Texas A&M Football 2017: 5 takeaways from loss to Auburn in Week 10
2. Nick Starkel sparkles
The redshirt sophomore was named the Aggies’ starting quarterback out of the gate against UCLA. When he went down with an ankle injury in the second half the team was forced to turn to true freshman Kellen Mond. Under the command of Mond the team went 4-2 including a win over Florida on the road.
Their Week 9 game against Mississippi State proved that the once lauded Aggie offense wasn’t working like it was supposed to. Starkel took over for Mond late in the game and proceeded to complete a 70-yard touchdown pass perfectly into the hands of Camron Buckley. Another slow start from the offense and Mond prompted Sumlin to make a quarterback change. And it doesn’t look like he’s going back anytime soon.
Starkel gained more yards in his first drive than Mond did in his first five drives. He looked crisp and instantly woke up a subdued 12th Man with Texas A&M’s first touchdown drive of the game. He finished the day 11-of-22 passing for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Far from perfect, but the spark he brought to the offense was massive. He’s your starting quarterback moving forward.