Struggling Pass Defense for Texas A&M Football Will Bounce Back
The Aggies could not have asked for a better opponent coming off their showing against Miami. The Warhawk passing attack coming into Kyle Field is the nations’ worst by yards per attempt, and second-worst by total yards. The only team behind them in that metric is Air Force, who attempts a grand total of 3 passes per game.
After watching some film on the Warhawks, this seems less due to scheme and more to execution. They get the ball out quickly to their receivers, who run a lot of stop and curl routes. They will occasionally throw the deep ball as their protection permits, but the biggest issue is quarterback accuracy and receivers catching the ball. Too often did I see the ULM QB toss an errant pass, or wait too long to throw, allowing the opposing defensive back to light up the receiver.
This is a chance for redemption and confidence-building for the Aggies. If the secondary plays loose and free, they will have ample chances to make some big plays—both in terms of big hits and turnovers. This is not a passing defense that can execute all the way down the field, either, so a bend-don’t-break approach like we saw last year would do well to stifle Louisiana Monroe’s endeavors.
I could also see this as an opportunity to work out some of the kinks we saw in last week’s scheme. There was obviously a lot that needed work in the approach that the Aggies brought down to Coral Gables, so I could see this as a way to get some good in-game experience if that type of game plan was ever deemed necessary by the coaches again. I personally would stay away from it—it doesn’t seem like the type of thing we’re built to execute well, especially if you don’t vary from the approach once the opponent adjusts—but it seems like that’s an eminent possibility.