Aggies QB Conner Weigman Bright Spot In Loss To Miami
Conner Weigman made headlines for all the right reasons in his first start of the new season last Saturday against New Mexico.
He wasn't the poster boy in Week 2, but he was a part of a Texas A&M roster that consistently shot itself in the foot with miscues and mental mistakes en route to a 48-33 loss against Miami.
How much of the loss falls on Weigman's shoulder? That question all depends on the eyes of the beholder. A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said among the countless negatives found at Hard Rock Stadium were slivers of positive play.
“We made plays in all three phases, but we gave up plays in all three phases,” Fisher said postgame.
Weigman benefitted from special teams' success early for exceptional field position, beginning the Aggies' opening drive at Miami's 15. Three plays later, he punched his way into the end zone for his first career rushing touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
But as the game progressed, pressure consumed the A&M (1-1) backfield. Weigman wasn't sacked, but he was pressured 26 times on 56 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Pressure leads to mistakes, costly ones that allowed Miami to capitalize in the second half. On a thrid-and-8, Weigman zipped a pass across the middle intended for Ainais Smith, who fell midway through the route, leading to a interception by Kamren Kinchens.
The Hurricanes netted three points on an Andres Borregales Andres 34-yard field goal.
Weigman later tossed his second-career pick on the final drive in the red zone on a pass intended for Evan Stewart for a late score to cushion the blow.
“[Weigman was] a guy that put us on his back,” offensive lineman Layden Robinson said. “A guy that, no matter how far down we was, he never looked at the scoreboard. He’s that leader, that guy that you need in the huddle. Make no mistake, he’s the quarterback we need… We need to do a better job of protecting him up front.”
Weigman, who completed 31 of 53 passes for 336 yards and three total touchdowns, wasn't perfect, but was a bright spot. He connected on five passes for over 15 yards, including a 44-yard pass to Stewart and a 19-yard touchdown to Earnest Crownover. He evaded pressure to keep drives alive and moving forward rather than backward.
The relationship of Weigman with his two young receivers continues to blossom. Noah Thomas notched his fourth touchdown in a 9-yard reception with 5:02 to play to bring the Aggies within eight points. Stewart registered career highs in catches (11) and receiving yards (142) for his second consecutive 100-yard game.
“Guys played their tails off, and 15 (Weigman) played his heart out,” Fisher contended. “I thought he played really good in the game to give us a chance to win."
Fisher, who faces pressure to overexceed in 2023 after finishing 5-7 last season, should be able to get back on course next Saturday at home against Louisiana-Monroe, but there are far more issues than defeating the Warhawks.
A&M is in Year 6 under Fisher, who was hired to bring the program a national title as he did at Florida State. That victory with "famous" Jameis Winston is going on a decade and Fisher hasn't finished with double-digit victories in a season since 2016.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said postgame, "Everybody wants to see progress, right?" So far, the Aggies have regressed with open-field tackling, protection in the passing game and on speical teams coverage.
“I ain’t worried about expectations, we have to worry about next week,” said Fisher. “We shouldn’t adjust to anything, what we need to do is go focus and play a good game next week and get better the next week, the next week and the next week.”
Kickoff Saturday from Kyle Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.
