Aggies Bobby Petrino Passes With Flying Colors In Debut vs. New Mexico
COLLEGE STATION -- It took two plays into the triple-digit heat of Saturday night to realize Texas A&M's offense would be different in 2023. And no, it didn't come on a highlight pass from new quarterback Conner Weigman.
On 2nd-and-7, Weigman evaded the pressure from New Mexico's defensive front and turned upfield with his legs. He scrambled forward for a 17-yard gain and a fresh set of downs, emulating a quarterback the Aggies' new offensive coordinator knows far too well.
"I ask Coach [Bobby Petrino] if I remind him of Lamar Jackson," Weigman said postgame. "He just shakes his head."
By all accounts, even if Petrino didn't turn Weigman into a clone of the 2019 NFL MVP, his play-calling debut in a 52-10 win over the Lobos at Kyle Field was a successful one. Plays were on point. The tempo never teetered. Drives culminated in trips to the end zone instead of three-and-outs like fans remember far too well from last fall.
Petrino mixed in various packages and personnel looks to keep New Mexico guessing as it approached the line of scrimmage. The result? Five touchdowns in the first five possessions and the most points scored against am FBS program since 2018.
“It was great,” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said on Petrino. “We were talking back and forth, sharing ideas, what we could go to, what we could not, giving suggestions and what we think we can see down there. Reminding of things we do in the game plan. Just like we do in the meeting. It was excellent. Had fun, a lot of fun.”
Saturday marked a new chapter in the Fisher era at College Station. It's really a new era for Fisher in general, who's called plays since serving as Nick Saban's offensive coordinator during their tenure at LSU and Florida State. He commanded the offense while as head coach for the Seminoles, then carried the philosophy over to A&M when hired in 2017.
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An upgrade in ideology was needed after A&M ranked 101st in scoring offense in 2022 en route to a 5-7 finish. Throughout the springs, pundits pondered on how the odd couple's marriage would begin once the honeymoon phase was over.
It certainly looked like the marriage was avoiding rocky waters as Weigman dialed five touchdown passes between Noah Thomas and Evan Stewart, the most by an Aggie quarterback in a season opener in program history.
It clearly seemed like smooth sailing was ahead when Le'Von Moss jolted forward for an 8-yard touchdown on the ground in the second.
And it definitely seemed like all doubts were doused in silence when Max Johnson took over in the fourth quarter and kept the scoring going, this time connecting with Moose Muhammad III for a 12-yard score.
“Like coach Petrino always says… we’ve got to feed the studs," said Weigman. "They made my life easy out there. And the O-line, they went to work all night. I can’t say enough about the O-line, the receivers and the running backs.
“Just get the ball out of my hands as quick as possible and get it to my playmakers.”
The Lobos had zero answers to combat the No..23 Aggies' passing attack, especially when going deep on a Petrino special. Weigman, who finished 18-of-23 for 236 yards, connected five times on passes 20-plus yards downfield. He finished with six throws over 15 yards, four of which were hauled in for scores.
A credit to Weigman's accuracy, who's still yet to throw an interception in five starts? A credit to Petrino's play-calling?
It's a bit of both when you boil it all down.
“I thought 15 was really, really good on the night," Fisher said. "When the play was there, he took it. And when it was not there, he was dumping it down underneath and being efficient.”
New Mexico, which has won seven games since Danny Gonzales took over as head coach, won't be the test that puts A&M in playoff chatter, but everyone has to start somewhere. Petrino began his coaching career at Carroll College in Montana, which led him to the SEC, NFL and four different head coaching stints.
The Aggies started the year on a much more promising note than years past under Fisher. As Labor Day rolls around the corner, fans can put their minds at ease, knowing who is running the show perched high in his press box.
"We went out there, we executed the game plan," said Weigman. "Just took it one play at a time, one drive at a time. Like I said, just give it to my playmakers and they make my life easy out there."
