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Notable PFF grades after Texas A&M's 31-9 win over Mississippi State in Week 6
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- Notable PFF grades after Texas A&M's 31-9 win over Mississippi State in Week 6
Texas A&M is now ranked 5th in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Poll after defeating Mississippi State 31-9 behind another elite defensive performance, which was reflected in the latest Pro Football Focus Grades on Sunday morning. After every win this season, it takes time to reflect on where this team stands after five games, and right now, Texas A&M looks like one of the most complete teams in the country.
After consecutive elite defensive performances, coach Mike Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman can hang their hats on improved play in the trenches, led by senior edge Cashius Howell 's seven sacks. At the same time, the secondary has looked the part, allowing just 19 points and under 250 passing yards in the last two SEC matchups.
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However, while the defense has emerged, Texas A&M's offense started the season off with a bang in the passing game, as starting quarterback Marcel Reed immediately found a rhythm with his transfer wide receiver duo of KC Concepcion and Mario Craver , who have combined for 958 yards and nine touchdowns in five games.
On the ground, senior running back Le'Veon Moss has shone when healthy. Still, after dealing with an unspecified issue on Saturday, sophomore back Reuben Owens was productive in his place, rushing for a career high 142 yards, consistently shredding the Bulldogs' defense.
PFF isn't the end-all, be-all when grading player performances, but in another defensive-led contest, these grades provided an accurate reading of how the Aggies performed on offense and defense. Starting with the offense, here are the top-8 ranked offensive players according to Pro Football Focus :
Offensive Grades
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Mario Craver: 73.7
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KC Concepcion: 71.3
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Rueben Owens II: 68.6
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Kolinu'u Faaiu: 65.7
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Marcel Reed: 64.8
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Reuben Fatheree II : 61.6
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Ar'maj Reed-Adams: 60.6
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Izaiah Williams: 60.4
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Mario Craver had a slow start against his former team, but ended the game leading the Aggies with six receptions for 80 yards while reaching the end zone off a 7-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Craver's counterpart, KC Concepcion, delivered for Marcel Reed, reeling in four receptions for 61 yards, including two touchdown receptions that got the Aggies back in front.
Reuben Owens was unsurprisingly the highest-rated running back. He was an equally impressive blocker, joining five offensive linemen, including left tackle Trey Zuhn (86.6), right tackle Dametreous Crownover (83.8), center Mark Nabou (82.8), Koli Faaiu (79.9), and rotation left back Rueben Fatheree (79.4), earning prolific pass blocking grades.
Quarterback Marcel Reed earned a respectable 64.8 overall grade and was only pressured on 7.7% of his 24 dropbacks, but he completed only 13/23 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. With this kind of pass protection, Reed needs to be more accurate.
Defensive Grades
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Cashius Howell: 85.1
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Daymion Sanford: 82.9
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Marcus Ratcliffe : 80.7
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Jordan Lockhart 78.7
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Taurean York : 76.5
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Tyler Onyedim: 74.9
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Rylan Kennedy: 73.9
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Jordan Shaw: 70.5
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Senior edge Cashius Howell is having a career year, nearly matching his season high in sacks with seven on the year after recording three against the Bulldogs, and earned the highest PFF grade on the team, and a prolific 86.2 pass rush grade. Combined with six quarterback pressures and a 35% win rate, Howell is on his way to making a lot of money in the NFL.
Junior linebacker Daymion Sanford earned the second-highest defensive grade for a reason, finishing with nine tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack during his second straight start, and should see the field even when Scooby Williams returns.
As I mentioned in my postgame takeaways, the safety rotation led by Marcus Ratcliffe and Dalton Brooks has been fantastic over the last two games, with Ratcliffe earning an 83.1 tackling grade and 80.5 coverage mark. In contrast, Brooks, who earned the ninth highest overall grade, earned a 70.5 coverage grade and recovered a late-game fumble after Jordan Shaw's strip tackle.
Last season, Texas A&M recorded 25 sacks as a team, and is already up to 18 through five games. After missing 17 tackles against Notre Dame and ten against Auburn, seven players earned 72 or above tackling grades with only five missed tackles on Saturday night.
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Lastly, Texas A&M's ability to pressure the pocket resulted in Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen being pressured on 44% of his dropback attempts, with Cashius Howell leading the way.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Notable PFF grades after Texas A&M's 31-9 win over Mississippi State
