Why Conner Weigman's Dreadful Outing Isn't Indicative Of His Season-Long Potential

The Texas A&M Aggies' loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was headlined by Conner Weigman's poor play, but he wasn't the only issue Saturday night, and he shouldn't be written off for that. In fact, the Aggies won't let it.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

A slow-motion replay happened to capture a moment Conner Weigman probably wishes he could forget.

The Texas A&M Aggies quarterback, fresh off a drive that knotted the score of his team's contest against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 13 points each with still nine to play in the third quarter, got sick. Visibly sick.

The ABC cameras broadcasted the game to millions of eyes, as Aggies coach Mike Elko said prior to the matchup, recording it, slowing it down, and replaying it.

"Look away if you're squeamish," the broadcaster said.

The Aggies wished they could have.

On their 10th College GameDay appearance, they lost for the ninth time. Weigman threw for just 100 yards and two interceptions, collecting the worst passer rating in the country for the week in the process, and the offense fell flat as the Irish pulled away late to secure a big-time road victory.

Weigman's third quarter incident wasn't used as an excuse, but it certainly told the story of how his night went.

"Yeah, that was him," Elko said, confirming Weigman's bout of sickness in the third quarter. "In the heat of the moment, he got a little bit sick."

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) warms up prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Weigman, who hasn't played a full season since arriving in College Station as a true freshman in 2022 — and whose combined game log falls short of 12 — entered his third year, second as named starter, with high expectations. The Aggies did as well.

Both parties did not meet them, though it was Weigman who took the brunt of the criticism for a performance that suggested he was either rusty, unprepared, or outright scared of the moment.

Perhaps a little bit of all three.

"It was really, really hard," Elko said of trying to find a groove for Weigman. "He was not in rhythm, and there was nothing easy to get. ... We kept trying, (but) just couldn't get there."

A pair of interceptions wasted multiple chances for the Aggies to take the lead they were looking for all game, and miscommunications between Weigman and his receivers made putting together a drive harder than it should have been.

To the Irish's credit, they did figure out Weigman's game — at least, the version on display Saturday evening — pretty quickly. That didn't make things any easier.

"The challenge tonight was they were going to play us in man all night," Elko explained. "So, there's not a lot of easy-access throws to get him comfortable and get him in rhythm. People are going to have to win to do that."

People meaning receivers. The Aggies' receiving corps didn't win many one-on-one battles. There wasn't a slew of missed long passes, there was just a slew of plays with nobody open. To that point, Weigman can't entirely be blamed. But he does have a lot of work to do.

Luckily for Texas A&M, the wildly unsuccessful outing that was Game 1 of Elko's tenure as head coach shouldn't be blown out of proportion. A poor quarterback performance, paired with a lackluster run game, locked-down receivers and a new system all played roles in the loss.

The Aggies were thrown into the fire, and they were burned. Badly.

But now, the healing process begins. And Weigman will absolutely stay at the center of it.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) runs the ball during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

"I just think we've got to go back to the tape," Elko said. "We've got to figure out how to put him in better situations to get him comfortable."

Weigman was supposed to be "the guy" for the Aggies for the last three seasons. After taking over in his freshman season for the now-departed Haynes King, he entered his sophomore campaign with a head of steam and a victory over Max Johnson. That's when injuries set in.

The quarterback played just four games in 2023 before breaking his foot, which was when Johnson took over for the remainder of the year. Now, Weigman — back as the No. 1 option — is off to a shaky start in his first season back.

But while his collegiate career thus far has been nothing short of complicated, the Aggies' optimism toward him has remained clear. They want him to be the one to take the reins.

His teammates serve as proof.

"Things weren't going great the whole time," Aggies offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said of his quarterback. "I just said, 'Hey, keep your head up. Keep throwing the ball. Keep being confident.'"

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman, left, and head coach Mike Elko, right, arrive prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

When the Aggies take the stage against McNeese State next week, Weigman will have his chance to shake off the rust and perform the way he's shown flashes of being able with much lower stakes.

He'll have his chance to throw touchdowns instead of interceptions and find more chemistry with his receivers, who should be able to break down the Cowboys' defense a lot easier. He won't be thrown in any kind of fire. Nor will the Aggies as a collective.

"We learned that we have glimpses where we're a really good football team," Zuhn said. "But we need to learn how to focus and strain every single play ... to be successful."

If focus is the goal, then it begins with Weigman. He's the one who has to lead his team to success. He might not have done that Saturday, but it doesn't speak for the rest of his season.

The Aggies won't let it.

"He's a great player, and he's going to take us to great places this season," Zuhn said. "I think he did a great job staying composed throughout the whole game. I can't wait to see what he does the rest of the season."