Texas A&M sits at 4-5 and 1-5 in SEC play after falling to South Carolina 17-9 after holding a 9-7 lead in the fourth quarter, once again falling short when it mattered, while the Aggie offense couldn't muster a touchdown for the third time in SEC play, despite producing over 450 yards of total offense.
While starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who actually played much better, finishing 25/43 for 251 yards, deserves some blame for not being able to respond after South Carolina scored ten unanswered points, thanks to transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton's three drops, including an end zone drop that would have resulted in a touchdown, it's hard to accurately grade the senior QB, at least in this game.
Still, first-year offensive coordinator Holmon
Wiggins deserves most of the blame for Texas A&M's touchdown issues, failing to scheme plays to score in the red zone. On Monday, third-year coach Mike Elko confirmed that Wiggins will retain his position, at least over the final three games of the regular season.
Senior safety Marcus Ratcliffe, who played at nickel against South Carolina, spoke to the media as the Aggies' 28th-ranked defense has not been the issue over the last two games, and given his leadership amid the program's continued struggles, the former San Diego State transfer was asked what it will take for Texas A&M to turn things around over the final three weeks.
"I think it just takes a commitment, honestly. We had two really good teams (on the ropes) for three and a half quarters, but it's just whoever wants to win. Whoever can block out all the noise, block out all the distractions (and) just say, 'I am winning this game,'" Ratcliffe said. "I think that's what it'll take from us."
When asked about his position change, playing, and thriving at nickel given his length and athleticism, Ratcliffe noted the difference, mainly "cleaning up people's mistakes" when backed up in coverage compared to being in the box with a closer vantage point pre-snap.
"I'd probably say cleaning up other people's mistakes. When you're at safety or a little further back, so you have to clean up the mistakes of the people in front of you. When you're close to the box, you don't really need to clean up after other people, the people behind you have to clean up your mistake," Ratcliffe said.
Again, Texas A&M's defense is expected to play well for the rest of the year, which could keep first-year defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill in his job, while Marcus Ratcliffe will need to keep making an impact, starting with keying in on a tough Tennessee rushing attack on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M safety on what it will take to close out the year strong
