Bowling Green @ Texas A&M preview
Kyle Field
All eyes are on No. 25 Texas A&M's quarterback situation this week as the team prepares to face Bowling Green on Saturday in College Station.
Starting quarterback Conner Weigman remains "day-to-day," Aggies coach Mike Elko said Monday. Freshman Marcel Reed, who had a terrific game in leading A&M past Florida last weekend, is the other option.
"We'll continue to manage the quarterback room very similar to how we have and play the guy Saturday that we think gives us the best chance to win," Elko said.
Reed looked the part in his first college start against the Gators, completing 11 of 17 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 83 yards and a TD in the 33-20 win. That performance earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
Outside of the quarterback situation, A&M has had little to complain about since its season-opening loss to Notre Dame. The Aggies rolled past McNeese on Sept. 7 and then had little trouble getting by Florida in the Swamp.
The season is young, but the Aggies have shown signs of a strong running game, averaging 263 yards per game on the ground. Defensively, they have a combined 15 tackles for loss and five interceptions.
Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler understands the challenge ahead for his team. The MAC has held its own so far against power schools, notably Northern Illinois stunning Notre Dame and Toledo routing Mississippi State. Bowling Green almost joined the list, holding a halftime lead against No. 10 Penn State before falling 34-27 last weekend.
This is another opportunity for the Falcons to make a statement but, in reality, there is a reason oddsmakers had them open as a 23 1/2-point underdog.
"We've got our hands full," Loeffler said. "This is a very, very talented team. There's some things where they're very, very strong at that's kind of our weaknesses a little bit.
"So, we've got to find different ways to get things done because they're big, they're powerful, super strong, athletic. Everything that you would think of when it comes to an SEC team."
The Falcons are led by a former SEC quarterback, Connor Bazelak, who started his college career at Missouri. Bazelak has completed 65.6 percent of his passes so far with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He's also rushed for a score.
Bowling Green's playmakers include tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who had 11 catches for 137 yards and one TD at Penn State.
"It's a really experienced offensive group," Elko said of Bowling Green. "They present a lot of stress on you with how they run their system. They do a really, really good job. And so this is a talented group for sure."
For Elko, the matchup also brings back some fond memories of his early coaching days. He was Bowling Green's defensive coordinator from 2009-13 under Dave Clawson. The Falcons went 10-4 in 2013, Elko's final season as DC.
"Our family absolutely loved that town," Elko said. "We have a lot of really fond memories, a lot of really good friends that live up in Bowling Green. A lot of respect for that school, a lot of respect for that university and their program."
This will be the first meeting between Bowling Green and A&M.
--Field Level Media