Texas A&M Football: Aggies show growth in home victory over South Carolina Gamecocks

3. Kellen Mond could be a game-changer, if they let him play

For the second week in a row the Aggies signal caller had a touchdown wiped off the board by the officials. This time it was a check down pass at the start of the second quarter which Trayveon Williams powered to the pylon. Although it was called a touchdown on the field, this one looked to be correctly overturned. The Aggies would punch it in from the 1-yard line on the very next play.

Slowly, painfully slowly, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone seems to be opening up the playbook for his young passer. The read option, which worked so well under the direction of Trevor Knight last season, was finally introduced against South Carolina. It worked so well the first time Mond kept it that he was able to scamper for 19 yards and the first down.

There’s no denying that Mond had a rough start through the air this season. He’s continued to improve each game as a passer and looked comfortable in the pocket tonight. But the time has come to take off the training wheels. Trailing South Carolina at halftime, who up until this point had never beaten the Aggies in school history, is not the time to coddle your young quarterback.

Spoiler Alert: They let the kid play

The gameplan continued to get more aggressive as the game went on, whether by desperation or design, we’ll never know. However, the results speak for themselves. Mond finished the game with 95 rushing yards to compliment his 159 yards through the air and no official touchdowns. He had two scored called off the board, one via review, the other by penalty.

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Kellen Mond, more than once, escaped pressure and made a play with his legs. The Aggies don’t win this game without him at quarterback. He’s not as polished as he will be down the road, but he’s a gamer and brings with him a future for Texas A&M football that’s worth getting excited about.