Aggies vs. Ole Miss Notebook: Poor Run Defense & Achane's Second-Half Absence Dooms A&M in Loss
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The Texas A&M Aggies entered Saturday's game against the No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels at Kyle Field looking to right previous wrongs after a three-game losing streak.
Already down the first two quarterbacks on the depth chart and facing a potential fourth-straight loss, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher had no other choice but to roll out true freshman Connor Weigman in hopes of sparking momentum into College Station.
But instead, it was a dominant rushing performance by Ole Miss that snatched that momentum instead, as the Rebels defeated A&M 31-28, giving the Aggies their first four-game losing streak since 2005.
Let's look at a few takeaways from the loss.
Weigman Wonder: Impressive, but inconsistent
The "legend" of Weigman started off on fire, as he effortlessly led two touchdown drives to begin the game, giving the Aggies a 14-7 lead. A goal-line scoring strike to receiver Moose Muhammad III was followed up by a gorgeous one-handed touchdown catch from receiver Evan Stewart.
The beginning and end of the game were strong points for the true freshman, who finished with an impressive stat line of 28 of 44 passing for 338 yards and four touchdowns. But it was the inconsistencies in the middle that plagued A&M's offense, as the Aggies didn't score until the 9:11 mark of the fourth quarter after taking the lead with four minutes left in the first.
A 36-yard completion to Stewart set the Aggies up inside the five-yard line down 24-14 early with 10 minutes left in the fourth, one of the first big plays Weigman made since the first half. He added to his scoring total with touchdown passes to Noah Thomas and Achane in the fourth, but with the Aggies playing catch-up late, his stats proved to be the main impressive takeaway for the freshman on a night that had some forgettable mis-throws and communication issues with receivers.
Devon Achane celebrating Halloween early
Achane gashed the Rebels for 17 carries and 124 rushing yards in the first half and looked to be on his way to a career-high night.
But instead, he played the disappearing role of Houdini in the second half to no fault of his own. Achane finished with 25 carries for 138 yards and seven catches for 41 yards and a touchdown.
His role as a pass-catcher proved to be a vital security blanket for Weigman, which included a late touchdown that gave the Aggies life. But Achane had just 14 rushing yards and eight carries in the second half despite A&M keeping things close throughout.
His role as a runner could've been a huge remedy for an offense that struggled mightily in the second and third quarters after his legs had played a major factor on the first two scoring drives.
Achane remains a star in this offense, especially after his play through the first 30 minutes on Saturday. However, his second-half usage was a different story.
Aggies unable to answer Quinshon Judkins' career night
The Texas A&M defense has had some impressive performances this season. But stopping the third-best rushing attack in the country was set to be a monumental task, one that proved to be too much for the Aggies on Saturday.
Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins has already looked like a future Heisman candidate this season. But forget about being in the future running for the award after Saturday. Might as well put in him now after he totaled a whopping 34 carries for 205 yards and a touchdown. Judkins rumbled over the Aggies -- who also had trouble stopping the legs of quarterback Jaxson Dart and fellow running back Zach Evans -- while essentially carrying Ole Miss to a win in the process.
It was Judkins' crucial 61-yard run in the fourth quarter that proved to be a major blow for A&M. Multiple Aggie defenders put forward half-hearted attempts at arm tackles on Judkins as he easily brushed them off before finally being stopped in the red zone. Three straight carries later and he was in the end zone to give Ole Miss a 31-21 lead with seven minutes to play.
A&M had its chance at coming back, but it was the bruising play from Judkins combined with lapses in mental and physical effort from the Aggies that doomed them in the end.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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