It's not difficult to see the issues staring Texas A&M in the face after their sluggish win over the mediocre Minutemen of UMass. But it's not all lightning and storm clouds in College Station, Tx.
After all, A&M did break a six-game losing streak, even if that win came against a 1-10 UMass team. More importantly, though, plenty of young Aggies got some valuable game experience that they'll need in seasons to come.
A&M was missing a good chunk of their veteran core on Saturday, due to injury or personal circumstances. That left head coach Jimbo Fisher depending on some of the less experienced Aggies on their roster.
They looked sloppy at times, but by the end of the game, freshmen like quarterback Conner Weigman and running back Le'Veon Moss were playing like upperclassmen.
Weigman led the Aggies' offense, throwing for 191 yards and a touchdown while adding 66 yards on the ground. Moss carried the ball 12 times for 78 yards and scored A&M's only other touchdown.
Both were crucial to the victory and their more experienced teammates are recognizing the efforts of the younger players. Junior offensive lineman Layden Robinson says that these reps are critical for the development of the team.
"When I was a young guy in their shoes, I wanted to play to make sure, to let myself know, let my peers know that I'm able to play in this league and sustain in this league and be a factor for the team," said Robinson of playing time for the younger Aggies. "I think that's very important for them and they did their job today. They did great."
Robinson knows a thing or two about early playing time, having recorded snaps in every game of his redshirt freshman season.
With the Aggies set to lose a handful of players to graduation and the transfer portal, it's imperative that they spend this time developing the future nucleus of the Texas A&M program. Whether A&M decides to do that under the guidance of Fisher in 2023 remains to be seen.
For now, the Aggies will focus on their next, and final opponent of 2022, LSU. The Tigers are ranked in the top ten and have come on strong late in the season. They'll be eager to put on a good showing heading into bowl season, so the Aggies are going to have their hands full. These freshmen are about to get a taste of real SEC football come this Saturday.
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