Conner Weigman Era Begins: Texas A&M Freshman QB Gives Aggies Chance In Loss To Ole Miss
It was the fourth drive of Saturday's game when Conner Weigman-mania officially was underway for the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station.
On a first-and-10 play from the Ole Miss' 15, Weigman surveyed the field before delivering a strike to the left corner of the end zone where freshman Evan Stewart was waiting for the easy score.
The one-handed catch will make the highlight reel, but the throw is the story. The Texas A&M freshman delivered a pass — a flawless spiral — to the one spot where Rebels cornerback Deantre Prince would be immobilized to make a play.
It was a veteran throw from a rookie passer making his first collegiate start in a hostile environment. The only drive that might have looked better all season for Texas A&M's offense was the one prior; an eight-play, 77-yard bout capped off by a 3-yard touchdown to Moose Muhammad III.
This was the version of Jimbo Fisher's offense fans of the 12th Man envisioned when the season kicked off. It was quick. It had heart. It looked impossible to stop, and it came behind the arm of an 18-year-old who this time last year was preparing for the Texas 6A High School Playoffs.
No, strike that; It came behind the arm of the Aggies' best option at the game's most crucial position. Now, college football fans coast to coast are pondering the same thought.
What took so long, Jimbo? Why was Weigman sitting on the bench for eight weeks?
"You could ruin a guy a lot quicker than you can make a guy when they're a freshman," Fisher said postgame.
Texas A&M's four-game skid continues after a 31-28 loss to Ole Miss at home. Penalties, poor tackling, and prolonged concerns filled the second half to rekindle a Rebels' offense en route to a 21-14 point differential.
The Aggies' season is over in terms of hardware. There's no chance of making it to the SEC Championship even if they win outright. Hopes of making the College Football Playoff dwindled away after a 42-24 loss in Starkville against Mississippi State.
But A&M (3-5, 1-4 SEC) has something to work with. It's Weigman. His time has arrived and the nation was introduced to a talent kept secret in Aggieland until what could be described as "panic mode" set in.
He's not a one-year rental option, either. Barring a change of scenery, Weigman will be lining up in A&M's backfield for at least another two seasons. If not longer.
"I look forward to seeing him play for us next week," Fisher said of Weigman remaining the starter. "I'm very comfortable with Conner playing and starting for us."
Weigman delivered. He completed 28 of 44 passes for 338 yards and four scores. Seven different receivers hauled in a catch while five picked up at least one first down.
A crazier thought? Four different receivers all found the end zone.
The offense — for the most part — looked rejuvenated. Maybe that shouldn't fall on the shoulders of Haynes King or Max Johnson, both of whom tried their best to ignite an offensive spark, but it does play into with the narrative of why the tempo looked stagnant from the start.
King has athleticism. Johnson has consistency. And Weigman? He might have a bit of both at his disposal. It's a reason to beleive brighter days are in the midst at Kyle Field.
By halftime, the Aggies had totaled 234 yards of offense, the most in the first half since Week 12 of the 2021 season against Prarie View A&M. Running back Devon Achane scampered for 124 yards on the ground to give the offense a second identity.
Back in September, King threw for under 100 yards in 60 minutes in a 17-14 loss to Appalachian State. Within the first 30 Saturday night, Weigman had two scores and 119 yards through the air.
And it was only the beginning of a wild finish for the kid who grew up just over an hour east of Kyle Field.
"[Conner] comes in with a poise and a confidence that's really infectious," tight end Max Wright said. "He has that laid-back personality whenever he's on the field, he has that persona to him."
A sluggish third quarter stole life from the Kyle Field's crowd and gave the Rebels a 10-point lead. Veteran quarterbacks struggle to come back from double-digit deficits, let alone keep it competitive.
Then again, Fisher called Weigman "the top quarterback recruit in the nation" during the Early Signing Period last November. If his 36-yard pass to Stewart to kick off the fourth quarter didn't catch fans' attention, did his 2-yard touchdown to fellow freshman Noah Thomas do the trick?
Weigman stood tall in the pocket from Rebels' Tavius Robinson to garner a fresh set of downs on a roughing the passer call. Three plays later, the newbie made the senior call to go the flats and trust that Achane would get the seven yards for a score.
Spoiler; he did, and the Aggies were down by three.
Three quick stops by D.J. Durkin's defense, and A&M had a shot of completing the comeback. Weigman overthrew a pair of receivers, connected with Achane for a gain of seven, and watched a fourth-and-3 pass plummet out of the hands of Blake Smith.
"He gave a chance at the end of the game," Fisher said. "The guy's got heart. Toughness. Charisma. He has it all."
Fisher will likely replay the touchdown throw to Stewart in the future. Not just on the screen in his office, but also in his playbook. Moments like that will need to be duplicated in the future as Weigman and Stewart look to be the next faces of Aggie football.
No one should let Fisher off the hook when it comes to making an offensive switch. Before fans should take their foot off the gas of the "hire an offensive coordinator" takes. On multiple occasions, drives floundered and flopped due to the inadequate protection up front.
There's also the consistency element. Prior to Saturday, the Aggies hadn't scored more than 24 points against an FBS opponent since facing South Carolina last October at Kyle Field. They also were penalized plenty. Last week, A&M was flagged 14 times at Williams-Brice Stadium.
On Saturday, they were flagged nine times for 51 yards — four of which came on false starts and two more can on illegal formations.
The good news for Fisher? He has the quarterback. He has several young weapons. And he likely bought himself at least a year to develop the former regardless of how the rest of the 2022 season unfolds.
"The kid played his heart out," said Wright. "He performed really well and I'm super proud of him."
Amazing what the right quarterback can do, right Jimbo?
"For him to go out there and do what he did, I thought he was outstanding," Fisher said. "He showed a lot of poise, a lot of composure about how he did it."
You can follow Cole Thompson on Twitter @MrColeThompson
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