Commentary: Aggies can win with Christian - if they protect him
I'm not surprised Andrew Manley got hurt against the UTEP Miners.
He took a pounding early on this season - very few quarterbacks are going to get hit like that and stay healthy for the duration of the schedule.
Can the offensive playcalling be adjusted? It has to be, because Matt Christian CANNOT get hurt.
Let's say this - the team can win with Christian. The Aggies are going to San Jose State this week. Well, Christian beat San Jose State last year - on a last-minute drive, no less. He's a veteran, and I believe he knows how to win. He should have something to prove. He can step in and run the offense.
Opposing defenses will change because they do not have to account for Manley's big arm. Expect safeties - who were deep in the defensive backfield with Manley in the game - to line up closer to the line of scrimmage. Cornerbacks who played 10 yards off the line in zone coverage will now play tighter with the NMSU wide receivers.
The Aggie passing attack will likely now operate in the intermediate range - more crossing patterns could be incorporated as well as running backs flaring out of the backfield.
Christian is more mobile than Manley and can get away from the rush, which should benefit the Aggies. Expect to see more bootlegs and rollouts with the quarterback being used periodically as a ball carrier.
The offensive line must play better, and offensive coordinator Doug Martin needs to run some plays to help out this unit.
Some options:
- Stop doing five-step drops if it's obvious the opposing team is blitzing. Use hot routes and three-step drops to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands. Christian should help here because he's a veteran player who can make adjustments at the line of scrimmage if necessary.
- If something's working, stick with it. The Aggies scored in the two-minute drill against UTEP - utilizing a no-huddle attack - to end the second quarter, then didn't go back to it in the second half. Why not? IT WORKED. It clearly curtailed the Miners' pass rush and it was run well by Manley.
- Use variations in the running game. Use screens, draws, misdirections and run the ball outside. The Aggie offensive line isn't overpowering enough to just line up and run over the opposition with plays up the middle all day. It needs help. Some variation might get the running game going. And it will take some of the pressure off the quarterback because pass rushers will have to consider such plays and can't just pin their ears back and rush the backfield.
The team has to be careful how they use Christian as a runner because he will take the big hit. Christian has an injury history - he missed four games last year and parts of two others because of injury. His backup is true freshman Travaughn Colwell and then there's former QB and current tight end Trevor Walls. In other words, if Christian goes down, the Aggies go down.
Keep him upright, keep him healthy.
Make adjustments.
No choice.
