Louisiana-Monroe vs. Texas A&M: Game Grades, Analysis for the Aggies

It was not a pretty game to say the least, but the Texas A&M University Aggies slipped past the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) 21-16. The final box score can be found here thanks to NCAA.com.

The Aggies were looking for a bounce-back game against ULM after losing their last three consecutive games. And even though they won the game, they struggled doing it. They could not get anything going on offense, and the defense still has some things that need to be corrected.

Head coach Kevin Sumlin played more young players than normal, but there is really no excuse for only scoring 21 points against a Sun Belt team. But the schedule will not get any easier, so the Aggies need to move on and get ready for the rest of their SEC schedule.

Here are game grades and analysis for the Aggies.

Positonal Unit	First Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	C	D
Running Offense	C	C-
Passing Defense	D	D
Running Defense	B	B+
Special Teams	A	A
Coaching	C	D

Passing Offense

It was Kyle Allen’s debut, and the true freshman did not have the best first showing, completing 13 of 28 passes for 106 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It was clear the nerves were getting to Allen, and he could never get into a rhythm. But then again, the Aggies were rarely on the field in the second half, and Allen had to force a lot more throws than he should have had to. He’ll get better as time goes on, and he will need to because the passing offense is the Aggies' strength.

Running Offense

One of the things the Aggies wanted to do to take the pressure off Allen was run the ball with Brandon Williams and Tra Carson. The Aggies rushed for 137 yards on 41 carries, which is not something to brag about. Like the passing game, the run game was inconsistent. The Aggies ran the ball well in the first half but got away from it in the second half. Williams and Carson are two good backs that can make an impact. But the Aggies need to make a better effort to run the ball moving forward.

Passing  Defense

The Warhawks threw for 269 yards, but they attempted 48 passes. While the Aggies aren’t great defensively, they should not have let ULM throw all over the field. The one good thing for the Aggies is the Warhawks were only 7-of-17 on third down conversions because the defensive line was able to generate pressure. But the secondary needs to get better because ULM quarterback Pete Thomas found holes in the zone on a consistent basis.

Running Defense

ULM only had 78 rushing yards because the Aggies' defensive line was able to beat the Warhawks' offensive line consistently. Myles Garrett did have three sacks on the day, but he also was effective in the run game with six tackles. Hardreck Walker also had a strong game with six tackles. The defensive line is a talented group that can get after skill players. If they can get the back seven right, the Aggies can be a strong defensive unit.

Special Teams

The kicking game and return game were solid for the Aggies. Speedy Noil averaged 15.2 yards per punt return, and Drew Kaser averaged 42 yards per punt. One of the reasons the Aggies were able to hold onto the win was the play of the special teams. Noil is a dangerous return specialist that helped the Aggies jump to a 21-7 lead late in the second half with a big punt return. And Kaser’s punts were able to pin the Warhawks back to where they could not finish drives.

Coaching

There’s no doubt Sumlin is a great coach. But Sumlin and the coaching staff did not do a great job getting the players mentally ready to play against ULM. The players did not look very enthusiastic about being back on the field, and it showed, as the Warhawks were always in the ball game. Also, there were some questionable calls toward the end of the game. The Aggies did not run out the clock late in the game because the coaches decided to have Allen throw twice, and he did not complete either one of them. It looked like the coaches had the players ready for a scrimmage and not a regular-season non-conference game.