Ad Disclosure
OFFENSE: C+
Texas A&M WR Malcome Kennedy missed another game with a shoulder injury. Still, the offensive line, which is supposed to feature three future NFL players, got blasted by Ole Miss. The passing game produced yards, but most of them came in garbage time. Kenny Hill turned the ball over three times, two of which were touchdowns for the Rebels. Speedy Noil became the first 100-yard receiver against Ole Miss and the team did squeeze out 20 points.
DEFENSE: B-
Ole Miss rushed for 4.6 yards per carry, threw for 9.4 yards per pass attempt and didn’t commit a turnover. The Rebels were 2 of 12 on third down and weren’t explosive, with just one play of more than 33 yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B-
Drew Kaser had another excellent game and is making a heck of a case for All-SEC status as a punter. Speedy Noil had some terrific returns, though the team got flagged to limit his return numbers. Texas A&M’s coverage team also gave up a few big returns.
COACHING: B-
Playing as a betting favorite in front of an SEC-record crowd, the Aggies were down 35-7 in the fourth quarter. Still, Ole Miss is clearly a better team. This loss was more about losing to a better team. There’s only so much coaching can help that.
OVERALL: C-
This Texas A&M team never was going to compete for an SEC West title, but the resounding win at South Carolina to open the season skewed most people’s perception of the team. Still, the defense was supposed to be better than this, and the offense is trending in the wrong direction, getting well into the fourth quarter with a grand total of 14, 17 and 6 points the last three games. The Aggies should fall to 5-3 next week in Tuscaloosa, knocking a lot of luster off the “hottest program in the country” sentiments from September.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
