Texas A&M Soars, Quarterback Carousel Continues in College Football Week 3
COLLEGE STATION, TX - Texas A&M quarterback Conner Stockton delivered a breakout performance Saturday, leading the Aggies to a 45-14 victory over Louisiana Monroe, signaling a potential turning point for the program. Simultaneously, a quarterback swap between Tennessee and UCLA is yielding dramatically different results, with Joey Aguilar thriving for the Volunteers while Nico Iamaleava struggles with the Bruins.
the contrasting fortunes of these programs highlight the volatility of college football’s quarterback position and the immediate impact of transfer portal decisions. Texas A&M’s early success, coupled with Tennessee’s offensive resurgence, underscores the importance of quarterback play in navigating increasingly competitive schedules.Meanwhile, UCLA’s difficulties raise questions about its offensive direction and the effectiveness of its quarterback situation.
Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher praised Stockton’s growth, stating, “He grew up a lot tonight.” The freshman starter is navigating the challenges of leading a Power Five offense,with five remaining games against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25. Despite the challenging schedule ahead, Stockton’s performance after only four career starts offers optimism for the Bulldogs’ offense.
Elsewhere, Tennessee appears to have benefited from its offseason quarterback trade with UCLA. Aguilar, who transferred to the Volunteers after Iamaleava enrolled with the Bruins, has quickly become a top passer in the SEC. Against Georgia on saturday, Aguilar completed 24 of 36 passes for 371 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions, despite a 44-41 overtime loss. He became the first SEC player in the past 20 seasons to have four passing touchdowns and a rushing score in his conference debut, according to ESPN Research, throwing three long touchdowns to Chris Brazzell II and adding a rushing touchdown.Through three games, Aguilar has completed 66.3% of his attempts for 906 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
Conversely, Iamaleava is struggling at UCLA, which fired coach DeShaun foster on Sunday. He threw for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception on 22-for-34 passing in a 35-10 loss to New Mexico on Friday night.
