Notable Pro Football Focus grades after Texas A&M's 41-40 over Notre Dame
No. 10 Texas A&M shot up in the rankings after defeating Notre Dame in South Bend on Saturday night, as the Aggies escaped one of the most demanding road environments with a 41-40 win that immediately changed the program's national perception, especially after watching starting quarterback Marcel Reed 's impressive day in the pocket.
However, this was a game dominated by transfer wide receiver Mario Craver , who reeled in the most receiving yards from a Texas A&M player since Mike Evans in 2013, racking up 207 receiving yards, including his 72-yard touchdown, which tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter. While the defense struggled, several starters, including defensive linemen DJ Hicks and Albert Regis , had their best games, stepping up against the run in the second half.
Craver has been Texas A&M's best overall player for the last three weeks and will only get better as the season rolls on, barring any surprising setbacks. Ahead of the Aggies' well-timed bye week, here are the recent Pro Football Focus grades that stood out after defeating Notre Dame.
Notable defense grades:
As I stated above, DJ Hicks and Albert Regis played very well throughout the night, as Hicks earned the highest defensive grade (78.3) while Regis (76.4) and defensive lineman T.J. Searcy (79.7) earned the highest run defense grades on the night. Defensive tackles were credited with 18 of the team's 72 tackles, which is quite impressive and a good sign that this unit is continuing to improve.
At linebacker, senior Scooby Williams was taken out of the game due to a minor injury. Still, he had a solid day, including his interception that turned the tide on offense, earning a 72.1 defensive grade and a 71.9 coverage grade, which makes sense given the lack of success in coverage in the middle of the field after Williams left the game.
Fellow starting linebacker Taurean York did not have his best game, earning a 56.1 defensive grade and a 59.9 coverage grade. However, backup Daymion Sanford (73.0) was one of the bright spots after entering the game in place of Williams, recording five tackles, two pressures, and a sack
In the secondary, sophomore cornerback Dezz Ricks continued his impressive play in coverage (70.5), allowing just two receptions on six targets. Outside of Ricks, no other cornerback earned a 70 or above grade, including senior cornerback Will Lee III , who had another bad day in coverage after allowing six receptions for 102 yards. Not great.
Before his scary injury, safety Bryce Anderson was all over the field, having one of his better days in coverage (67.8), and did not miss a tackle (83.0), combined with safety Marcus Ratcliffe's excellent tacking performance (84.6)
Notable offense grades:
Texas A&M's passing game was the highlight of the game, led by Marcel Reed's 360 yards and two touchdowns. In comparison, sophomore transfer wide receiver Mario Craver reeled in 207 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown in the first quarter, which electrified the offense for the rest of the game.
However, Marcel Reed did not receive a passing PFF grade (50.4) likely due to his 17/37 showing, despite most of his completions resulting in explosive plays that set up every touchdown. Mario Craver unsurprisingly earned a prolific 91.3 offensive grade and 90.9 passing grade.
In pass protection, eight players earned 70 or above grades, while the run blocking was less than stellar, as left tackle Trey Zuhn's 68.3 run blocking grade was the highest on the team. Tight end Nate Boerkircher, who caught the game-tying and eventual game-winning touchdown, had a solid day overall, finishing with a 71.3 passing grade and an impressive 76.2 pass blocking grade.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Notable PFF grades after Texas A&M's 41-40 win over Notre Dame
