Texas A&M Has Full Confidence in Healthy Conner Weigman

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No. 15 Texas A&M's starting quarterback Conner Weigman was the subject of much criticism early in the season.

The sophomore quarterback threw for just 225 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions combined in the first two games of the season, drawing criticism from the Aggie faithful.

Then, he got hurt, opening the door for freshman Marcel Reed, who displayed a more dynamic, dual-threat skill set while leading the Aggies on a winning streak and causing many to call for a permanent change at the position.

Still, the coaching staff showed confidence in Weigman because of his ability to stay focused on the task at hand and gave him the start on Oct. 5 against No. 21 Missouri (then No. 9) and he rewarded them with his best game yet.

"I was very proud of his mentality and his toughness and being able to keep his feet on the ground and just put his nose down, try to get himself healthy and block as much of that out as possible and keep the main thing the main thing," offensive coordinator Collin Klein told the media. "... For him to come back and play the way he did, I was so happy for him."

Conner Weigman Against Missouri

While he didn't throw any touchdowns, Weigman had a tremendous game against Missouri, more than doubling his passing yardage for the season and making incredibly efficient decisions and throws as he completed nearly 82 percent of his passes.

From the start, he looked poised and in command of the offense, and a passing offense that had been dormant seemed to awaken. The mere threat of a competent passing attack put the Missouri defense on its heels and gave A&M an element that had been missing during most of the season.

"We wanted to see Conner at 100 percent," head coach Mike Elko explained. "We felt like Conner at 100 percent gave us the best chance to win, and if he was going to be there, that was the way to go."

State of the Position

Weigman wasn't just handed the starting quarterback job. He earned it with two years of impressive replay in spot duty. While the previous opportunities came with limited reps, he displayed his ability as a passer, and many started to imagine great things if he got the opportunity with competent and competitive coaching.

Even after Reed's great run as an injury replacement, it wasn't easy for him to return to centerstage.

"I made him come into my office and convince me that he was ready," Elko told reporters. "We had a conversation on Thursday afternoon, and in that conversation, I got a really strong feeling that he was in the right frame of mind and ready to go. That was probably the final piece as we headed into the weekend that I was looking for."

Elko's intuition was correct, and if Weigman can continue to perform at a similar level, the Aggies' offense will have a new life. With Reed as his backup, A&M has a deep quarterback room full of support for both players. So, even if one becomes the subject of cries from disgruntled fans, they will be prepared to lead the team on the field and take care of business as usual.

"Our mission is to provide the level of quarterback play for this team that allows us to win every game that we play," Klein remarked. "... It's important that all of us are at our best so that when our number's called, we're able to answer the bell and block out all the dynamics or what anyone [else] says..."