Texas A&M's 50-0 blowout win over Missouri State was encouraging for the most part, as redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed showed off his improved accuracy and touch, while the revamped offensive line struggled mightily in the first half before showing vast improvement after halftime, leading to 236 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Third-year coach Mike Elko and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill's defense was beyond elite on Saturday, holding the Bears to 67 total yards, 1-10 on third down, 1.8 yards per pass, and 1.6 yards per rush attempt. For Elko, depth at every position, especially linebacker, after sophomore Noah Mikhail and transfer Ray Coney led the team with 13 combined tackles, is the reason for Saturday's memorable performance.
However, the Aggies only recorded one sack and three pressures, which was shocking on its face given the level of talent along the defensive line. Despite these low numbers, which are expected to increase drastically throughout the season, Mike Elko praised his Edge/defensive end rotation, led by San Diego State transfer Ryan Henderson, who recorded the team's only sack and earned a notable 86.4 defensive grade.
"We're deeper at defensive end than we've ever been in my time here. … It's an extremely competitive position to get snaps."
"Ryan (Henderson) can play both sides. He can play the end and jack positions. … He's a really, really talented player."
Henderson's emergence is only somewhat surprising, and Northwestern transfer Anto Saka, who combined for just two tackles, still made their presence felt, forcing QB Skyler Locklear out of the pocket on nearly every drive. Freshmen defensive end Tristian Givens and defensive tackle Bryce Perry-Wright also impressed and should see more playing time to keep the regular starters fresh once SEC play begins.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M is 'deeper at defensive end' than ever under HC Mike Elko
