Mike Elko has every reason to defend Marcel Reed after Texas A&M’s loss to Kentucky. Reed has helped the Aggies win plenty of games, and one poor performance this season shouldn't erase what he's accomplished.
Elko also made clear that the quarterback does not carry the blame for a loss alone. That is fair. Reed did not lose to Kentucky by himself. The defense gave up too many big plays, and A&M had problems beyond the quarterback position.
Still, defending Reed’s body of work does not mean overlooking what happened Saturday. His inconsistent accuracy, questionable decisions and two interceptions cost the Aggies scoring opportunities.
What makes Saturday harder to dismiss is how familiar it felt. Reed has struggled with consistency in high-leverage
moments when A&M has needed him at his best. Kentucky was another chance to show he could take control of a difficult game, and he didn't.
Elko addressed the criticism during the Aggies Hour while putting Reed’s career into perspective.
“He’s the fifth-winningest quarterback in Texas A&M football history. He’s seventh in passing yards in Texas A&M football history. So yes, he was the quarterback in a couple of the games that we lost.”
For now, I understand why Elko is standing by him. There is no reason to assume a quarterback change would immediately fix the offense. The staff’s first job is to help Reed play more consistently, even if that means changing what it asks him to do.
But Elko’s answer will get harder to give if those performances keep stacking up. At some point, fans will reasonably ask why the staff has not made a bigger adjustment to its style of play or considered a different starting quarterback. Reed deserves the chance to respond at LSU. Elko also needs to be willing to change course if the same problems continue.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: ‘He’s the fifth-winningest quarterback’: Mike Elko defends Marcel Reed
