Texas A&M entered Saturday needing better quarterback play after Marcel Reed struggled during the Aggies’ loss to Missouri. Reed responded with a cleaner performance before Brady Hart took over for the entire second half of A&M’s 41-0 victory over The Citadel.

Reed completed 8 of 13 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown without turning the ball over. He also rushed four times for 23 yards while helping A&M score touchdowns on each of its four first-half possessions.

His best throw came during the second quarter when he connected with freshman Aaron Gregory for a 37-yard touchdown. Reed still had five incompletions, but Mike Elko believed his receivers could have helped him on some of those plays.

“I thought Marcel did a nice job throwing the football. I thought some of the incompletions could have been catches. I’m trying to find the polite way to say that. So, I thought he did a nice job.”

With A&M leading 28-0 at halftime, Hart got more opportunities to run the offense. The redshirt freshman completed 8 of 12 passes for 107 yards and found Gregory for a 12-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter.

Hart moved the offense into scoring position on his first two possessions, but both drives ended with short David Olano field goals. Elko liked getting his backup meaningful snaps but still wants him to become more comfortable in the pocket.

“It was good to see Brady get out there. I still think he operates a little bit quicker than I’d like him to. I’d like to see him be a little more relaxed and a little bit more comfortable in the pocket. But it was good to see him get a lot of reps.”

The Citadel didn't provide the kind of challenge A&M will face next week at Alabama, but both quarterbacks benefited from a productive afternoon. Reed remains the starter, while Hart gained valuable experience without the Aggies needing him to enter during a close game.