Everything three Aggies, including Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman said on Monday
Texas A&M's 2024 season opener vs. No. 7-ranked Notre Dame didn't turn out the way new head coach Mike Elko, his team, and the Aggie fan base hoped it would, but just like every loss, learning from every mistake is paramount to making progress and getting things back on track.
After a brief press conference on Saturday night, Elko apologized to the over 107,000 fans who packed Kyle Field, promising this was simply a blip on the radar and a part of the plan, as the new coaching staff deserves some grace amid their first season. However, starting quarterback Conner Weigman's epically bad performance has resulted in fans feeling sour toward the rest of the 2024 season.
Well, that's just a part of college football fandom, and all the Aggies can do now is win and continue winning, starting with hosting McNeese this weekend. Reflecting on the loss, Elko was joined by wide receiver Cyrus Allen, safety Marcus Ratcliffe, and Conner Weigman, who are looking forward to righting their wrongs. Here's what all three players had to say before facing McNeese.
WR Cyrus Allen on his first Kyle Field experience
"Exciting. This is my first time playing here. I was very excited."
Allen on what the wide receiver rotation needs to accomplish this week
"Just going through this practice and taking the little details seriously this week and getting our hands on the playbook and the signalers."
Allen on what led him to transferring to Texas A&M
"Being a part of this team from like Mike Evans, Johnny Manziel and the history of being part of the Aggies caught my eye, and then Coach Elko and what he accomplished at Duke coming over here also caught my eye."
Allen on running out of the tunnel for the first time
"That was crazy. I didn't know we were going to have that many people."
Safety Marcus Ratcliffe on how he felt during his first game as an Aggie
"Personally, I didn't feel that fatigue played a role. I think Coach Elko prepared us well with the intensity in practice. For me, I felt that the game was slow."
Ratcliffe on the passing defense compared to the run defense issues
"Passing wise, it was definitely better than our run stopping, but it was definitely the explosive running plays that we needed to stop."
Ratcliffe on starting quarterback Conner Weigman
"Conner (Weigman) is super smart. He's probably the smartest quarterback I've ever played with. … If he does his thing, this is going to be a good season for him."
Ratcliffe with some realism
"Football is an 11-man game. If one guy makes a mistake, the play can go for a touchdown. It was just little mistakes from one player on each explosive play."
Ratcliffe on Texas A&M's intro into Kyle Field
"That was sick. That had my adrenaline going to the max."
Ratcliffe on Texas A&M's improvement in the secondary
"We have so many talented dudes. It's crazy. Our 1s are talented. Our 2s are talented."
On Bryce Anderson: "We're always going back and getting extra work and going over schemes together."
No excuses for Conner Weigman
"I take it back to my baseball days: So what, next pitch. That's how I approach every sport I play. I told my teammates this morning that I have to be better. There's no excuses for the way I played."
Weigman on his conditioning
"I was ready to go. I am 100 percent. My mind was nowhere thinking about any injuries at all. I have to be better with my feet, and I have to be more accurate. It's as simple as that."
Weigman on why he chose to speak to the media on Monday
"I won't back down from anything. I'll face it head-on. I'll be the first to tell you that I didn't play well."
Weigman won't let one game define his young career
"I told them this morning that I'm going to step up. I won't let one game define me as a person, and I won't let one game define me as a player."
Wipe the slate clean
"It sucked on Saturday night. The sun came up on Sunday morning. Watch the film and get going to get ready for McNeese."
Weigman on if he was "pressing" vs. Notre Dame
"I don't think so. I was trying to take what the defense was giving me. Stuff happens. I've got to be better."
Weigman on needing to improve his footwork
"My footwork. I've got to be better. My feet were all over the place after watching the film, and that won't happen again."
Weigman on "taking full responsibility" for the offensive woes
"I take full responsibility. I won't let that define me as a player. … I'm going to do everything in my power to not let that happen again."
Weigman on overall health, especially his previously injured foot
"My foot is 100 percent fine. There isn't anything wrong with my foot."
Weigman's thoughts after watching the game field
"I was with myself. I've talked about this with Coach (Klein) as well. … I feel like I was moving when I didn't have to. The pockets were money all day, and I was moving off my spot when I didn't have to too quickly."
Weigman on the return of the song "Power" to Kyle Field
"(Elko) didn't tell a soul, which is impressive considering how quickly stuff gets around here. … It was a pretty cool feeling."
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything three Aggies, including Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman said on Monday
