Texas A&M wide receiver Moose Muhammad III had a breakout performance in a 38-10 win over Abilene Christian while wearing arm sleeves in the first game post-Jimbo Fisher era. Muhammad was previously benched for attempting to wear sleeves.
Muhammad had just 159 yards receiving for the Aggies coming into the game, but exploded for 104 yards and a touchdown in the win. The performance ranked as his first 100-yard game since Oct. 29, 2022, a 31-28 loss against Ole Miss.
Muhammad's issue with the sleeves came to a head after a 13-10 loss to Auburn in 2022. Despite being dressed on the sidelines, Muhammad did not play. The Aggies mustered just 121 yards passing and 3.4 yards per pass attempt in the loss, which cost them bowl eligibility.
"I want to clear the air," Muhammad wrote in a since-deleted tweet. "I was benched for wearing arm sleeves -- something that my teammates and opponents wear frequently for protection. I apologize to my teammates and fans and looking forward to getting back on the field."
GigEm247 reported after the game that Fisher had a rule against skill position players wearing sleeves. Fisher declined to answer questions about Muhammad's tweet after the game, calling it an "internal issue." However, Muhammad has largely been out of the lineup since the incident.
Players like wearing sleeves for various reasons ranging from aesthetics to protecting their arms from scratches by defenders or the turf. However, Fisher reportedly did not like his skill players wearing sleeves because of the risk of the ball sliding off.
Muhammad looked reinvigorated In the first game since Fisher's firing. The junior led the team with seven targets and averaged a ridiculous 26.0 yards per catch in the performance. Thirty-one of his yards came after the catch, including a freaky leap over an Abilene Christian defender.
Texas A&M closes its 2023 regular season under interim coach Elijah Robinson with a road trip to No. 15 LSU on Saturday, Nov. 25. The Aggies will play in their first bowl game since the 2020 Orange Bowl after missing the postseason in 2022 and seeing their 2021 bowl canceled by COVID-19.