Over the past three weeks, a lot of attention has been paid to Texas A&M backup quarterback Marcel Reed, and for good reason.

The Aggies were 3-0 with the redshirt freshman under center, leading writers and at least one coach to wonder whether he would be the starter moving forward.

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But those around the Aggies? They never doubted who was QB1. So when sophomore Week 1 starter Conner Weigman trotted onto the field Saturday and helped light up the No. 9 Missouri Tigers en route to a 41-10 win, no one in that locker room seemed surprised.

"I mean, I seen what I was expecting him to do," running back Le'Veon Moss told reporters after the Week 6 win. "I was glad to have him back, though. Coming out party."

A party it was, as the Aggies went into halftime up 24-0 and never looked back, dismantling one of the nation's top-10 teams.

Weigman's second time beating a top 10

It was a big test for A&M, one for which many were unsure Weigman would be available as he worked back from his AC joint injury that had kept him out since Week 3.

The hurt shoulder is the latest ailment for the third-year sophomore. He's played no more than five games in any year since joining the Aggies and suffered a season-ending foot injury in 2023. Still, Weigman has been there for his teammates as he worked through it all.

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Weigman "never flinched. He was always in the training room working to getting his shoulder back. He was still motivating everyone," defensive lineman Nic Scourton said. "He never let any of the negativity get to him."

Instead, Weigman stepped under center for the first time in a month and finished the day 18-for-22, throwing for 276 yards and a QB rating of 93.6. The Aggies won the game, and at the same time, Weigman showed he wasn't one to be forgotten.

Saturday was only Weigman's 12th career start and his second time beating a ranked opponent after topping LSU in 2022.

"Conner Weigman is a dog. He has battled some injuries. … Weig is a warrior and ballplayer," Scourton said. "He is a great competitor, and he is not backing down from anything."

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A fired-up coach defends his QB

Weigman, who has pro size at 6 feet 3 and 220 pounds, came to A&M under the last coaching regime and was a five-star recruit.

He entered the season with NFL draft projections, but after missing three games, it feels like a lifetime ago that he was listed on the Walter Camp player of the year preseason watch list. Head coach Mike Elko made sure to praise his quarterback postgame against any criticisms he might have heard.

"You can challenge Conner for how he plays, and you can be upset about Conner for how he throws a football," Elko said, "(but) some of the stuff that has been said about this kid and written about this kid ... it's embarrassing. Absolutely embarrassing."

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Over the past month, the choice to start or sit Weigman has been a game-time decision, leading to speculation about who will be, or should be, the starting quarterback.

"This kid's a winner," Elko said. "He's a competitor. He does everything he needs to do for Texas A&M football, and there is a lot of people right now that need to stand up and recognize what they've said over the last three weeks and take some f------ ownership in it."

Saturday served as another reminder of what Weigman can provide to the Aggies' offense. After a bye week, he'll get Mississippi State on the road before getting a chance to beat a ranked LSU team for the second time in his career.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M vs. Missouri: Conner Weigman shows why he's QB1