Cringe 😬

Marcel Reed limits so much of the passing game that he makes the offense incredibly easy to defend. He essentially takes the entire deep field and intermediate left side off the table. Most of his completions come on quick slants, hitches, other shorts, rollouts to the right. Defenses know this. They sit on his preferred passing lanes, keep a spy on him to contain his running ability, and force him to make throws he consistently struggles with. Once a defense studies Marcel on film and understands his tendencies, he becomes incredibly easy to defend. You simply cannot run an effective offense when opposing defenses only have to respect a fraction of the field. #aggiefootball

Three things stood out to me from today’s A&M game: 1. Elko made ZERO meaningful offensive adjustments. No noticeable changes in personnel, scheme, play design, tempo, or overall approach. This is my biggest concern. 2. Brady Hart has a stronger and more accurate arm than Marcel Reed. Shocker! I genuinely believe both backups are better options than Marcel. 3. Holmon Wiggins needs to go (EOY at the latest). The play-calling, blocking, execution, and communication remain unacceptable. Given how poorly this season has gone offensively, I expected Elko to make significant changes. Instead, we got more of the same. I’m deeply concerned with this staff’s inability to properly evaluate personnel. The fact that they’re only now seemingly recognizing the issues with Rueben Owens, and still playing Marcel Reed is unbelievable. In today’s college football landscape, where roster turnover is constant and new talent is continually competing for starting jobs, the ability to accurately evaluate talent and get your best players on the field is one of the most important responsibilities of a coaching staff. Elko and Wiggins have failed badly in that department this season, and it’s costing A&M dearly. At some point, accountability has to start with the coaches.

Good for @billyliucci on handling the situation with class We forgive others, because Christ forgives us everyday! — I believe Elko is a really good football coach, especially defensively, but he has a few significant HC blind spots that have been heavily exposed this season. One thing is certain: He put all his eggs in the wrong basket with Marcel Reed. That said, I believe Elko is going to recognize his mistakes, learn from them, make the necessary adjustments, and make playoff runs. I genuinely hope the 2027 recruiting class stays intact and that Elko coaches those players. Elko has done excellent recruiting. #ChristisKing #Forgiveness #DTarboneElkoNatty

If Marcel balls out against Citadel, it means practically nothing. If a back up balls out against Citadel, it means a lot. Marcel should be QB3 in practice this week.

My question for Elko: Do you believe Aggie fans should be frustrated with the consistently horrendous quarterback play you’ve continued put on the field dating back to the Texas game last season? Words Talk , Numbers Scream !! @TomEllsworth @TexAgs @billyliucci

It’s time to let Casuga and Hart compete for QB1. They have two weeks to prepare for Alabama. The Marcel Reed era needs to end. Rip off the Band-Aid, cut ties, and move forward. Why? 1. The season is over & Marcel should not play for us next year. 2. Give the younger QBs valuable in-game experience. 3. Send a message: If you don’t produce, you don’t play. Nobody should be guaranteed a starting job. 4. Given Marcel’s struggles, there’s a chance one of these backups is better. We won’t know until we give them a good shot.

If Elko actually said this, that is unbelievable. I’ve followed Billy and TexAgs closely throughout the preseason and regular season, and if anything, they’ve been extremely hesitant to criticize Elko or the football program. But at some point, you have to call balls and strikes as you see them. Fair criticism isn’t disloyalty. A&M fans have four very legitimate concerns about the direction of this program: 1. The QB Room: The lack of a reliable backup plan at the most important position in football is unacceptable. This falls squarely on the coaching staff and roster management. 2. Rueben Owens & His Lack of Production: He needs to get fewer touches 3. Internal Coordinator Hires: Elko’s decisions to promote from within at key coordinator positions deserve serious scrutiny. These are critical hires, and we have every right to question whether he made the best decisions for the program. 4: Roster Management & Turnover: This might be the most concerning long-term issue. This year’s team is loaded with new faces who haven’t had enough time playing together to develop chemistry. And next year, we’re potentially looking at another massive overhaul, with A LOT of the defense and several key offensive players departing. I’m also banking on us bringing in a new QB. Next year is another year of trying to build chemistry with a significantly different roster. — These aren’t unreasonable complaints from impatient fans. They’re legitimate concerns about coaching decisions, roster construction, and the long-term trajectory of the program. Elko deserves credit for the progress he’s made, but that doesn’t mean he should be immune from criticism. You can support the program, appreciate what he’s accomplished, and still demand accountability when decisions aren’t working.

I don’t like the play call. You know Marcel is known for turnovers in the end zone. Can’t be running RPOs on the 2. Have to make the game simpler for Marcel. Either run it or pass it. And we needed the points, so we should’ve just ran it. Throwing a pick is the worst thing that could’ve happened.

We are 135th out of 138 Teams in the country when it comes to explosive pass plays… It will be a horrible season if we don’t improve this. This is on Marcel Reed & Holloman Wiggins. Marcel for being bad this year and Holloman Wiggins for never having Marcel take any chances / setting him up in a wait Marcel can execute a deep attempt. You need your QB to be confident to sling it downfield for BIG PLAYS. You cannot eliminate the deep ball for these defenses. You make the job for the defense too easy, and that is why we’ve had a less than a 2% chance at making the playoff since SEPTEMBER! Add explosive pass plays for the big win next week! The Arkansas game meant nothing(except for confining Rueben Owens should be RB4). The Missouri game means something, actual improvement.