COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 03: Haynes King #13 of the Texas A&M Aggies hands the ball off to Devon Achane #6 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Kyle Field on September 03, 2022 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
It was an interesting Week 1 for Texas A&M football. It had its ups and downs, but the Aggies came out with a 31-0 victory over the Sam Houston State Bearkats. Now that we have had time to analyze and reflect, it’s time to hand out grades for the offense, defense, special teams, and coaching.
Before we get started, these grades are not just based off of how well they played, but also based off their expectations. If the offense had low expectations and played average, they could get a B from me, but if the offense had high expectations and played average, they could get more of a C. It’s a lot about context.
Afterwords, I will give an overall grade, weighing out the grades for offense and defense equally (35% each). Coaching will receive the next biggest chunk of the grade at 20%, then special teams will round out the rest of the grade with a 10% cut.
Texas A&M football Week 1 report card vs. Sam Houston State
Sep 3, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Yulkeith Brown (8) celebrates after his touchdown during the first quarter against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Offense
Just looking at the score, you would think this was a stout game by the offense. In the end, it was definitely a mixed bag, and I will go through it quickly.
The passing game was pretty hot-and-cold. Haynes King made some big throws, having two 60-yard touchdown passes. However, there were times where he just made a bad decision. For instance, he forced a ball down the field into double coverage in the end zone which ended in an interception.
The run game was essentially non-existent, unless you count whenever King took off. The offensive line seemed to have no push on the line, and they struggled a lot containing what the defensive line threw at them.
There were some great individual performances (*cough* Ainias Smith *cough*), but as I said before, it was a mixed bag of results. Overall, the offense definitely looked different than what people were expecting, but it was a step in the right direction in terms of what the staff wants to stress.
Grade: B-