As we will do throughout this football season, HawgBeat went behind enemy lines to gain insight on the No. 24 Texas A&M Aggies from AggieYell Publisher Mark Passwaters.
Led by first-year head coach Mike Elko — the former leader of the Duke Blue Devils who was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2022 — Texas A&M is off to a 3-1 (1-0 SEC) start in 2024.
The Aggies started their season with a frustrating 23-13 home loss to Notre Dame before defeating McNeese State (52-10), Florida (33-20) and Bowling Green (26-20). First-string quarterback Conner Weigman suffered a shoulder injury in the win over McNeese State, and dual-threat backup Marcel Reed has taken over the reigns since then.
Against the Cowboys, Gators and Falcons, Reed accumulated a 32-of-57 (56.1%) mark in the pocket with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He's also carried the ball 32 times for 217 yards and a score.
On the defensive side of the ball, Texas A&M boasts the nation's 51st scoring defense (318.8 yards allowed per game) and it ranks No. 52 in passing yards allowed (189.0 per game) and No. 62 in rushing defense (129.8 yards per game).
Here is what Passwaters had to say about Saturday's matchup, which is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas...
