Texas A&M's Haynes King, Evan Stewart Show Promise In Loss To Alabama
In close losses, it's best to look at the positives in a sea full of negatives. For the Texas A&M Aggies, there are two massive plus entering its bye week.
First, the Aggies can play competitive football with Haynes King at quarterback. Second, A&M has a long-term replacement for Ainias Smith in freshman receiver Evan Stewart.
"There are plays he wished he had back, but he powered through, played his tail off, and played a heck of a game," Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said following A&M's 24-20 loss to Alabama Saturday evening. "We got to get better, but I thought he played really well."
King, the initial 2022 starter, went 25-of-46 passing for 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns against one interception Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium. He also picked up three first downs with his legs, rushing for 10 yards on eight carries.
King was benched following the Aggies' 17-14 loss to Appalachian State in Week 2 in favor of LSU transfer Max Johnson. Johnson played a more grounded style of offense compared to King, worrying about completing passes for first downs instead of taking deep shots for massive gains.
Johnson suffered a hand injury in a 42-24 loss to Mississippi State, leading to a second chance for King to earn the starting nod. A sluggish first quarter looked as if the Aggies were in trouble, but the Longview native rebounded for a quality performance to close out the first half.
King connected with Moose Muhammad III for the 5-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7 apiece. He later would find freshman tight end Donovan Green for a 3-yard score with just over two minutes left on the clock to tie the game again at 14.
"Haynes did a great job," offensive lineman Layden Robinson said postgame. "He's a great player for this team and this University. I'm just happy to have a guy like him back there."
One of the elements of King's success was having a security blanket on the perimeter in the form of Stewart. A freshman out of Liberty in Frisco, Texas, Stewart has emerged as a go-to weapon and top receiver thanks to his route-running and ability to win after the catch.
That was evident Saturday evening against Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold the Tide's secondary. Stewart totaled a team-high eight catches for 106 yards and averaged 13.3 yards per play. King connected with the freshman on and first-and-10 throw in the second quarter for a gain of 43, eventually leading to the Green touchdown.
"He made some good plays," Fisher said. "You saw what he's capable of and what he did. ... those guys are growing."
Those "plays" Fisher mentioned came on the Aggies' final drive. On a first-and-10, King threw into double coverage down by the A&M sideline, but Stewart managed to wrestle the ball out of Arnold's hands for a gain of 23. King targeted Stewart six times on the final drive, including on the final play of the game.
After a pass interference call against defensive back Brian Branch, the Aggies were given one final play to punch it in from Alabama's 2-yard line. King went to Stewart in front of the Aggies' pylon, but the ball was batted loose by Arnold, keeping the Tide's perfect record intact for another week.
Arnold said postgame that he was able to read Fisher's lips telling King to target Stewart. Fisher said postgame that they ran the same play earlier in the game on the Muhammad touchdown, and they felt it was the right call for the situation, much to the disdain of thousands of A&M fans, including 2012 Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.
“We kept battling back and got down there and had a chance,” Fisher said. “We got it to one last play, and it was a good read, and we just didn’t get it executed. The decision was right (considering) where we were going and what we did.”
King looked polished enough to earn a second start against South Carolina in two weeks when A&M returns from its bye. Stewart likely will continue to build off his stellar freshman campaign and look to set a new standard as A&M's top receiver.
As for the program, Fisher said he was pleased with the way his team fought, but there are no moral victories in close matchups.
"We’re a good football team,” Fisher said. “But you show the growth of what you can be and what you can do. You’re competing against a very good team we have a lot of respect for and is coached very well and has good players. Our guys went toe-to-toe with them. That shows you what you’re capable of. "
The Aggies will travel to Williams-Brice Stadium to take on the Gamecocks on Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. C.T.
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