Top takeaways heading into the bye week

COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M started their season off rough. A par of losses to top-10 teams and a struggle victory over Arkansas is not the path many around Kyle Field envisioned.

Granted, while the Aggies are the first team since 1975 to face the AP's preseason top three teams, it still is been a less than ideal for Jimbo Fisher's roster. Games against Auburn could have been won with a stronger start. Meanwhile, A&M is lucky to have survived a near comeback from the Razorbacks in Arlington.

But a bye week will allow the Aggies to have rest and plan for now No.1 Alabama. With the season still theirs to control, it will be about the team's short-term goals rather than looking at the future.

Here's what we took away from the first part of A&M's season.

BACK TO SQUARE ONE

Moving forward, Texas A&M is on a "win by week" mentality. There's no reason for the team to be looking ahead when one loss could derail their season. Fisher believes this off-week will allow the team to correct the small mistakes before facing the Crimson Tide.

"We've got to get fundamentally better in all three phases," Fisher said at his Monday press conference. "We've got work to do but it can be done and get there."

Part of the basics includes starting the game on a positive note. Against Clemson, Auburn, and Arkansas, the Aggies had a chance to score early. Miscommunication from Kellen Mond and his receivers led to every drive ending in punts.

The bye week will also give A&M to get fundamentally stronger. Finding the keys that are working and areas where they could continue to struggle will be beneficial for the team moving forward.

"What we've got to focus on this week is ourselves and our fundamentals and our mental toughness and our completive nature to practice at a high level so we create habits which we have to do," Fisher said.

FINDING THE RUN GAME FLAWS

The biggest area on offense the Aggies will focus on is in their run game. Twice this season, the team has rushed for over 100 yards. Isaiah Spiller led the charge both times, collecting that by himself. But in three games against high-level opponents, they've struggled to move the ball.

Mond and Jacob Kibodi have seen moderate success, but Spiller was expected to take over for Jashaun Corbin's production. The freshman runner rushed for zero yards last week and fumbled a snap that led to a defensive touchdown for Arkansas.

Spiller has flashed moments of success, but overall is still adjusting to this level of competition. The problem is that A&M will not be able to rely on their passing offense as much against stronger secondaries such as LSU.

Finding the areas of mistakes in Spiller's game could be a difference-maker for the Aggies moving forward. The offense can be multi-dimensional, but it all starts on the ground.

ESTABLISHING A PASS RUSH

One area that seems not to be brought up enough is the limited pass rush from A&M's front seven. Last week, Justin Madubuike was able to collect two sacks against Arkansas. The team's total now is at eight, ranking them 12th among SEC schools.

Outside of a few tackles versus both Tigers, A&M's sacks have come against lesser opponents. With teams such as Alabama and Georgia on the way, pressuring the quarterback could lead to turnovers by the Aggies' secondary.

This should not alarm fans just yet as A&M saw this trend a season ago. Through five games, the Aggies collected only 10 sacks in 2018. They finished the year with 37 quarterback hits.

WHAT TO DO WITH KENDRICK ROGERS

One of the larger disappointments for A&M's offense this season has be on junior wide receiver Kendrick Rogers. Expected to be the team's No.1 target, the 6'4" wideout has collected just 17 catches for 200 yards.

Part of the reason for his down year could be due to multiple injuries. Rogers suffered a lingering leg injury during fall camp and did not participate in the season opener against Texas State. Last week, he saw limited action due to a similar injury suffered on the first play.

With the trend of redshirting to salvage a season, perhaps the Aggies consider doing that with Rogers. He would still have two years of eligibility and only suited up for four games, making it plausible. The bye week could be just what the veteran receiver needs to be back at full-strength.

Either that or he could be losing some stock come draft season.

THE SEASON IS FAR FROM OVER

Sometimes things just don't fall in the right direction. That could be the case with A&M. Although a talented roster, expecting them to defeat all three top opponents is a tough task to ask anyone to accomplish.

But the season is far from lost. Last year, the Aggies began the year with a 3-2 record. They finished 8-4 and capitalized in a dominating bowl victory over North Carolina State. Moving forward, it will be about capitalizing on minimal mistakes and finding a way to get back to their winning ways.

"You've seen parallels because you've had guys who have been through it and guys who have done it," Fisher said. "Guys understand the importance on how you have to look at this."

Should Texas A&M correct their little mistakes, a 10-2 record isn't out of the question. Even a 9-3 or 8-4 record is still up for grabs. The bye week could better help determine the status of A&M moving forward into the second half of the year.