Postgame thoughts: Texas A&M holds off UTSA 23-10

The Aggies just won one of the most unsatisfying games I’ve seen in a very long time. Injuries and poor play calling aside, this UTSA team was begging to be put away late in the game and we just couldn’t do it. Let’s talk about what happened.

1) THE OFFENSIVE LINE

Our offensive line is struggling right now. We’ve got youth on the interior, and it’s showing. Prater is going to be good some day, but right now he’s struggling a lot. I’m not looking for them to be the 2012 offensive line, but I needed to see them move bodies a bit more against a team like UTSA...and it seemed like we really struggled with that.

This is really really concerning given that we’ve got the fastest DL we’ve seen all year coming to Kyle on Thursday.

2) THE RUN GAME

This obviously ties into the first part, but also has a lot to do with Trevor being out. Before the Alabama game we were averaging 275 rushing yards per game. Since Bama we’ve been averaging 155...and that includes games against gimmes like New Mexico State and UTSA...not to mention a pretty poor run defense in Ole Miss. Our run game defines this offense...the bulk of it is that the misdirection of the zone read game masked a lot of our OL issues, but that much of a drop is really concerning. Obvious prediction: we wont beat LSU unless we get to that 200 mark.

3) DEPTH

These late season slides, to me, are depth related. In every recruiting class you try and look for three types of players 1) the difference makers 2) the guys who can come in and play quickly and 3) the guys with high upside that need time. We’ve done an ok job with that first category (not recently), a poor job with that second category and a good job with that third category. DBs are a perfect example. In 2015 we took Elam and Capers-Smith. Both are really talented, but both needed a couple of years. We needed a Kris Boyd, Holton Hill, or Kendall Sheffield to balance it out...and we didn’t get it. We got Priest Willis as a transfer, but we have a hole there and we’re trying to press guys into playing time that just aren’t ready.

Our slides are a depth issue in my opinion.

4) MYLES

Had like a billion sacks. I’m so going to miss this guy.

5) SUMLIN

8 wins with the tenure-defining win on the horizon. I don’t think this game did anything to help him. Lots of pressure on our Thanksgiving showdown.

OVERALL

Man I’m nervous as hell about LSU but I choose complete uninformed optimism about this game because what the hell do we have to lose? We’re gonna win. And we’re gonna win by 80 points (stop laughing). Get your mind right and keep your head up. Football is fun, so let’s have some fun with this week.

BTHO lsu