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Texas A&M Crushes The Citadel 41-0 As Aggies Offense Finally Breaks Out
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- Texas A&M Crushes The Citadel 41-0 As Aggies Offense Finally Breaks Out
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
After two miserable offensive performances and mounting questions about the direction of the program, Texas A&M finally gave its fans something to celebrate Saturday afternoon.
Jamarion Morrow rushed for three touchdowns, KJ Edwards piled up 116 rushing yards, and the Aggies overwhelmed The Citadel 41-0 at Kyle Field, snapping a two-game losing streak and improving to 4-3 overall.
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The victory won't erase the disappointment of consecutive SEC losses to LSU and Missouri, but it provided a much-needed confidence boost for head coach Mike Elko's struggling team.
Texas A&M finished with 501 yards of total offense, averaging 7.7 yards per play while holding the Bulldogs to just 183 yards.
Morrow set the tone early, scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. The sophomore added two 1-yard scoring runs in the second quarter, giving the Aggies the kind of red-zone production that had been missing in recent weeks.
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Quarterback Marcel Reed also showed improvement after struggling through back-to-back road losses.
Reed completed 8 of 13 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown without an interception. His biggest play came in the second quarter when he connected with Aaron Gregory for a 37-yard touchdown, extending A&M's lead to 21-0.
The Aggies carried a commanding 28-0 advantage into halftime.
With the outcome firmly in control, Elko turned to backup quarterback Brady Hart, who delivered an encouraging performance of his own.
Hart completed 8 of 12 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Gregory for a 12-yard score in the fourth quarter to complete the rout.
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Gregory finished with six receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns, while TK Norman contributed five catches for 88 yards.
Edwards provided additional balance, averaging nearly nine yards per carry on 13 rushing attempts.
Texas A&M's defense was equally impressive.
The Aggies limited The Citadel to 140 rushing yards on 47 attempts and allowed just 43 passing yards. The Bulldogs managed only 3.2 yards per play and never reached the end zone.
Special teams remained reliable, with David Olano converting field goals from 23 and 20 yards while making all five extra-point attempts.
The Citadel fell to 2-5 with the loss.
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For Texas A&M, the victory represented an important opportunity to regain momentum before returning to Southeastern Conference competition.
The Aggies entered Saturday having failed to score an offensive touchdown in consecutive losses to LSU and Missouri, raising serious concerns about offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins and Reed's effectiveness.
Saturday's offensive production was encouraging, although the level of competition makes it difficult to determine whether the underlying problems have been solved.
Texas A&M will face a considerably tougher challenge next week when it travels to Alabama.
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MORE: Texas A&M Needs More Than A Win Against The Citadel Saturday
For now, the Aggies can enjoy their most complete performance in weeks.
But whether Saturday's offensive turnaround carries over against SEC competition will ultimately determine if Texas A&M can salvage its disappointing season.
