Texas A&M's Mond shines despite loss to Alabama
COLLEGE STATION - Kellen Mond heard the critics. The noise had rumbled all season, but after a close victory against a struggling Arkansas, it was time to listen. He wanted to show the Texas A&M faithful why he was the man under center.
The Aggies fell short Saturday to top-ranked Alabama. While the stat line will read otherwise, Mond would walk away as a winner. Last season in Bryant-Denny Stadium, the then-sophomore threw two early interceptions, leading to scores for the Crimson Tide.
In his backyard, Mond looked poised and in control. Throwing for 264 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the junior thrived under pressure, proving his worth at Kyle Field.
"Obviously, I didn't play perfect tonight, but we have a long way to go. But I like where we're at," Mond said following the 47-28 loss. "Pretty much, we're at this hump right now where, once we get over it, I feel like we can, you know, beat the best teams in the country."
Mond wasn't perfect, then again, how perfect can one be against a Nick Saban roster? Several throws were overshot while miscommunication in the red zone led to the team settling for field goals. To also call Mond's outing a struggle would be incorrect.
Whatever Mond did, Tua Tagovailoa was to match. A touchdown from the Tide followed a field goal for the Aggies. A punt led to a score, putting Mond and the offense in a near un-winnable situation.
"They're skill guys. I mean, they have dynamic guys," Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. "They have erasers. I call them erasers. I mean, no matter what you do ‑‑ throw it short, throw it long, long situation ‑‑ guys that can erase yards.
"You can only cover those guys so long, so your rush has got to be a big part of that too. And we didn't get enough pressure on the quarterback either."
While Mike Elko's defense took a hit against the four horsemen of the Alabamlypse, Mond thrived early against the Crimson Tide. Putting the team on his back following a Kendrick Rogers penalty, he'd start the game off with a one-yard touchdown run.
In the third quarter, hoping to gain momentum, Mond would connect with a wide-open Jalen Wydermyer for a 25-yard score. The two would score again in the fourth quarter, this time on an 18-yard pass.
Mond used his legs to keep the Aggies offense moving. Leading the team with 99 rushing yards, his dual-threat ability turned third-down conversions into points of some capacity.
Perhaps the biggest win came through his mental toughness. The Aggies would allow five sacks along with consistent pressure up the middle. Late in the game, Mond would be crushed under a sea of Crimson defenders. Clearly in pain, he brushed himself off and would throw another touchdown pass.
"I'm feeling pretty good, just one of the long runs that I had got dragged down a little weird, and just fell on my left leg," Mond said. "But I feel pretty good. But, obviously, more runs definitely do take a big toll on you."
The Aggies are now 3-3 heading into the second half of the season. Originally hoping to become a contender, Mond and the Aggies are just looking for consistency. With a chance to finish 9-3 on the season, the team will head back to the drawing board to correct the problem.
For Mond, Saturday was a rebirth. While the team walked away with a loss, the man under center found more than a "w" in the record book. Regaining the confidence once lost, Mond is ready to rebound as the leader of the offense.
"You kind of look back at the games we lost, the games we won," Mond said. "As a team, we definitely think that we can play every team."
