Texas A&M finally won a football game, ending a miserable two-game losing streak in SEC play after blowout losses at home to Kentucky and on the road to LSU. Finally, the Aggies looked competent on both sides of the ball during Saturday’s 34-7 win over Arkansas, producing 231 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while starting quarterback Marcel Reed made better decisions in the pocket, passing for 170 yards and averaging 8.9 yards per completion.
It doesn’t take a coach to tell you KJ Edwards is the most talented freshman running back in the country right now and deserves more playing time with seven regular-season games remaining. While a majority of the fan base believes that Edwards has earned the starting job over Rueben Owens, who is averaging 4.2 yards per carry this season, third-year coach Mike Elko will have the final say.
Edwards has racked up 161 yards and two scores, averaging 6.5 yards per carry, and has excelled in zone-based run schemes due to his elite quickness and impressive vision and footwork. During Monday’s press conference before the Aggies take on No. 14 Missouri in Columbia, Mike Elko heaped much-deserved praise on his rookie running back.
“We wouldn’t play him if we weren’t (comfortable). Credit him for rising to the challenge. Credit Troop (Taylor) for making sure he’s ready,” Elko said. “He’s got to be able to do it all for him to be on the field. There were a couple of times on Saturday night when he picked up some blitzes.”
A full-time running back needs to block in pass protection, which Edwards did well against the Razorbacks. Edwards said after the win that his strong relationship with Mike Elko, Trooper Taylor, and the rest of the offensive staff made his commitment decision easy, as he is a near shoo-in to take over as the starter next season, if not now.
Texas A&M will face Missouri at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, airing on ABC.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Mike Elko praises Texas A&M freshman RB after breakout performance