How Kevin Sumlin Went from the Hot Seat to Potential Coach of the Year
Two months ago, Texas A&M was a dumpster fire.
A train wreck.
It was an out-of-control program with a coach on the verge of being fired. Two former 5-star quarterbacks transferred within a two-week period. An assistant coach subtweeted a class of 2017 prospect after a decommitment, causing a firestorm. Two more assistants stepped way over the line with an inappropriate slideshow presentation at a female fan event.
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Now, that coach presides over the ninth-ranked program in the country, according to the AP Top 25 poll, has a 4-0 record and looks the part of a contender not just in the division, but in the nation.
What a long, strange trip it has been for Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, who should be on the short list for SEC Coach of the Year honors through four games.
How did Sumlin and the Aggies get here? By making some slight adjustments that didn't get noticed behind the negative noise of the offseason but are now paying huge dividends.
Ground-and-Pound
Sumlin told me two offseasons ago that he wanted to run "when he needed to, not when he wanted to."
Former offensive coordinator Jake Spavital essentially took that chapter in the playbook, set it on fire and never thought about it again.
Enter: Noel Mazzone and a tempo-based power rushing attack that currently leads the SEC in yards per game (269.25) and yards per carry (7.04).
True freshman Trayveon Williams has been the star of the show on the ground, rushing for 389 yards, three touchdowns and a conference-best 9.73 yards per carry.
"[He's] a bit thinner but different build. Great hands. Guy we fortunately got flipped [from TCU]. Changed his mind and I'm glad he did," Sumlin said during his Tuesday press conference. "He's got real explosiveness. For him to be where he is right now you didn't know that, but he showed that."
Williams, a 5'9", 200-pounder from Houston, has topped the 100-yard mark in consecutive SEC games, and he looks much more like a complete all-purpose back than the changeup his size might suggest.
What's more, quarterback Trevor Knight, who was one of the top available quarterbacks in the graduate-transfer market this offseason, has been a force on the ground. He has 308 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and he showed remarkable breakaway speed in Saturday's 45-24 win over previously unbeaten Arkansas when he rushed for 157 yards and two scores.
"[The] evolution of Trevor right now has lot to do with his comfort level with our coaching staff and our comfort level with where he is right now," Sumlin said. "He's only played four games and didn't play for 19 months. Noel has experience and knowledge to be able to see that and play to those strengths."
What's even more terrifying is that Knight's best may be yet to come.
"As soon as your quarterback becomes a serious threat as a runner, it creates different problems for the defense and more options for us," Mazzone said on Tuesday. "I didn't know Trevor was that fast. So him being a threat helped Trayveon, Keith [Ford], James [White] and those guys."
The first four games laid the foundation for the Aggies rushing attack. For the first time since the Johnny Manziel era, that foundation begins with a powerful and effective running game.
From Question to Strength
The offensive line was a sore spot last season and a big question mark coming into the season. The Aggies had seniors penciled in at both tackle spots, but the interior offensive line consists of two freshmen and a sophomore.
New offensive line coach Jim Turner doesn't seem to care.
The Aggies have given up just 17 tackles for loss—fourth-fewest in the SEC—and Knight has been sacked just three times—the third-fewest in the conference.
The unit is led by junior college transfer Avery Gennesy at left tackle, who appears to be carrying on the tradition of stud A&M left tackles after transferring from East Mississippi Community College following the 2013 season.
How has Texas A&M been successful with youngsters mixed in with veterans? Simplicity.
"Schematically, we're not a very complicated offense," Mazzone said. "So we're more in the school of thought that we want to do a couple of things really, really well. Over the few weeks of practicing the same schemes, the same plays against fronts, I think our offensive line just keeps gradually improving week to week."
Turner and Mazzone—both of whom were hired by Sumlin this offseason—have created a power rushing scheme that's founded with strong offensive line play, features a mobile quarterback and takes pressure off the ultra-talented wide receiving corps—which has been a strength in Aggieland for years.
A Complete Defense...Finally
Coming into the season, most already knew about Myles Garrett, Daeshon Hall, Daylon Mack and one of the most terrifying pass rushes in the country.
You also should have been well aware of a secondary led by Armani Watts and Justin Evans that finished second in the conference in pass defense a year ago.
But that run defense?
Man, it was depressing. The Aggies gave up 213.69 rushing yards per game a year ago and 5.01 yards per rush.
My, how things have changed.
With Shaan Washington and Otaro Alaka healthy at linebacker, Sumlin and defensive coordinator John Chavis have transformed the entire defense into one of the strongest in the SEC, one that isn't fazed by the different styles of offenses they have to face on a week-to-week basis.
"What has been interesting is the flexibility of defense versus some different style offenses," Sumlin said. "You don't get more diverse than Auburn and Arkansas from an attack and motion standpoint. That's the encouraging part. The key to this thing too is to stay healthy, keep our depth, keep guys playing."
The Aggies currently have the fifth-best run defense in the SEC at 128.25 yards per game and are giving up just 3.17 yards per attempt despite half of their wins coming against run-based teams in Auburn and Arkansas.
In golf terms, "that'll play."
Buy the Hype
All of these moves are directly tied to Sumlin's vision for the program and should earn him plenty of love for SEC Coach of the Year honors. Sure, it took a little longer than he anticipated, and that delay, combined with the well-publicized off-the-field drama, did put a ton a pressure on Sumlin's shoulders heading into the season.
Great coaches thrive under pressure, and Sumlin quietly went about his business this offseason, cut through the noise and set the 2016 program up for success that should be more sustainable than the flash in the pan that was the Manziel era.
The fifth-year head coach deserves all of the credit for that.
"That's as complete of a Texas A&M team as we've faced," Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema said on Wednesday. "Offense, defense and special teams."
Every Christmas, I write a SEC Year in Review story that is dedicated to holding myself accountable for major things that I've gotten right and wrong throughout the year. Last year, I promised myself I'd never buy the A&M hype again.
"No more," I wrote. "Never again will I buy into Texas A&M until it's playing in a game in November with division-title implications."
After four games of the 2016 season, I'll go ahead and buy into the Texas A&M hype.
This is different, though.
The previous two Septembers—when former quarterbacks Kenny Hill and Kyle Allen led the program into the Top 10—the Aggies were more sizzle than steak, featured a one-dimensional offense that depended heavily on the passing game and couldn't stop the run on a consistent basis.
This team is much more complete, which should translate into the Aggies legitimately contending for the SEC West title this November.
Please don't burn me again, Aggies.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information is courtesy of Scout.com. Odds provided by Odds Shark.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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