COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M revealed a new identity, which is really the Aggies old identity, in its season-opening 38-17 victory over No. 16 Arizona State.
Lately, the Aggies have been known as a team that almost couldn’t be stopped, but that also had a hard time stopping anybody else. Texas A&M ranked in triple-digits in rush defense in 2014, which led to losing five of its last seven regular-season games.
The offense is fun and all. Aggie fans definitely seemed to enjoy head coach Kevin Sumlin’s first year when quarterback Johnny Manziel cranked up an offensive juggernaut and won the Heisman Trophy.
But Texas A&M has a strong tradition of defense. The Aggies showed a glimpse of that old Wrecking-Crew style as it held Arizona State to 92 rushing yards and less than 300 total yards.
The Aggies defense was so good that it influenced Sumlin’s direction for the Texas A&M offense.
“We were extremely conservative Saturday with what we did,” Sumlin said. “Our quarterbacks and our offense was conservative Saturday and you can be that way when your defense is playing the way it played.”
The quick improvement can be credited to the immediate impact of new defensive coordinator John Chavis, whom the Aggies hired away from LSU last off-season.
Texas A&M’s defensive improvement also allowed Texas A&M to try out a quarterback rotation.
Near the end of the first half, Sumlin sent in freshman Kyler Murray as a change-of-pace QB. However, the coach emphasized that he wasn’t “yanking” starter Kyle Allen out of the game. Instead, it’s part of a new scheme the Aggies will apparently roll with on occasion this season.
“(Allen) was able to handle that on the sideline,” Sumlin said. “They were able to talk to each other and knowing that (Allen) was going to have the opportunity to get back in probably calmed both of them down a little bit.”
Texas A&M will have an opportunity to build on its re-established identity and its QB rotation when it hosts Ball State in freshly renovated Kyle Field on Saturday.
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Kyle Allen passed for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns while sharing time with freshman Kyler Murray. He hit RB Tra Carson for a 9-yard TD late in the first quarter and ran 12 yards for a TD early in the fourth to boost the Aggies’ lead to 24-14. It appears Sumlin will continue to use both Allen and Murray at QB, but that shouldn’t detract from Allen’s status as a Texas A&M play-maker.
–QB Kyler Murray ran for 69 yards on six attempts while manning the QB position. He was less effective passing, completing just 4 of 9 with an interception. But the freshman performed well enough that Aggies fans can expect to see him as a regular contributor to the Aggies’ offense.
–WR Christian Kirk debuted with 6 receptions for 106 yards and a TD and returned a punt 79 yards for another score. Anyone wondering whether the blue-chip recruit would make an immediate impact aren’t wondering anymore.