Here’s what we learned from Texas A&M’s victory over UCLA in overtime.
The UCLA Bruins and Texas A&M Aggies played quite the game on Saturday. It started off with UCLA holding the advantage by making a couple of field goals. Then the dynamic of the game completely shifted.
The Aggies would take a huge lead behind UCLA’s struggles on offense and the Aggies’ ability to get on the board courtesy of Trevor Knight. The defensive pressure from the front seven of Texas A&M made Josh Rosen make mistakes. It appeared any hopes of winning were lost for UCLA from the beginning.
That’s when the comeback happened and UCLA tied the game with a matter of minutes left. Then when they had a chance for the win, Rosen threw another bad interception and the game ultimately went to overtime. The Aggies would score behind Knight and UCLA couldn’t score at all. It was a great game to start the week, but a lot of things were clear coming out of the game.
1. Josh Rosen is still learning
While Josh Rosen is as talented as quarterbacks go in college football, it’s clear he’s still got a ways to go before he’s the complete package. While he did a good job helping get the Bruins back into it on Saturday, he was missing plenty of throws that ultimately cost his team. His late interception gave the Aggies new life and allowed them to take the game in overtime.
It’s a tough loss for Rosen and he certainly had some ugly plays on the day. However, he can take a positive out of the way he was able to help lead his team back on the road. If he can take those lessons and apply them going forward, he will only be better for it. He’s still young and has plenty to develop as a quarterback.
2. Trevor Knight can be the answer for the Aggies
Before the season began, there was a ton of doom and gloom about the Aggies’ quarterback situation. They lost their top two quarterbacks and it looked like the program was on the verge of a collapse. While it’s just one game, Trevor Knight looked really good.
He made a nice pass for a touchdown and more importantly, he ran for two touchdowns of his own. If all of that isn’t enough, he made the big play to try and give his team a chance in regulation. He hurdled over a defender and showed that he can be dynamic on the move.
3. Myles Garrett is a force on the defensive line
Part of the reason Rosen had such a rough day was because of the amount of pressure he was facing. Myles Garrett is an absolute anchor on the Texas A&M defensive line and that meant getting Rosen to make bad decisions. That was clear early when he refused to take a sack and threw a bad pick to Priest Willis.
If Garrett can bring that type of pressure every single week, the Aggies’ defense will have their chances to force turnovers. He’s an impact player and someone the team can rely on every week. Keep an eye on him for awards watches.