Kellen Mond had a great opening game for Texas A&M football this Thursday, but what does that mean for the rest of the season?
The season opened for Texas A&M football with an easy game against Texas State. The Aggies will face tougher opponents as the season progresses, but they still looked incredibly sharp in their first game. Specifically, Kellen Mond seemed to progress from his play last season.
Mond went 19-for-27 with 194 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also had 25 rushing yards for another touchdown. This performance wasn’t elite, but it was surely a good sign. But how much does that matter?
You can contribute inflated stats in easy games to the lack of a strong defense. It’s almost always the case. There is more time in the pocket, bigger passing windows, and a more simulated environment in general. However, Mond was still doing things that will translate to the SEC schedule. Let’s take a look at this clip.
https://twitter.com/BR_CFB/status/1167261571921235968?s=20
On this play, Mond shows great pocket awareness. Including the scramble, he had the ball out of his hands in five seconds. You could say that this would be a sack if he was going up against an SEC defensive line, but he made the perfect play in this moment. he also showed incredible touch on the pass. The coverage was pretty strong for single coverage, and Mond placed the ball exactly where it needed to be. Here’s another play you can watch on Twitter.
Although this wasn’t a completion, it was perfect placement by Mond. You can get on him for not looking away the safety, but it takes an amazing play to split the defense and drop this ball in. These are the kinds of plays that will translate to the SEC.
You can get onto Mond’s offensive line or receivers for not making every play, but Mond had a great night. These are the types of nights he is going to have to have if the Aggies want to have a good season. With Clemson looking rusty last night, the Aggies actually have a chance to pull off the upset in Week 2.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in what happened against Texas State. However, if he performs like this against the Clemson defense, it would prove that Kellen Mond is ready to take that next step as a quarterback and a leader.