Johnny Manziel, the legendary 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, couldn’t hold back after Texas A&M’s brutal 35-6 loss to LSU on Saturday night. He went to social media and sharply encouraged the program to “do some soul searching” after what he called an “abhorrent display” and their second straight failure to show up in the SEC, leaving them at 0-2 in league play. This was the Aggies’ chance to bounce back after a home loss to Kentucky last week, but it just didn’t happen.
The Offense Is Flat-Out Broken, And The Numbers Are Ugly
Texas A&M got absolutely carved up by LSU, getting out-gained by a shocking 506 yards to 197. Quarterback Marcel Reed, who led the Aggies to a 49-point explosion against LSU a year ago and even got them into the College Football Playoff last fall, has completely regressed. His 55.4% completion rate is the worst in the SEC. Against the Tigers, Reed went a dismal 10-of-26 for only 106 yards, took four sacks, and made several questionable decisions that killed drives. You gotta wonder what happened there. Coach Mike Elko summed it up best, saying, “We have to play better football. I just don’t know what else to say. We got to look at everything.”
Rock Bottom Has Arrived, And It’s Not Just Reed
The struggles run deeper than just Reed’s performance. The Aggies are clearly feeling the impact of replacing four offensive line starters and the first-round exit of KC Concepcion. Even in their 48-20 Week 2 win over Arizona State, the offense managed a mere 255 total yards and failed on 11-of-14 third-down attempts, with the ground game sputtering. This is a program that ranked in the top-3 of the SEC in rushing offense during Elko’s first two seasons, and now they’re sitting at 11th through four games with only 151.5 yards per contest. Only Arkansas and Oklahoma have fewer rushing touchdowns. Explosive plays? Forget about it. Texas A&M has the fewest passing plays of 20 or more yards in the SEC with just six, tied for the worst nationally among Power Four teams. Reed himself admitted, “Right now it’s bad and we’re at rock bottom, but you have to dig yourself out of this hole. We have to keep showing up.”
With Holmon Wiggins taking over the offensive coordinator role after Collin Klein’s departure, something needs to click fast. The Aggies are sinking, and they better start digging themselves out before it’s too late.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply