Aggies show vast improvement, Fisher enthusiastic about the season

Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher said on Tuesday night that the Aggies’ most recent scrimmage did not result in any significant separation in the quarterback competition between Nick Starkel and Kellen Mond.

The Aggies open the season against Northwestern State on Aug. 30 and no starter has been named.

"I just had a conversation with them and I told them what they’re doing is making it extremely tough for me, and that’s no lie,” Fisher said following practice. “When you grade the film, their decision-making has been good. Their accuracy has been good. I think they’re both doing a good job and I think they’re both playing winning football.”

Fisher also spoke enthusiastically about the defensive performance in the Monday night scrimmage and revealed that sophomore linebacker Ikenna Okeke suffered a season-ending knee injury.

However, Fisher did not comment on a USA Today article in which former linebacker Santino Marchiol made charges of NCAA violations.

Kyle Johnson, TexAgs

Kellen Mond looks to secure the starting QB posistion, but Starkel isn't letting up as the battle continues.

In the article, Marchiol, who has transferred to Arizona and acknowledged he doesn’t want to sit out a year under NCAA rules, said he was given $300 to buy dinner for prospective recruits who were making “unofficial” visits. NCAA rules forbid providing meals or lodging on unofficial visits.

Marchiol also claimed A&M coaches watched and evaluated summer workouts at a time when they’re prohibited from doing so and that coaches sometimes used vulgar language while yelling at players.

“I was informed the article came out,” Fisher said following practice. “I haven’t read it. I don’t know anything about it, so I can’t comment on it.  I’ll comment on the players on our team. That’s all I can do.”

Fisher did say he was confident his staff was doing things “the right way.”

“I believe in everything we’re doing. We’re trying to build our team the way we need to build it with a lot of toughness, be competitive and understand it. Coach the kids and do the best we can.”

Fisher said he was pleased with how Starkel and Mond have responded to his coaching. He indicated both could play in the season-opener and beyond.

“It’s not a ‘if you don’t pick one you don’t have one.’ It’s a thing where it’s pushing the elevation of the game,” Fisher said. “(They're making) pocket throws, the out-of-pocket throws, decisions, not throwing dumb throws and even when things aren’t there, throwing it away — not taking negative plays."

“It (the competition) may linger. If that happens we’ll play both guys. I’ve done that before. Usually, you think one guy emerges. But I think two guys have emerged. There’s a possibility in sharing time and doing things. I’ve done that before, too.”

Fisher has stressed a more physical style of play since he arrived from Florida State. He said he saw more of that in the scrimmage.

“I was very happy with the scrimmage as far as the physicality, tackling. I thought we got much better. I think we’re getting a lot tougher. Playing with more consistency."

“I really liked the front guys on both sides bring physical. Getting (Justin) Madubuike back in there was a big deal and being able to get some depth and a guy that can cause some problems with other guys in there.”

Fisher was also pleased that despite the more physical play there were no turnovers in the scrimmage.

“Sometimes when you get guys hitting you hard and playing hard the ball comes out or you panic in the pocket,” he said. “That didn’t happen.”

The bad news was losing Okeke, who reportedly was making a successful shift from safety to linebacker.

Sophomore linebacker Anthony Hines also sustained a unspecified sprain, but isn’t expected to miss too much time.

“Ikenna Okeke is going to be out for the year. He hurt a knee,” Fisher said. “Hines should be fine. He got tweaked up, he should be back when he heals up in the next week-and-a-half or week.”

The loss of Okeke is a concern, especially because there is limited depth at linebacker. But Fisher said junior safety Larry Pryor could move down to linebacker and freshman defensive end Tyree Johnson could move there, too.

“Tyree Johnson … very impressed with him,” Fisher said. “He’s made some tremendous strides. He can play end, stand up (at linebacker) and the way we mix packages he can be good.”

Johnson’s showing in the scrimmage apparently eased concerns about Okeke’s injury.

“That’s one of the things that has me excited because I was worried about that,” Fisher said. “You worry about physicality when you lose 'backers, which we don’t have a lot of right now. I thought they did a really nice job of filling in and making plays.”