Battered Aggie Syndrome is back in full force after Kentucky punched Texas A&M in the mouth in a 31-21 loss at Kyle Field. While the defense did the offense no favors, Marcel Reed also put the Aggies in several difficult positions.
The biggest question this offseason was how much Reed had improved his decision-making when under pressure. After Saturday, I think we have the answer. Not very much.
Important context surrounds his performance. Reed lost four starting offensive linemen, a first-round wide receiver and his offensive coordinator during the offseason. Before the game, Texas A&M was already without a reserve running back and another wide receiver. Once the game started, Reed lost his starting slot receiver and arguably the most explosive
running back on the roster.
The deck was stacked against him. However, elite quarterbacks find ways to win in these situations. Reed instead pressed and looked uncomfortable, leading to several ill-advised throws and two costly interceptions. Unfortunately, that has become a recurring theme during his career at Texas A&M.
Head coach Mike Elko believes Reed’s early-season struggles stem partly from trying to do too much.
“I think it’s a plethora of things. More than anything, it’s a kid who is pressing. He is feeling like he has to defend himself a lot. You can see the stress hit him. I have been trying to get him to relax.”
Elko compared Reed’s situation to a pitcher struggling to throw strikes, saying the veteran quarterback must relax and play the way he can.
His comments sounded more like an attempt to protect Reed’s confidence than a complete evaluation of what has gone wrong. That is understandable publicly, but Texas A&M cannot treat relaxation as the only solution.
Reed does not need to prove himself with every throw, but he does need to play better. The coaching staff must also determine why its veteran quarterback looks so uncomfortable in an offense built around his abilities.
With LSU next on the schedule, the Aggies cannot afford to wait for Reed to simply settle down. They need better decisions, cleaner execution and a quarterback capable of responding when the pressure arrives.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 'The stress hit him': Mike Elko comments on Marcel Reed's performance
