Texas A&M Football: Advance stats and the Aggie offense

GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Kevin Sumlin of the Texas A&M Aggies watches the action during the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Kevin Sumlin of the Texas A&M Aggies watches the action during the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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Texas A&M football has not had a good offense this year, but just how bad has it been? Let’s open up some advanced stats to assess the state of the Aggie-O.

Just how bad is the Texas A&M offense? We have seen them unable to do much of anything since the Arkansas game. Were we spoiled by Johnny Manziel? (undoubtedly) Are we playing good defenses? (Yes, but not that good) What do the advanced stats say?

Everyone knew that Texas A&M  would struggle this year to move the ball. It was especially apparent against Mississippi State that the Aggie offense is the weaker unit on the field. But, when looking at advanced stats that take into account opponent and timing of plays, the offense is just as bad, if not worse.

Each week, Bill Connelly ranks every FBS team using S&P+. The formula is based on success rate and points per play, but has shifted. It’s a good way to take a look at numbers and decide who is good, and who is not. It breaks down offense into several key categories: Success Rate+, Isolated Points Per Play+, Rushing S&P+, Passing S&P+, Standard Down S&P+, and Passing Down S&P+.

These stats are adjusted for the opponent, and they don’t include garbage time, when the game is out of reach. Let’s look at the exact categories where the Aggies are struggling.