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Here is everything we learned after Texas A&M's 38-17 win over Missouri
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- Here is everything we learned after Texas A&M's 38-17 win over Missouri
What a time to be alive in College Station, as No. 3 Texas A&M (9-0, 6-0 SEC) stays undefeated after blowing out No. 22 Missouri (6-3, 2-3 SEC) 38-17 in Columbia on Saturday afternoon behind nearly 250 yards rushing, paired with starting quarterback Marcel Reed's efficient day in the pocket.
However, Texas A&M's defense was spectacular, aside from allowing two rushing scores, holding freshman quarterback Matt Zollers to just 77 yards passing, and holding the Tigers to 5-13 on third down. After leading 14-0 going into halftime, the Aggies buckled down, leading to Marcel Reed's quick screen pass to transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion, who ran 48 yards for the score to take a dominant 21-0 lead.
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While Missouri made some headway after marching down the field for a touchdown, head coach Mike Elko's second-half defensive adjustments took hold. We can't forget to mention the play of junior safety Dalton Brooks, who had an all-around elite game after recovering a sack fumble in the first half, which led to the Aggies' second touchdown, while his 48-yard run off the fake punt set up Randy Bond's 34-yard field goal.
Entering the week, Texas A&M's No. 3 ranking in the first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings was widely agreed upon. Still, after Indiana's close 27-24 road win over Penn State, the Aggies deserve to be recognized as the second-best team in the country behind undefeated Ohio State, in my humble opinion.
Before hosting South Carolina at home next Saturday, here are five key takeaways from Texas A&M's 38-17 win over Missouri in Week 11.
Head coach Mike Elko is a risk-taker, and it's working
Texas A&M's 21-7 lead early in the second half was not entirely safe. After the Aggie offense stalled on third down, leading to a fourth-down punt, Mike Elko opted for a fake punt on 4th & 3, leading to junior safety Dalton Brooks running 48 yards, which set up Randy Bond's 34-yard field goal.
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Throughout the season, Elko's willingness to take chances on fourth down hasn't been too surprising, given the Aggies' strength along the offensive line and the knowledge that short-yardage attempts in close games are mandatory to win. Still, up 21-7, that's a winning mentality that has led the Aggies to 9-0.
For those who have not read Kent Babb's recent article detailing Mike Elko's rise to coaching stardom, Saturday's game further proves that the New Jersey native was the right hire for now and the future.
Texas A&M's physicality has led to consecutive blowout SEC road wins
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Texas A&M's physical play has directly led to this season's consistent performance. After Saturday's win, S&C coach Tommy Moffitt deserves a ton of credit for the roster's health and physicality, which have been on display throughout the season, especially on the road.
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As we discussed after the Aggies' 49-25 win over LSU, Moffitt's effect has been notable. Combined with the complete team buy-in this offseason, Texas A&M continues to look like the best team in college football, especially after Indiana's last-second win over Penn State, which likely won't qualify for a bowl game at the end of the year.
Defeating a ranked team on the road by 25 and 21 points is quite the message, and against one of the better run defenses in the SEC, racking up 246 yards and two touchdowns in the second half sends a message to the rest of the country that, no matter the envrionment this team won't led up until the clock hits triple zeros in the fourth quarter.
Texas A&M's defense isn't perfect, but the weekly impact is inevitable
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Yes, allowing over 200 yards on the ground isn't great and has resulted in losses in the past. Still, Texas A&M's pass rush, which produced two sacks and seven tackles for loss, harassed freshman quarterback Matt Zollers throughout the afternoon and has continued to prevent the opposition from finding consistency.
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However, you can't call the 2025 defense a "bend, but don't break" unit, mainly because of its impressive stats, including 34 sacks on the season, led by senior edge Cashius Howell's 10.5.
Texas A&M's secondary, which was led by junior safety Dalton Brooks' incredible day after notching six tackles, a fumble recovery, and running 48 yards on a fake punt, is a product of Mike Elko's play calling, which allows his athletic corners and safeties to make plays on third down and fly around the field on every play.
After holding senior quarterback Matt Zollers to 77 yards passing, Texas A&M's pass defense continues to thrive when the pass rush makes an impact, and outside of two rushing scores, this was a complete game by a unit that deserves respect and will continue to improve heading into the postseason.
QB Marcel Reed continues to mount impressive performances
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Entering the 2025 season, questions regarding Marcel Reed's ability to become a reliable pocket passer were fair game after the Aggies' 1-4 finish last season, but knowing the redshirt sophomore's dual-threat running ability and determination to improve, many of us in Aggie media believed that this was the year he would take the next step.
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Sitting at 9-0 and 6-0 in the SEC, the Aggies are on the cusp of earning a berth to the College Football Playoff, and a potential trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. While this has been a team effort from top to bottom, Marcel Reed's Heisman-level performances have given way to this historic success.
On Saturday, outside several errant passes, Reed finished an efficient 20-29 for 221 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 29 yards, including his 28-yard rush that ultimately ended the game and led to Texas A&M's fifth touchdown of the night. Reed's decision-making on third down has improved week to week, resulting in a 50% showing on the down.
With three more regular-season games, bulking up his stats is not the focus, and while winning the Heisman Trophy is undoubtedly a personal goal, finishing 12-0 as a top 3 seed in the CFP will only come to fruition if Marcel Reed plays at this level, or better, for the remainder of the year.
Texas A&M isn't the No. 3 team in the CFP, which should be reflected next week
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Plenty of discussion surrounding Texas A&M's "weak" SEC schedule, which is completely overblown, will likely become a national narrative, but is it really the Aggies' fault that Auburn, Florida, Arkansas, and LSU all fired their head coaches mid-season? Absolutely not, but that's just the name of the game.
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Still, is Texas A&M the third-best team in the country after Saturday's win? Well, second-ranked Indiana's last-second 27-24 win over Penn State exposed the Hoosiers' flaws and should result in a shift in the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25 on Sunday afternoon.
No. 1 Ohio State and Indiana are expected to win out. At the same time, Texas A&M will host South Carolina and Samford over the next two weeks before heading to Austin to face Texas, and will be heavily favored in both home games before facing the Longhorns in DKR.
If Texas A&M wins out, the Aggies should be considered as the No. 1-overall seed in the CFP, especially if a SEC Championship Game win is also added to this year's accomplishments.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M football's top takeaways from 38-17 win over Missouri
