Sunday Final: Mond shows signs of big improvement

His stats from the No. 11 Aggies' 41-7 blowout of Texas State look pretty good on paper: 19-27 for 194 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception through the air, along with 25 yards on 5 carries, including touchdown run, on the ground. But the totals are misleading. He endured at least 5 drops, including a potential 42-yard touchdown, and had another potential touchdown pass wiped out when junior wideout Kendrick Rogers fumbled at the goal line. Even his interception wasn't entirely his fault, as his arm was hit as he threw as Texas State sent a blitz that wasn't picked up.

" I thought Kellen was really good. I thought he made some great third down throws. I thought he was accurate. Balls that I mean, he was making, he was hitting the third and fourth receivers on things. He was in total control of the game," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "Ran the ball well. Scrambled well. Third downs, he was accurate. I mean, I was really pleased with him."

"Total control" was not something Mond had last year. There were times in virtually every game where he slumped, or turned the ball over in critical situations. His inconsistency almost cost the Aggies wins over Kentucky and Ole Miss; it proved to be a major reason why A&M lost at Auburn last year.

On Thursday night, that quarterback never appeared. Mond was confident from the start and his play reflected it. His passes were crisp and accurate; he was quick with his decisions when it came to getting the ball out.

"Based on the coverage, I kind of know exactly where to go with the ball. I just have to trust my eyes and trust my reads and deliver the ball with confidence," he said. "And I feel like ... the whole offense was on the same page tonight in the pass game."

He didn't run much, but was efficient when he did, avoiding tackles for loss. Perhaps most importantly, he didn't take a sack on a night when the offensive line was not at its best.

"I felt comfortable all night," Mond said. "Obviously I know I'm going to get hit someplace, but just got to trust your eyes and feel the rush."

Mond's increased poise and confidence -- something Fisher had discussed repeatedly over the summer -- were obvious in A&M's easy win. His mental mistakes were few, and his athleticism was on full display. His 40-yard completion to Jhamon Ausbon in the first quarter as he rolled to his left may be one of the best throws by any quarterback this year.

"So we knew that he was going to come in and have a great game. We know he's going to have a great year this year," junior receiver Quartney Davis said.

In terms of efficiency and decision-making, Mond's work in picking apart a veteran-laden Texas State secondary may be his best work to date. He has had better moments, but has not been this consistently good for an entire game. When asked if he thought it was his best game, Mond indicated he wasn't entirely pleased with his performance.

"Possibly, I don't know. Maybe if I didn't have the interception, but that was a big one for me," he said.

His coach, on the other hand, had no such hesitation.

"Oh, it's not even close," Fisher said when asked if the 2019 version of Kellen Mond was better than last year's. "There's so many things. When you call the game, what he sees, what he does. Where he was getting to on reads today, I mean, and seeing things and getting there easily and the accuracy of the deep ball and down the field which he ... wasn't consistent enough in the past. I mean, I think he's really in a good place right now. I really do. Command of things is really good. I mean, he totally understands what's going on."

Last year, Mond threw for 430 yards against Clemson, but the Aggies lost 28-26. If the Aggies are to upset the No. 1 Tigers at home Saturday, he'll have to take another big step forward after a promising start to 2019.