Both QBs to get shot against Louisiana-Lafayette
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M finds itself in a familiar position at quarterback: in a bit of a pickle.
With Southeastern Conference play starting in a little more than a week, Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin must peg a starter between freshman Kellen Mond and senior Jake Hubenak, and for now, A&M fans can expect more of the same concerning quarterback.
“We want to play them both,” Sumlin said of Saturday’s final nonconference tune up against Louisiana-Lafayette at Kyle Field. “That plan is still in place. We have to continue to develop both of them, and not just one guy.”
The idea a senior still needs developing appears laughable on its surface, but Hubenak’s playing time has been limited in his previous two seasons at A&M, and every bit of experience helps with the Aggies scheduled to take on Arkansas on Sept. 23 in Arlington’s AT&T Stadium.
The easy choice when considering the long term is playing Mond and letting him take his lumps because he will have three years of eligibility remaining following this season. But Sumlin isn’t in a position to consider the long term, with his job on the line following six consecutive losses to Power 5 programs dating to last season.
Sumlin isn’t entirely to
blame for the Aggies’ predicament at quarterback. They entered the season with a clear-cut starter in redshirt freshman Nick Starkel, but he broke his ankle in A&M’s 45-44, season-opening loss at UCLA on Sept. 3.
“He was playing pretty good, and then a (Bruins defender) rolls up on his ankle and he’s out,” Sumlin said of the third-quarter mishap. “Otherwise, you’ve got three capable guys who can play for you. But the injury exposed that (depth issue) quickly.”
Mond started the Aggies’ lackluster 24-14 victory over Nicholls State last Saturday and finished 12 of 21 for 105 yards and a touchdown. The Aggies scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, but the Colonels adjusted their defensive scheme and A&M didn’t score again behind Mond, whom Hubenak replaced in the third quarter.
The offense picked up its pace and tempo with Hubenak (12-of-15 for 93 yards) in the game, and the Aggies snapped a 14-14 tie in the fourth quarter with 10 unanswered points.
“Just like Jake (Hubenak) has said, it’s hard for a freshman to be put in bigtime situations, and they expect to go out there and be perfect and make every play, but they aren’t going to do that,” A&M receiver Christian Kirk said of Mond still getting his feet wet in college football. “I’ve said it countless times, that Jake has been a guy that, when our backs are against the wall, he’s been able to come in and get us going.”
Hubenak is the better passer of the two and Mond is easily the better runner, but the coaches appeared to make a concerted effort to keep Mond in the pocket and practice his throwing against Nicholls State.
Sumlin also took the unusual step of placing most of the blame for the offense’s woes on the offensive line, and its failure to adjust to Nicholls State altering its defensive approach in the second half.
“Protection was an issue,” Sumlin said on his weekly radio show. “I thought Kellen played very well the first couple of series. They changed (their defensive scheme) and we couldn’t (adjust) … for whatever reason. Not whatever reason, I know what reason. Our protection didn’t adjust and then we weren’t able to run it as effectively as we’ve been able to.
“Everything starts up front. It starts with our offensive and defensive lines.”