‘SEC’s best QB’ claim to be put to the test
COLLEGE STATION — In a rare moment of braggadocio this summer, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond claimed he was the best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference.
Mond, off to a middling start nearly midway through this season, can go a long way on Saturday toward quieting a callous crowd that’s had loads of fun at his expense since.
“Just because it’s Alabama, we’re not going to add any more pressure on us,” Mond said this week of the No. 24 Aggies hosting the No. 1 Crimson Tide at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) was the first program people thought of — and specifically junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — when hearing Mond’s claim during the SEC Media Days of, “In my opinion, I’m the best (quarterback). That’s not just because I’m a confident person. I actually believe that.”
Tagovailoa, no question the league’s top quarterback who’s also emerged as a Heisman Trophy favorite about halfway through the regular season, hiked the high road in July when informed of Mond’s boast.
“That’s great, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Kellen — he’s my friend,” Tagovailoa said. “… I don’t take anything away from him, he’s a great football player. And if anyone else thinks they’re great, that’s good for them, too.”
LSU’s Joe Burrow would have had a more solid claim as the league’s best a few months ago, as he and Tagovailoa top most of the SEC’s quarterback charts five games into the season.
Burrow, Tagovailoa and Mond are one, two and three in passing yards per game, but the plunge from second to third is significant. Burrow leads the way with 373 yards per game, followed by Tagovailoa (344) and Mond (267).
The difference between Tagovailoa and Mond is starkest in passing efficiency. Tagovailoa tops the league with a rating of 225.1, while Mond is 10th among the SEC’s starting quarterbacks with an efficiency rating of 140.3 for the Aggies (3-2, 1-1).
Mond does own an advantage in one thing in the series: experience. Saturday will mark his third start against the Crimson Tide, who have won the last six meetings. Last year the Aggies trailed Alabama 21-13 with about two minutes to halftime in Tuscaloosa, Ala., before unraveling the rest of the way in the Crimson Tide’s 45-23 victory.
Mond led all rushers in the game with 98 yards on 18 carries. He also lost 32 yards thanks to seven Alabama sacks.
“He played really well against us last year, so we have a lot of respect for him as a player,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “They’ve had really good balance on their offense in terms of the run and pass, and quarterback runs. He hurt us in last year’s game, so that’s something you always have to be concerned about with him at quarterback.”
Tagovailoa, who was backing up then-Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts at the time, didn’t attempt any passes two years ago at Kyle Field in the Crimson Tide’s 27-19 victory, although he’s listed on the participation chart. So dropping back to find open receivers at Kyle while 102,000 fans scream will be a first for the Hawaiian who wound up leading Alabama to a national title in 2017.
“I’ve had the experience of going to a place like Texas A&M, and prior to the LSU game last year we played at Tennessee, and Tennessee was actually pretty loud,” Tagovailoa said. “So you get a good gauge throughout, from my freshman year of not playing (much) to my sophomore year, and being able to play in environments like that.
“I feel like (I’ve) kind of seen it all. You’ve just got to adjust on the fly in environments like that.”
Tagovailoa and Mond weren’t even in the top 30 rated players in the class of 2017, as Tagovailoa checked in at No. 32 and Mond at 108th according to 247Sports.com.
Mond said there’s no extra motivation when Tagovailoa is on the other side, with both as starters in 2018 and 2019.
“No matter what or who I’m playing, I have to prepare the same,” Mond said. “And it’s not just me, but everybody on the offense. (Alabama) has good players from top to bottom, but I’ve got a lot of trust in my guys, too. So we should be fine.”