Who Starts, Who Sits? Post-LSU, Texas A&M Aggies Still Hard-Pressed for QB Answers

The Texas A&M Aggies have two options at quarterback who couldn't be more different from each other on the field. One is being boosted by recency bias, but the other stands as a flash-in-the-pan capable of tearing apart defenses.

Sep 28, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Marcel Reed's third-quarter briefing was short and to the point.

The Texas A&M Aggies, down by ten points at home against the LSU Tigers, needed a way to generate offense and get back into the game.

Conner Weigman, fresh off a wishy-washy outing against the Mississippi State Bulldogs — a win the Aggies narrowly came away with — was back at the helm of the offense, but something wasn't clicking. So, the Aggies began brainstorming.

"You come in at halftime and start trying to figure out what we've got to do," Aggies coach Mike Elko said. "We start(ed) the second half, and it (didn't) look like it was going in a better direction."

Weigman went back out for the beginning of the second half, and after two more punts, it was clear that the game wasn't going to be won through the air. Le'Veon Moss was doing fine enough, but the Maroon & White needed something more.

"We needed Marcel's legs," Elko said, simply. "We needed to get multi-dimensional in the run game."

Suddenly, Reed — relegated to the bench after leading the Aggies to a 3-0 stretch in the absence of Weigman — was back on deck. At halftime, the idea hung in the air, but it wasn't until the Aggies got the turnover they were looking for that it fleshed out.

Texas A&M intercepted Garrett Nussmeier, returned it to the 8-yard line, and it was go-time for Reed.

"Coach (Josh) Buford said to me: 'It's you. Let's go," Reed explained. "I said: 'All right. Let's go.'"

It took one play for the Aggies to be back in it. Reed kept it himself, notching his first of three touchdowns on the evening, and rejuvenated the Aggies' offense. From there, Nussmeier was sorely reminded of his comment on Kyle Field's atmosphere with every mistake, including two more interceptions.

The Tigers' offense effectively fell apart, and Reed just kept on going. The Aggies ended up securing a 15-point victory at home to retain sole possession of the SEC and keep their perfect conference record alive.

But now the questions remain: What happens to Weigman? Is Reed "the guy" moving forward?

Much of Texas A&M's fanbase seems to think so, taking a 180 on its stance post-Missouri blowout. But it's not that simple.

Here's what both scenarios look like:

Case 1: Moving Forward with Marcel

As Marcel Reed strolled into the end zone for the third time of the night, his right arm went to the sky, asking — with a simple hand gesture — for the crowd to continue bringing the noise.

It wasn't a money sign, and no, I won't compare Reed to Johnny Manziel, despite the name running around comment sections since the game's conclusion. But it's hard to deny how electric Reed made the Aggies' offense.

When speaking on it, Elko kept things straightforward.

"We just felt like we needed a spark," Elko said. "We pulled the trigger, went with Marcel — and what a spark he gave us."

Recency bias kills. After Saturday's win, it makes sense why Reed would be an easy option for the Aggies. After all, he beat the No. 8 team in the nation and has yet to lose a game he's played in.

Where things get complicated, however, is the other half of his game.

Brian Kelly, appearing on Paul Finebaum Monday afternoon, explained that the biggest reason his Tigers fell short was their inability to adjust to a new defensive game plan. Reed is a read-option quarterback who is just as big a weapon as a rusher as the Aggies' running backs.

Yes, LSU had seen something similar in Arkansas' Taylen Green, but even that wasn't at the level of Reed. And with Nussmeier's offense sputtering, the defense hardly had time to effectively adjust.

"Obviously, we didn’t execute those things from last week’s game plan (against Green) into this game plan," Kelly said. "Those are things we have to look at as coaches.

"Did we spend enough time on the backup quarterback coming into this game?"

Saturday, the Aggies caught LSU so off guard that their "new" offense with Reed was practically unstoppable. At least, that's how it played out. But Reed also only threw two passes, one of which was a perfectly placed rainbow to Noah Thomas — a connection few and far between for the freshman.

If the Aggies move forward with Reed at the helm, South Carolina, Texas or anyone beyond them, should Texas A&M make it so far, defenses can adjust and plan for a read-option. If Reed struggles to pass the ball, and his read option gets contained, he'd go from unstoppable to predictable.

If that were the case, perhaps Weigman could come in and perform the way he did against Missouri, making it seem like he was the Aggies' answer.

But then the cycle starts again? Ideally, no. But it could.

Let's look at the second scenario:

Case 2: Weigman Re-Assumes His Role ... Maybe

When Weigman trotted to the sideline after a second straight failed offensive possession, Mike Elko informed him that the Aggies would be going with Reed, but it wasn't personal.

"He took it great," the coach said after the game. "I just told him: 'It's not you — this is not you. I'm going to tell everybody it's not on you.'"

Weigman had gone stagnant, but Elko also spoke on the receivers being too slow on their routes and a "litany' of other issues that made up a victory effort that looked bleak before Reed made his grand entrance. So, off to the bench, he went, to watch and hope for a resurgence.

It came, though not through the air. That was the piece the Aggies were missing, but went without.

It worked against the Tigers, but the question for Weigman's case lies in whether a run-based approach would be sustainable. Reed is electric, but as the Weigman showed against Missouri, so is he.

And while the Aggies could opt to stick with Reed against South Carolina, they could also go with Weigman and hope the passing offense finds itself once again — better than it would with Reed under center.

Both appraoches capable of producing a win. But if Texas A&M does go with Weigman, would he be able to deliver? Or might he get benched once again in favor of Reed.

That's the interesting point here. He might. In fact, it could be a strategy the Aggies are OK with.

“The possibility is there for a lot of things," Elko said. "We’re going to figure out this week what we think the right thing is for us, what gives us the best chance to win.”

Back when Weigman was battling back from injury and Reed was continually being named the starter, the Aggies proved they could win. When Weigman replaced Reed against Missouri, it was him who recieved all the flowers. He was the savior for the Aggies.

Now, the tables are turned. But what if Texas A&M could have both?

What if they utilized Reed as a read-option quarterback and Weigman as a passing threat. NFL offenses have done it in the past, as have a few collegiate programs — the most recent being the Florida Gators.

Sure, Florida isn't exactly a gold standard to look to and long-term, that plan isn't sustainable. But as the Aggies navigate the rest of their season leading up to what they hope will be a shot at the College Football Playoff, it's worth a look.

Against Texas, it might not work. By then, the Aggies will want to have a starter ready to go that they believe will produce a win, or at the very least, make them competitive. But in the interim?

The Aggies will continue to test all their options. If it's Reed, then they'll hope for some passing plays to add onto the running threat that they'll get. If it's Weigman? They'll hope for another Missouri-esque performance.

And either way, the quarterbacks will stay at the ready. Just in case.

"We've talked about this," Elko said. "We get two quarterbacks ready, like always. You're always one play away from needing your other guy."

"They say every game to be prepared," Reed added. "Tat's what our coaches preach all the time, it takes all of us. So anybody in that QB room is going to be prepared when their name is called."

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