander. He'd rebound the following series, finding Smith for a 43-yard touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter. 

King finished the afternoon 20 of 30 passing for 364 yards and three touchdowns. The stat line would read as if King exceeded expectations in his first start back. The film would say otherwise.

Fisher said postgame King is still the starter, but any further regression could lead to Johnson or Weigman’s number being called.

Shemar Stewart Is “That Guy”

It took one play for Stewart to make his presence felt against the Kats’ offensive line. On second down, the freshman bulldozed over Bearkats offensive lineman Cameron Plummer to force his way into the backfield.

This wasn’t a one-time play, either. Stewart, SI99’s No. 7 prospect, made his way into Sam Houston’s backfield on the regular. Most of A&M’s defensive line had its way against the Kats front five, but Stewart was the constant among those in the trenches.

Fisher said throughout fall camp how pleased he was with the maturity of the freshmen class. Stewart might be the pinnacle of what he was talking about. The 6-4, 285-pounder finished with four tackles and was consistently in Yates' face when on the field. 

As a team, the Aggies recorded 24 pressures and three sacks.

Newcomers Debut

Stewart headlined the freshmen making plays, but he wasn’t the only prospect that saw action Saturday afternoon. Defensive linemen Walter Nolen, Anthony Lucas, LT Overton and Enai White, along with defensive backs Smoke Bouye, Denver Harris and Jacoby Mathews all played at least 10 reps. 

Stewart led the way with six pressures. Overton recorded his first career sack in the third quarter for a loss of 12. Harris, SI99's No. 6 prospect, broke up a pass in the second quarter intended for receiver Ife Adeyi. White recorded three tackles while Lucas recorded two. Mathews forced a fumble on running back Dezmon Jackson, leading to the Aggies' second takeaway of the night. 

Offensively, receivers Evan Stewart and Chris Marshall played a majority of first-team reps. Evan Stewart, SI99's No. 12 prospect recorded five catches for 57 yards. Marshall, another vertical threat known for his speed, tallied four receptions for 41 yards, including an impressive 15-yard grab in the fourth quarter. 

Freshman tight end Donovan Green also saw action but predominantly was used as a blocker. Fellow freshman tight end Jake Johnson made his debut in the fourth quarter, catching a 6-yard pass from brother Max Johnson. 

The Aggies picked up the No. 1 recruiting class of the 2022 cycle. Some believe it could be one of the best classes in the history of the sport. 

It's one game into their careers, but the potential is evident with 13 first-year players seeing action against the Kats. 

Offensive Line Inconsistencies

The battle for starting reps at center could have ended with a strong performance by redshirt freshman Matthew Wykoff. Instead, Bryce Foster should still be in the running for first-team snaps when he returns to the field.

As a unit, the Aggies struggled with protection, primarily on rushing plays. Running back Devon Achane rarely found a crease for positive yards. Neither could Amari Daniels in his limited reps. And Achane’s touchdown in the third quarter came on a 1-yard run. 

Last season, A&M’s run blocking was its best offensive asset. Isaiah Spiller averaged 5.5 yards per run. Achane, a Heisman dark horse entering the year, averaged an SEC-high 7.0 yards per attempt. Overall, All-American Kenyon Green led the charge up the middle, opening wide lanes for both runners to keep drives alive with their legs.

Green is now with the Houston Texans and Spiller is with the Los Angeles Chargers. A&M offensive line coach Josh Henson also departed College Station this offseason to become the new offensive coordinator at USC under Lincoln Riley. 

The results? Underwhelming. A&M averaged 3.4 yards per play and totaled 110 rushing yards — 77 of which came by King and Achane. Right tackle Reuben Fatheree, left guard Jordan Spasojevic-Moko and right guard Aki Ogunbiyi were all penalized once. 

Up Next

The Aggies return to Kyle Field next Saturday to face Appalachian State. 

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