Soccer no. 15 Texas A&M enters the second week of the season with loads to guage after final week's 44-20 loss to South Carolina. There's a a lot totally different vibe to the schedule than the Aggies' first week off, the place they loaded up after a 41-10 win over No. 9 Missouri at Kyle Discipline Oct. 5.
With three video games left within the common season, listed below are some takeaways from Monday's weekly press convention as coach Mike Elko, offensive coordinator Collin Klein and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman spoke to the media.
The Aggies nonetheless have their sights set on them
A&M entered final Saturday with rising aspirations for a berth within the inaugural 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff with a 7-1 report and a 5-Zero mark in convention motion. The Aggies took a blow to these hopes in a dominant efficiency by the Gamecocks, however Elko believes A&M's postseason targets are nonetheless on the desk.
“You deal with it, you personal it, and then you definately notice that every little thing you've ever wished on this season remains to be proper in entrance of you,” Elko mentioned. “It’s important to reap the benefits of the bye week. It’s important to go on the market and it’s important to get higher. It’s important to put your self ready to play good soccer three straight Saturdays, beginning with New Mexico State.
“If we will do this, every little thing we would like remains to be proper in entrance of us. That's the place we’re as a program and I believe that's the place our children are. I'm fairly assured in how we're going to react and the way we're going to return again down.”
The Aggies come off their bye week with residence video games in opposition to New Mexico State and No. 1 Texas. 5, sandwiching the ultimate highway journey of the season at Auburn. The expanded playoff has given groups a larger alternative to realize their postseason goals, and Elko is assured A&M could be within the get together in the event that they end 10-2.
“I might think about if we win the subsequent three video games, every little thing will maintain itself,” Elko mentioned. “I'd be shocked if it wasn't.”
A&M should modify to life with out Moss
A&M gamers and training workers held their collective breath when junior operating again Le'Veon Moss went down on the tip of a 20-yard reception within the first quarter of final Saturday's recreation. The native of Walker, La. confirmed clear indicators of ache as he was helped off the sphere and carried again to the locker room with a reported proper knee harm.
The Aggies' fears had been realized with Elko's announcement Monday that Moss would miss the remainder of the season with the harm. It's a significant blow to an A&M offense that relied closely on Moss' efforts. He entered Saturday averaging 94.6 dashing yards per recreation and 6.three yards per rush with 10 whole touchdowns. He added 9 catches for 121 yards within the receiving recreation.
“Once you see younger folks actually flip a nook and begin doing issues in a means that may ultimately result in success they usually're on such an excellent path, you hate for anyone to see adversity, however you hate when these children they’ve to try this. you see adversity,” Elko mentioned. “You'd like them to simply have a clear slate, to be rewarded for doing the issues that result in success.”
The harm places extra accountability on the shoulders of junior RB Amari Daniels, who has been second to Moss all season. Daniels has 466 yards on the bottom this yr, averaging 5 yards per rush with six scores. The Miami product is joined by Stanford switch graduate operating again EJ Smith with 107 yards on 33 carries.
“It's going to be a joint effort throughout the room,” Klein mentioned. “I believe there are other ways we will unfold the ball round and put it in several folks's fingers to assist take that cost. I'm not taking something away from Lev and what he's been in a position to do for our offense and the participant that he’s, however I’ve a variety of religion within the guys round him and within the health club to make these performs. I believe that was a testomony to our unity all yr, that guys are in a position to step up when their quantity is named.”
The Aggies want to enhance on the weak deal with on protection
A&M was usually its personal worst enemy on Saturday with a flurry of missed tackles as South Carolina piled up 530 yards and outscored the Aggies 24-Zero within the second half. The Gamecocks accounted for 204 of their 286 dashing yards after contact, whereas 195 of their 244 receiving yards got here after the catch.
“I believe it was extra basic errors at quarterback and extra psychological errors so far as we match, runs in opposition to the operating again,” Bateman mentioned. “A few of that was strain, and I believe any time you get strain and launch a man and miss him, the stress it places on the remainder of the protection is magnified. That will probably be an enormous level of emphasis after watching the tape on Saturday.”
Bateman mentioned refining the Aggies' strategy has been a piece in progress all year long and can come to the fore within the subsequent two weeks. He mentioned the frustration in Saturday's struggles lies within the consistency A&M has proven in that at different factors within the season.
“The second on this recreation you go, 'Man, we're good,' that's once you're embarrassed,” Bateman mentioned. “We're consistently making an attempt to sort things. We by no means assume something is true. That's what coaches do, proper? You might be consistently encountering issues and making an attempt to repair them.
“I believe the missed approaches, a few of the basic errors, will probably be fastened, will probably be resolved. I believe our children see it. They realize it too. I don't assume it's something loopy. I believe we're getting again to the fundamentals of the way you play defensive soccer.”
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