Texas A&M ended its miserable two-game losing streak in SEC play Saturday night with a 34-7 win over Arkansas, led by freshman running back KJ Edwards, who totaled 66 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, and sophomore Edge Marco Jones, who recorded a team-high six pressures and the team's lone sack.
Overall, the Aggies looked much better on both sides of the ball, while starting quarterback Marcel Reed completed 13/19 for 170 yards and ran for 66 yards and a touchdown. Reed's accuracy issues slightly improved, and thanks to his offensive line's continued improvement, the redshirt junior was pressured just three times and did a great job evading pressure.
The Aggie secondary was equally impressive after two poor outings, allowing just one touchdown
and holding QB KJ Jackson to 111 passing yards. Senior cornerback Dezz Ricks rebounded after allowing 125 yards and a touchdown against LSU, allowing zero receptions on one target.
This was a step in the right direction, and Pro Football Focus provided numbers that are more than encouraging for Texas A&M's offense and defense, which need a confidence boost before facing Missouri on the road next Saturday afternoon.
Offense
- RB KJ Edwards — 87.3 offense, 84.1 run, 74.6 pass blocking
- TE Kiotti Armstrong — 82.2 offense, 81.9 passing, 69.7 pass blocking
- OL Mark Nabou Jr. — 77.4 offense, 82.7 pass blocking, 71.9 run blocking
- WR TK Norman — 72.1 offense, 69.9 passing
- OL Blake Ivy — 70.2 offense, 66.4 pass blocking, 70.3 run blocking
KJ Edwards earned the highest offensive rating for Texas A&M all season and was nearly perfect on all of his 11 carries. Texas A&M's offensive line deserves credit for opening holes in the run game, while Marcel Reed was pressured just twice, allowing him to complete 13 passes for 170 yards and average 8.9 yards per completion.
Tight end Kiotti Armstrong reeled in a 54-yard reception that nearly ended in his first career touchdown, and given his size at 6'6" and 285 pounds, getting him more involved in the passing game needs to be the focus moving forward, providing Marcel Reed a big option on play-action looks.
Defense
- CB Jordan Shaw — 79.3 offense, 75.4 tackling, 79.6 coverage
- LB Ray Coney — 77.0 defense, 68.3 run defense, 74.3 coverage
- DL CJ Mims — 74.9 defense, 74.3 run defense, 62.6 pass rush
- ROLB Ryan Henderson — 74.3 defense, 66.1 run defense, 72.2 tackling, 70.2 pass rush
- Edge Anto Saka — 74.2 defense, 66.2 run defense, 71. 3 tackling, 71.4 pass rush
Texas A&M's secondary bounced back, holding QB KJ Jackson to 111 passing yards, while senior cornerback Julio Humphrey was the lone player who struggled in coverage, allowing 50 yards and Arkansas's one touchdown to WR Chris Marshall. Senior safety Dalton Brooks recorded his first interception and was much tighter in coverage as well.
Linebacker Ray Coney was excellent in coverage, nearly hauling in his first interception, and looked much more comfortable during his fifth start. Marco Jones finished with a 74.1 pass rush grade, produced a team-high six pressures, and the one sack on the night.
Texas A&M's tackling issues took a break on Saturday, as the Aggies missed just three tackles against Arkansas, which is (hopefully) a good sign before facing Missouri on the road in Week 6.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Notable PFF grades after Texas A&M's 34-7 win over Arkansas
