Texas A&M Football: 3 takeaways from crushing loss to Arkansas

Zach Calzada isn’t it at quarterback

Coming into Saturday, the question was whether Zach Calzada could build on his performance last week against New Mexico.

He threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, but he hasn’t completed 60 percent of his passes in any game and was 20-of-36 for 151 yards and an interception against Arkansas. That’s a paltry 4.5 yards per attempt and unless you’re running game is dominating, that’s not going to beat many top-20 teams.

Arkansas dominated in the trenches and Calzada was under pressure for much of the game but he also struggled against Colorado, outside of a few bright moments, and it’s unreasonable to expect much improvement. He is who he is.

That doesn’t mean that Texas A&M football can’t win with Calzada. The Aggies have an elite running back and one of the best defenses in the country. That’s a lot to build on, but it’s not enough to beat the best teams in the SEC consistently.

Calzada was already passed over by a recruit in the 2020 class and you wonder if Eli Stowers, a top-200 recruit last year, might be ready to take a shot. He should at least get more reps instead of focusing on tight end because he might be needed and is a dynamic athlete.

At any rate, without King, Jimbo Fisher is going to have to manage the quarterback position all season long.