Takeaways From A&M's Saturday Victory in Oxford
COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M perhaps didn't get better come Saturday evening. They did however do enough to hold onto victory. Despite a late comeback from Ole Miss, the Aggies collected the onside kick to hold on for a 24-17 win in Oxford.
Kellen Mond struggled at a majority of the game, but a late second-quarter touchdown helped his stat line. Meanwhile, the defense impressed with multiple turnovers and pressure from the front seven. The game had flaws, but it was hard to hate the execution of the plan moving forward.
There's plenty that will need to be corrected in the future, but a win is a win. Here are the top takeaways from Saturday's outing in Oxford.
Offensive Line Needs Help
If one were to believe that Mond was the problem last night, they'd need to reevaluate the tape. Although his outing was iffy at best, it only started that way due to poor offensive line play.
The Aggies consistently allowed pressure into the backfield against the Rebels' front seven. If they couldn't bring down Mond, they pressured him into making mistakes. Ole Miss finished with four sacks and forced the junior to throw a pair of interceptions.
Moments like that could cost a team wins. Sure, the Aggies did enough to squeeze by, but what would happen should Mond get hurt? Although fans have struggled to pleased with his overall season, he's been the constant of A&M's offense.
His services are needed, but offensive line play like that won't do the team any favor.
Madubuike Makes Big Plays
Justin Madubuike has been a reliable player but has yet to make a significant play. That all changed on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway during the third quarter.
The Rebels seemed destined to tie the game at 17 with a 35-yard field goal. Madubukie jumped the line, getting a hand in place and blocking the kick. With the momentum swinging A&M's way, the Aggies fought to close off the deal.
Things could have gone south for the Aggies following that kick. Thanks to Madubuike's big-time block, fans will never wonder what could have been.
Former Stars Shine
Both Isaiah Spiller and Kendrick Rogers have potential. Both thus far have disappointed as a whole for the season. Although there's plenty of time for both to rebound, Saturday could be the turning point for both offensive minds.
Spiller finished with a team-high 79 yards on the ground, culminating in a fourth-quarter 22-yard touchdown. For the first time against a Power 5 opponent, none of his 16 carries ended up for negative yards. He also averaged a season-high 4.9 yards per carry in conference play.
Rogers helped change the tone on offense during the second quarter. Trailing before the half, the junior would make a fantastic 18-yard touchdown give A&M a 17-10 lead. Rogers would finish with one more catch for a gain of five.
Both players needed to find their rhythm and did. Although stats might say otherwise, both stepped up for the offense and were the ultimate difference makers.
Defense Did Their Job
Mike Elko's squad could have played better. That said, it wasn't the worst outing a person could imagine. The Aggies defense stepped up when they needed to, thus making the difference for the team.
Cornerback Elijah Blades forced a fumble on quarterback John Rhys Plumlee during the third quarter. Linebacker Buddy Johnson would pick it up to run it back for a 61-yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, Matt Corral would throw an ill-advised pass that would lead to a Clifford Chattman interception.
The Aggies also collected three sacks on the evening and contained both quarterbacks to under four combined rushing yards. Outside of a 67-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, A&M's defense allowed very little big-time plays moving forward.
The team will need to limit careless penalties, but it's hard not to be content with their outcome after seeing the offensive struggles.
