Aggie 2015 Preview - The Offense and Special Teams

So now that we have discussed the defensive side of the ball, let's talk about the Offense and also touch on Special Teams.

Offensive Units

Everyone is talking about Chavis and the impact it will have on the defense, but frankly, the bigger impact might be on the other side of the ball. Christensen has been brought in to address the issues in the offensive line and the running game, and that could very well be a major change. And with such a young wide receiver corps – especially one that showed such youth last year, along with the importance of the wide receivers to the offensive plan – the addition of Moorehead could also have a big impact.

So in that light, it could very well be that the offense as a whole could have a major overhaul as well.

The exciting thing is at times, the offense was still very explosive last year (waives to Steve Spurrier and Gus Malzahn), so if they can be more consistent and more effective, that alone could very well be the difference between beating the likes of Arkansas and Ole Miss.

Offensive Line

Personally, I was very frustrated with the way this unit fell apart at times last year. From the outside, it appeared that the line should have been a strength, but starting with the Arkansas game, it seemed more and more teams found ways to upset the flow of this group. To a degree, the grind of that set – playing quality team after quality team, each coming off a bye – probably affected things. But there still were issues that this unit had not faced in prior years.

This, to me, is the most important thing to fix. Everything in an offense starts with the line, and if this unit can get back to being the best in the SEC, it will open up opportunities for both the passing and running games to be more effective.

Running Game

With Tra Carson returning and Christensen’s involvement in the offensive line and play calling, this is a huge potential area of improvement. There were key times, especially against South Carolina, that you could see the power and danger of the Aggie running game. The trick is finding places to make sure it is used well, and Christensen ought to be able to do that. This, added to the involvement in the line, is why I think the Christensen hire is as important as the Chavis hire.

Passing Game – Quarterbacks

Kyle Allen is a good place to start, even though he is only a sophomore. The turmoil around Kenny Hill is gone and he had not only the spring but now time in the summer and soon in the fall to really learn the offense and be explosive within it. And that is a really good starting place – if Kyler Murray can supplant him, then it would be something really special indeed.

This is another place where maturity is going to help. People forget how young this team was at SO many positions last year, and QB was one of them. And, oh, by the way, QB is in many ways the most crucial position on the field. Barring issues or transfers, look for A&M to be quality at this position for at least the next 2 if not next four years.

Passing Game – Receivers

Like the QB, the receiver position for our Aggies was terribly young last year, other than Malcome Kennedy. Frankly, I don’t know enough to really speak to what happened in the game against State last year, but the unit that for the 2 years previous had made the big catches, run good routes, and blocked for each other played like scared kids, which for the most part they were. The loss of Kennedy at times last year was a huge blow and now they face a whole season without him.

But then again, you have the maturation of Noil, RSJ and the return of Josh Reynolds, and now you insert Christian Kirk, and that ought to be an improved unit. There is a good chance that consistency at the QB position will also help. Here is another place where a coaching change can have a big impact.

Offense Overall

Kevin Sumlin offenses do not suck. That is a fact and with the talent in the hands of this coaching staff, they ought to improve on last year’s inconsistent performance, barring real issues with the new additions.

As stated previously, I am incredibly interested to see the impact that Dave Christensen may have. If he can right the ship that is the OL unit, and Allen and the wide receivers simply grow up a little and take advantage of the time they have had to learn to play together, there is no reason to think the offense can lose a lot of the inconsistency that cost them dearly last year.

Special Teams

Punt and Kick Return – Speedy Noil ought to continue to make this unit dangerous. His maturity also should help. The open question here is how the rest of the unit will perform. There usually is a lot of change on the return units, especially on the kick return portion, and it will be interesting to see if this unit can be successful.

Kickoffs – like the return units, the coverage portion of the unit usually sees some turnover and it remains to be seen how this challenge will be met. Taylor Bertolet has continued to do well on this unit so that should not change.

Punts - Drew is our boy and nothing changes here. What is exciting for the future is that his backup sounds like a real winner too.

Field Goal/Extra Points – Here is the big concern with the special teams. Bertolet lost his position to former professional soccer player Josh Lambo in 2013 and he was not able to win it back last year. He is three years more developed at this point, so maybe his ability to hit these kicks has improved. Aggies everywhere certainly hope so as he was wildly inconsistent in 2012 and 2013.

Special Teams Overall

Other than Bertolet, odds are these groups will be at least as good as last year, and that is a really good thing. Variability is possible, but Sumlin’s time in Aggieland has seen his team mostly play well in this area of the game.

Up Next

Tomorrow we will look at the schedule game by game.