Texas A&M's 48-20 win over Arizona State was a blowout, at least in the fourth quarter, after the Aggies outscored the Sun Devils 24-0 to finish the game, thanks to two pick-six scores from sophomore Edge Marco Jones and senior cornerback Julio Humphrey. While the defense tightened up late, Texas A&M's offense struggled despite quarterback Marcel Reed's three touchdown passes.
Reed finished with 163 passing yards while also throwing his first interception of the season, but the real issue was the lack of consistent play in the trenches, combined with a running game that, after rushing for 236 yards against Missouri State, recorded just 92 yards, led by junior Rueben Owens' 35 yards and his early touchdown.
Behind him, sophomore Jamarion Morrow
ran for 27 yards on eight carries, while during "garbage time" after the Aggies held their 48-20 lead with just minutes remaining, freshman running back KJ Edwards nearly matched both Owens and Morrow's production, rushing for 22 yards, including a 13-yard run on just three carries.
KJ Edwards and fellow freshman back Carsyn Baker possess the balance and upfield burst to make an immediate impact and provide the offense a jolt of explosive athleticism, and even after coach Mike Elko stated that both players are "going to play a lot" going forward, five combined carries and nine combined snaps aren't enough.
While I can fully understand Mike Elko and OC Holmon Wiggins' hesitancy to trust both freshmen with 20 or more snaps, especially in pass protection, Texas A&M's offense needs its run game to work this season if Marcel Reed has any shot at matching his 2025 production and playing more freely in the pocket, and after watching both players, especially KJ Edwards, shake things up against Kentucky on Saturday, it is worth the gamble.
This goes both ways, as A&M's shaky offensive line, which did not open enough holes in the running game, must do its job, and through two weeks, OL coach Adam Cushing will need to figure out if this is a scheme issue, or simply a personnel problem.
Rueben Owens (30) and Jamarion Morrow (24) could still be effective with these snaps cut around the 20-or-less mark, providing Edwards and Baker the opportunity to let both current starters stay fresh throughout SEC play. Through two games, Texas A&M has amassed 328 rushing yards, averaging 4.0 yards per carry with four touchdowns.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Does Texas A&M need to shake up the running back room?
