Shaan Washington impresses again: PFF Notes from Texas A&M at South Carolina

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Texas A&M’s top graded offensive players

1. Avery Gennesy, LT (72.6)
2. Trayveon Williams, HB (72.2)
3. Josh Reynolds, WR (68.8)

Key Takeaways

• Running back Trayveon Williams continued to establish himself as A&M’s biggest threat out of the backfield, averaging 4.9 yards after contact per carry against South Carolina and forcing six missed tackles on just 14 rushing attempts.
• Getting Christian Kirk more involved in the passing game was a goal of the A&M offense entering their matchup with South Carolina and they succeeded in doing just that. Kirk was targeted a staggering 16 times on Saturday, the 3rd most targets for any receiver in the nation this week and more than his last two games combined. He was used in a variety of ways on offense and had at least one reception against eight different Gamecock defenders.
• The Aggie passing game failed to threaten vertically against South Carolina, with just four of Trevor Knight’s 23 completions coming on passes traveling more than 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. The emphasis on the short passing game can also be seen in the fact that only 41.5% of Knight’s passing yards came before the catch, meaning the majority of his yardage was earned by receivers gaining yards after the completion.
• Left tackle Avery Gennesy was Texas A&M’s highest graded offensive player against the Gamecocks, especially excelling in pass protection. Gennesy had a 98.2% pass block efficiency rating on Saturday, the 16th best in the nation this week among offensive tackles.
• Quarterback Trevor Knight had another effective game on the ground, earning an 81.1 run grade on Saturday. Knight had 76 rushing yards on 10 designed QB runs with 40 of those yards coming on runs around the left end.

Texas A&M’s top graded defensive players

1. Shaan Washington, LB (80.2)
2. Daeshon Hall, DE (79.7)
3. Armani Watts, S (79.2)

Key Takeaways

• Shaan Washington was once again a standout performer for the Aggie defense this week, leading the team with his 80.2 overall grade. Washington graded positively in nearly every category and led the team with nine tackles and seven defensive stops. His 19.2 run stop percentage was the third highest in the nation this week among players at his position.
• Daeshon Hall put together an impressive stat line against the Gamecocks, totaling seven QB pressures and five defensive stops on the day. Hall’s pass rushing productivity rating of 16.9% was the fifth best rate in the country at his position this week. His two sacks came on inside pressures while his five QB hurries were all outside moves.
• Armani Watts had another solid outing against South Carolina, earning a 79.2 overall grade. Watts was at his best when in pass coverage and allowed just two receptions for 14 yards and a 37.5 QB rating into his coverage, good for 9th best among the nation’s safeties this week.
• Donovan Wilson’s 79.1 overall grade on Saturday was the highest grade he’s earned this season. Wilson earned positive grades in run defense, pass coverage and when rushing the passer. He finished the day with six tackles, three defensive stops and a quarterback hurry.
• Texas A&M’s 10 highest graded players against South Carolina were all from the defensive side of the ball.