'Stick with us': Texas A&M QB is confident the Aggies will rebound

Texas A&M's (11-1, 7-1 SEC) 27-17 loss to rival Texas (9-3, 6-2 SEC) not only ended the Aggies' undefeated season, but was by far their worst game, and the second straight loss to the Longhorns after losing in Kyle Field this time last year. The season isn't over by any means, but Texas A&M will not likely drop several spots in Tuesday's College Football Playoff Rankings.

For starting quarterback Marcel Reed, this was his worst game of the season, averaging a season-low 5.6 yards per completion, throwing for a pedestrian 180 yards and two late interceptions that ended the game, and put a bow on a disastrous night in Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.

For the redshirt sophomore, this performance was either a bad night or a sign that the Aggies' "easy" schedule had yet to pose a defensive challenge, a debate that will play out over the next three weeks. Still, credit to the signal caller for keeping it honest after the game, especially when discussing the third-down issues in the second half.

"We just weren't able to get a first down. Their front played a lot harder than ours, and they had a better game plan in the second half. "When we tried to get a momentum shift, we couldn't."

Texas A&M's offensive line played well, allowing just one sack on the night, but it prevented the Aggies from finding a rhythm on the ground, while several false starts forced punts rather than converting short fourth-down attempts.

Concerning his Heisman Trophy chances, you can likely put those hopes to bed, but Reed isn't focused on individual trophies, knowing that a National Championship, as foreign as that feels, is still in front of them.

"I don't know, and I don't care. Whatever they want to say about it, they can say. I'm trying to play for a National Championship."

However, Reed and OC Collin Klein did not look on the same page for most of the night, and the lack of high percentage throws that could have gotten Reed into a rhythm was instead replaced by risky throws over the middle of the field, leading to Texas's secondary predicting his decisions down the stretch.

Marcel Reed is a "high variance" quarterback who has played at a Heisman level for most of the season, but is more than capable of playing below average if a rhythm isn't established early in the game. Reed understands this reality and hopes that, despite the bad feelings this weekend, the Aggie fan base will continue to stick behind this team, which is still headed to the College Football Playoff.

"Stick with us. Now, it ain't time to fold. We got you. Don't worry."

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed is ready to rebound in the CFP