2022 record: 5-7 (-3 wins from 2021) 

Texas Power Poll ranking: 10 of 12

THE GOOD 

Texas A&M rebounded from a Week 2 home loss to Appalachian State with consecutive victories over Miami and Arkansas – both ranked in the top 15 at the time of the game – to start the season 3-1. This despite injuries and inconsistency at the quarterback position. The defense held Miami to nine points and Arkansas to 21 in those victories. The Aggies ranked 25th nationally and first in Texas in scoring defense at 21.2 points per game. 

The secondary was the strength of the team. Texas A&M ranked first nationally in passing defense after only allowing 156.2 yards through the air per game. The top two tacklers on the team – Demani Richardson and Antonio Johnson – played safety. The defensive unit allowed opponents to convert just 35.63 percent of third downs into first downs and only 22.73 percent of red zone trips into touchdowns, which was 20th in the nation. 

Running back Devon Achane was the brightest star on the offensive side of the ball. The Missouri City native ran for 1,102 yards and eight scores. His 196 attempts were 160 more than any other player on the roster. Young pass catches Evan Stewart, Moose Muhammad III, and Donovan Green also showed flashes of potential around true freshman quarterback Conner Weigman. The season-ending win over LSU proved there is plenty of potential on both sides of the ball. 

THE BAD 

The offense was so bad that even Jimbo Fisher admitted that it was time for a change when he hired Bobby Petrino as the new offensive coordinator in the offseason. Fisher, who has called plays for his entire head coaching career, was the architect of one of the most underperforming passing attacks in the country. The average passing yards per game at Texas A&M has dropped in each of his successive seasons in charge. 

The Aggies ranked 101st in scoring offense with 22.8 points a game. The only other team in Texas to average fewer points per game was Texas State, which fired head coach and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital after the season. Texas A&M was 99th on third down conversion and 72nd in touchdown percentage in the red zone. The passing attack ranked 84th nationally in yards per game with 219.4. The rushing attack wasn’t much better, checking in at 79th in the FBS with 142 yards per game. 

THE UGLY 

The front seven was putrid for the Wrecking Crew. The 19 total sacks for the Aggies ranked 111 of 131 in the FBS ranks. The rush defense was 123rd in the nation, allowing 209 yards per game. The star-studded defensive line didn’t live up to its recruiting hype and the linebackers couldn’t replace the production lost from the 2021 season. No one on the team recorded over three sacks on the season. 

The poor run defense and the inconsistent scoring offense resulted in a six-game losing streak that began Oct. 1 with a loss at Mississippi State and continued until a win over UMass on Nov. 19. Texas A&M was 2-6 in the SEC and 0-4 overall on the road. The five wins came against teams that combined for a 28-32 record in 2022. LSU was the only team Texas A&M beat that ended the year with more than seven wins. 

TEAM GRADES

Quarterback: C-
Running back: C+ 
Wide receiver/tight end: B-
Offensive line: C- 
Defensive line: D+
Linebacker: C- 
Cornerback: B+
Safety: A-

BIGGEST OFFSEASON QUESTION

Can Jimbo right the ship? 

Fisher won at least 10 games in six of his first seven seasons in charge at Florida State, including a 39-3 record over a three-year period from 2012 to 2014. He’s yet to win 10 games through five full seasons in College Station despite one of the richest contracts in college football. The Aggies did win at least eight games in each of Fisher’s first four seasons at Texas A&M, but a five-win 2022 warmed up his seat heading into 2023 even though his buyout remains equal to the gross national product of many small countries. 

Fisher understands that he must evolve or get left behind. He hired Bobby Petrino to become offensive coordinator and presumably take over play calling duty, which is something Fisher has done himself throughout his 13 seasons as a head coach. The talent is clearly there. Now, it is about taking a step forward and competing for an SEC crown in a non-COVID year. 

WAY TOO EARLY 2023 OUTLOOK 

The bones are there for Texas A&M to take an LSU-sized jump into SEC West contention in 2023. Conner Weigman is a capable young quarterback who should evolve with Petrino at the helm. He’ll have plenty of weapons with Stewart, Green, Muhammad, and a few other playmakers on the outside. The offensive line is more talented than it performed last season, as well. The front seven much get better defensively. 

The schedule is never easy as a member of the SEC. No Georgia on the schedule is nice, and the Aggies host Alabama. But road trips to Tennessee, Ole Miss, and LSU could equal three losses. The Aggies also travel to Miami for a non-conference showdown with another coaching staff that feels like their team didn’t play as well in 2022 as the talent level suggested.