Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson said Monday that he takes “complete blame” for throwing a combined eight interceptions in the Aggies’ last two games but remains unclear why he is struggling in that area. Johnson, a senior who began the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate, said he is “not doing anything differently” than he did a year ago, when he set a Big 12 record by throwing 242 consecutive passes without an interception. Yet he’s thrown eight interceptions in A&M’s last two games, matching his 2009 total, as the Aggies (3-1) prepare for Saturday’s game against No. 11 Arkansas (3-1) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. “It’s not like they’re out there confusing me. I know what coverage they’re in and I know what our guys are doing,” said Johnson, who insists he is fully recovered from off-season shoulder surgery but feels “kind of” snakebit by tipped balls and general bad luck. “It’s just some unfortunate situations. I wish I could tell you something that would change it.” A&M coach Mike Sherman said Johnson will remain the Aggies’ starter, despite a five-turnover performance in last week’s 38-35 loss to No. 22 Oklahoma State. — Dallas Morning News

Perhaps Texas A&M was busy looking ahead to Thursday night’s Big 12 opener at Okie State. What happened on Saturday night at Kyle Field was ugly. A come-from-behind 27-20 win against Florida International was good only in the sense A&M won, and that they did come back from an embarrassing deficit. The Aggies trailed 20-6 in the fourth quarter before they showed up. RB Christine Michael is among the best backs in the Big 12, in a fight among DeMarco Murray and Kendall Hunter to be listed next to Kansas State’s Daniel Thomas. Michael rushed 21 times for 119 yards and a touchdown to offset a wretched night by QB Jerrod Johnson. JJ was a rotten 11-for-31 with FOUR interceptions against the Panthers. A&M turned the ball over five times, too. I’ll shut up with the JJ For Heisman talk effective immediately. – Dallas Morning News

Texas A&M senior quarterback Jerrod Johnson, in his typical calm and collected manner, coolly assessed his selection as the Big 12 preseason offensive player of the year by the media. “I don’t think it adds any pressure, because those words don’t mean anything,” Johnson said Monday during the first of three Big 12 media days. “Now, if that happens at the end of the year, it means we’ve won a lot of games — so that would be cool.” The Aggies finished fifth nationally in total offense last season, as Johnson set eight A&M single-season records en route to an overall disappointing 6-7 finish. Senior linebacker Von Miller, who led the nation in sacks last season with 17, was named the league’s preseason co-defensive player of the year. — Houston Chronicle

Mike Sherman, a former Green Bay Packers head coach, is 10-15 over his first two seasons at A&M, including a 6-7 mark last year. He said this season’s theme is “Take the Next Step” – something A&M fans would dearly love to see, considering the program hasn’t finished in the Associated Press Top 25 since 1999. Sherman said his staff and players have “extremely high expectations” this year – as they do every season – but “even more so this year” based on his players coming of age in his program. He said this was the first year at a Coach’s Night he was truly able to say he liked everything about his team. “Everybody is on the same page,” he said. “Everybody has bought into this thing. (Last year) we lacked maturity. I don’t think I’ve felt this way about a football team in a long time.” — Houston Chronicle