Texas A&M will look to regain the form that earned it a preseason AP Top 10 ranking when the Aggies face FCS opponent The Citadel on Saturday afternoon in College Station, Texas.
The Aggies (3-3) have dropped three of their first four Southeastern Conference games, most recently a 27-6 road setback against then-No. 14 Missouri last Saturday. Texas A&M was outgained 399-216, and coach Mike Elko expressed his frustration after the game by calling the team’s leading fan website, TexAgs, a “cesspool.”
At his Monday press conference, Elko walked back his criticism, saying: “I think in the heat of the moment, I answered a question in a way I certainly regret. I think everybody knows I appreciate our fan base and everything that they’re about and everything they mean to Texas A&M.”
Elko blamed himself for the team’s subpar performance this season.
“I am the reason why this team is struggling,” he said. “I have owned that since this has started. I continue to own that. It’s my job to figure out how to get it better.”
Elko added, “It’s a ‘go back to the drawing board’ moment. … We’ve got to find ways to get more creative and find ways to move the ball efficiently.”
Offensive execution has plagued Texas A&M this fall.
Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed has thrown for 1,097 yards and six touchdowns but also six interceptions. He has completed 55.3% of his passes and has been sacked 12 times.
Against Missouri, Reed was 19 of 39 for 187 yards with two interceptions and a QBR of 18.1. Elko said scheme adjustments and personnel changes are being considered.
“Our ineffectiveness in the pass game has been the biggest surprise of the season,” Elko said. “That’s a huge understatement.”
In the third quarter against Missouri, Texas A&M was outscored 10-0 and managed just 3 yards of offense.
The Citadel (2-4), meanwhile, fell 34-16 at home to East Tennessee State last Saturday. Bulldogs quarterback Quentin Hayes has thrown for 402 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions, while running back Gavin Garcia leads the ground attack with 579 yards and a team-high six TDs.
The Bulldogs lost two of three fumbles against ETSU, an issue that coach Maurice Drayton of The Citadel continues to emphasize in practice.
“From day one, it’s all about ball security,” he said. “The ball equals life. We start practice and have ball security circuits in our practices. We have to be consistent with protecting the ball.”
