Well, down 30 guys, this was just what you expected, right?
Hard to find much to complain about offensively. They're exploiting a bad defense in all facets of the game.
So we've figured out how to get to good Haynes King. Get him hurt and run tempo. Then he can't outthink himself.
King is 13-18 for 155 yards, a touchdown and four scoring drives. This is, by far, his best half of football. He's been accurate with his throws (even though you can tell he's hurting on some of them) and has been quick with his decisions. He's also used his feet to avoid pressure while keeping his eyes up and looking down the field. He's getting through his progression well.
The combo of Evan Stewart and Moose Muhammad are eating Florida's DBs alive. Moose has 5 catches for 74 yards and Stewart has 3 catches for 41, and he's going up against an All-SEC corner. But they can't cover them in man. Moose continues to get open over the middle when King gets pressured, and King has found him for three first downs. It's been real impressive.
Florida's got the worst run defense in the nation and A&M is taking full advantage. Devon Achane is already over 100 yards, and his vision has been top-notch. He's made some big plays all by himself. When there are holes, he's hit them. Le'Veon Moss has 20 yards on 4 carries and he's brought some pop. He's also shown more speed than I expected.
I like the scheme for the most part. Rolling the pocket with King is something I've called for all season, and they're doing it today. And when he gets out on the edge, Florida is giving him huge space to run or throw. I know they don't want him to run today, but he may get that opportunity for big yards after the half.
The line has been pretty solid. King has had some pressure, but the blitz pickups have been better. Mark Nabou get overwhelmed earlier, but has gotten better as the game has gone on. He wiped out a few guys on the last couple of drives.
Defensively, it seems like DJ Durkin doesn't learn. You've got a running quarterback, so you give him entire sides of the field to run. That's just terrible.
Florida has 172 yards rushing, but they ONLY had 32 in the second quarter. They started to tackle better, the interior linemen held up and the linebackers fit well. They did a horrible job in the first quarter, and the two linebackers in on Richardson's touchdown run were out of the play from the word go. The tackling was also atrocious.
Somehow, the Aggies have held Florida to 1-5 on third downs, but that doesn't seem right. Richardson has had a ton of time for the most part, but they handled him well on the last drive.
Beating these guys is going to come down to stopping the run. They did a much better job of that in the second quarter, but have to keep it up. The linebackers have to fit well all the time and the tackling has to be good. And they have to watch for Richardson ALL. THE.TIME. Keep him in the pocket. Squeeze him.
If A&M scores to start the second half, they're going to be in good shape. But they can't take their foot off the gas on either side of the ball and there's no room for complacency. Undermanned or not, this is a game they can win and should win.
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