Texas A&M's Jamarion Morrow says the Aggies' run game fix has to come from everyone

Texas A&M running back Jamarion Morrow says the Aggies' stalled ground game won't be fixed by the offensive line alone. Speaking ahead of Saturday's home game against The Citadel, the sophomore said every position group on offense has to carry part of the load.

According to Roundtable Sports, Morrow told reporters Tuesday, "It's a team thing when it comes to the run game." He said the receivers need to block better on the perimeter, the running backs need to press their lanes harder, and the linemen need to get more push up front.

The numbers from last Saturday back him up. Texas A&M ran 23 times for 27 yards in a 27-6 loss to Missouri, which works out to roughly 1.2 yards per carry. That's hard for an SEC offense to win with, and it came from a program that opened the season expecting the backfield to be a strength.

That preseason confidence centered on a rotation of Rueben Owens II, KJ Edwards and Morrow. Roundtable Sports reported that injuries, inconsistent blocking and uneven execution have kept that group from producing. Morrow has played in only three games after missing Kentucky, LSU and Arkansas, and he has 68 rushing yards and a touchdown. Head coach Mike Elko said Monday that the staff has a lot of confidence in Morrow and praised his ability to give the offense a spark.

The trouble goes deeper than one ball carrier. Texas A&M has four new starters on the offensive line, and the outlet noted the group has struggled to win consistently at the point of attack. When the run game stalls, quarterback Marcel Reed feels it too. Defenses can rush him more aggressively, passing downs become easier to predict, and drives get harder to keep alive.

Why it matters this week

The Aggies are 3-3 and host The Citadel (2-4) at Kyle Field on Saturday, October 17, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on SEC Network+. A home game against an FCS opponent is the most obvious chance yet for the line to settle in and for the backs to find a rhythm before conference play resumes.

A win alone won't prove much, though. What the game can show is whether the blocking is getting cleaner, whether the backs are hitting the creases Morrow described and whether Elko's staff can build an offense around a physical run game. Results like the Missouri game would leave Reed under more pressure in the passing game and make the rest of the SEC schedule harder.

Morrow's healthy return gives Texas A&M another option in the backfield. By his own account, getting more out of it will take the whole offense.