Tag: texas A&M aggies

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) attempts a pass as Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Scooby Williams (0) applies defensive pressure during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

No. 3 Texas baffles No. 20 Texas A&M, lands spot in SEC title game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Quinn Ewers passed for 218 yards and a touchdown and No. 3 Texas rode a dominant defensive performance to a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship game, beating No. 20 Texas A&M 17-7 on Saturday night in College Station, Texas.

Quintrevion Wisner rushed for a career-high 186 yards on 33 carries and the Longhorns (11-1, 7-1 SEC) held the Aggies (8-4, 5-3) to 244 total yards of offense to earn a meeting with No. 7 Georgia in the conference title game next Saturday in Atlanta. Texas has won five straight games since a 30-15 home loss to the Bulldogs on Oct. 19.

Marcel Reed passed for just 146 yards but added a team-high 56 rushing yards for Texas A&M, which got its only points from its defense in the first meeting since 2011 between the long-time rivals.

Texas was poised to increase its 17-0 halftime lead, but Ewers’ pass was tipped and Will Lee III intercepted it and ripped off a 93-yard return for a touchdown that pulled the Aggies within 10 with 5:42 remaining in the third quarter.

Ewers drove the Longhorns into scoring position on the ensuing possession, but Cashius Howell knocked the ball loose from him, with the Aggies’ Taurean York recovering the fumble at the Texas A&M 11, keeping the score 17-7 after three quarters.

In the fourth, Jahdae Walker blocked a Texas punt, giving the Aggies the ball at the Longhorns 19. But later, on fourth-and-goal from the Texas 1, Amari Daniels was stopped for a 3-yard loss with 4:36 remaining.

On Texas’ second possession, Ewers drove the Longhorns to the Aggies 15, and on fourth-and-2, Arch Manning replaced him and ran for a touchdown that gave Texas a 7-0 lead.

The Longhorns increased their lead to 14-0 when Ewers threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jaydon Blue with 8:25 to go in the first half.

Bert Auburn kicked a 28-yard field goal before missing a 48-yarder as time expired in the second quarter, leaving Texas with a 17-0 lead at the break.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko walks on the field prior to the game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

No. 15 Texas A&M still angling for playoff, must avoid Auburn trip hazard

Posted on | by Field Level Media

You could almost feel the bulletin-board material being pinned up in the Auburn meeting room once the slip-up came off Mike Elko’s tongue.

No. 15 Texas A&M closes the regular season on Nov. 30 with an epic battle with No. 3 Texas that may decide whether the Aggies land a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

But first the Aggies visit Auburn this Saturday in a Southeastern Conference battle.

“When you’re in the situation we’re in, it’s easy to focus on the task at hand,” Elko said, promising Texas A&M wouldn’t look past downtrodden Auburn. “You know, I think those big games earlier in the year, maybe you look ahead, and if we didn’t have what’s at stake, maybe you would worry about it.

“Our focus is single-handedly on Texas. I mean, Auburn right now and locked in on what needs to get done.”

Oops, the split-second of tripping over his words will be a huge postgame talking point if the Aggies (8-2, 5-1 SEC) stumble against the Tigers (4-6, 1-5).

Texas A&M badly needs a win to keep its playoff hopes alive. SMU (9-1), BYU (9-1) and the Aggies are the first three teams on the outside of the playoff field after Tuesday’s latest projection.

Freshman quarterback Marcel Reed is very aware of what’s at stake entering the pivotal stretch.

“Obviously, we’re going to go into practice and prepare for this team like it’s the biggest game of the year,” Reed said of Auburn. “And we got to win out. And this is just another step in the way we want to go.”

Reed passed for a season-high 268 yards along with two touchdowns as the Aggies rolled to a 38-3 home win over New Mexico State last weekend.

Defensive end Nic Scourton continues to have a big year on the defensive side with 14 tackles for loss, including five sacks.

Auburn (4-6, 1-5) doesn’t have any playoff scenarios to ponder as the program tries to avoid a fourth consecutive losing season. After the clash with the Aggies, the Tigers close the regular season at Alabama on Nov. 30.

But first, Auburn has to beat Texas A&M or the losing season goes into the books.

“Can’t wait,” Tigers coach Hugh Freeze said. “It’ll be a tall task. They’re extremely talented. It will be a good test for us.”

Auburn will rely on standout running back Jarquez Hunter, who had 102 yards in last week’s 48-14 rout of Louisiana-Monroe.

Hunter’s 11th career 100-yard outing pushed his season total to 1,015 yards. He ranks sixth all-time in Auburn history with 3,185 career rushing yards. Legendary Bo Jackson is No. 1 with 4,303.

“It’s very special to me,” Hunter said of his first 1,000-yard season. “I tried to work in the offseason, I planned for this moment. I couldn’t do it without the help of the O-line, tight ends and receivers doing a great job blocking and making sure I get to where I need to be.

“I executed off their blocks. It’s very special to add to the great running backs who have been here before me, to be part of one of them.”

Quarterback Payton Thorpe threw five touchdown passes against ULM, including three to receiver Cam Coleman. Thorpe has passed for 2,111 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Keldric Faulk (seven sacks) and Jalen McLeod (six sacks) have been standouts for an Auburn defense that is tied for 18th in scoring defense at 18.7 points per game.

Texas A&M notched a 27-10 home win over the Tigers last season.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (center) celebrates with teammates after the win over Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.

No. 14 Texas A&M aims to continue ‘growth’ vs. Mississippi State

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Texas A&M is riding high after a quality win, but the 14th-ranked Aggies don’t want to slip up Saturday afternoon when they visit Mississippi State in Southeastern Conference action in Starkville, Miss.

The Aggies (5-1, 3-0) are coming off their best win of the season — a 41-10 throttling of then-No. 9 Missouri on Oct. 5. Le’Veon Moss ran for a career-high 138 yards and three touchdowns against the previously undefeated Tigers, helping his team move up from No. 25 in the AP Top 25.

“We are in a growth mindset. … We are trying to grow every single day,” said Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, whose team had a bye last week.

Moss ranks second in the SEC and 17th nationally in rushing yards per game (101.5), although it certainly helps create space when Conner Weigman is as effective as he was against Missouri (18 of 22 for a season high 276 yards).

Meanwhile, Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3) is in the midst of a gauntlet against top-15 teams. The Bulldogs lost to No. 1 Texas 35-13 on Sept. 28 and then came up short against No. 5 Georgia 41-31 last weekend — both games coming on the road. Now the Bulldogs are back home, but they’re taking on a third straight ranked foe and looking to avoid their sixth straight defeat.

Michael Van Buren Jr. fared well against Georgia, throwing for 306 yards with three touchdowns in a competitive loss. Kelly Akharaiyi reeled in two scoring strikes, while Kevin Coleman Jr. led the receiving corps with eight grabs for 103 yards.

“They answered the challenge, they answered the bell,” said Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby, whose team is starting a true freshman (Van Buren) at quarterback after losing starter Blake Shapen (shoulder) for the season. “I hate that we’re sitting here disappointed, frustrated, that we’re not on the right side of it. But our guys are continuing to fight like heck for each other. And I’m proud of them.”

The Bulldogs actually became the first team since Tennessee in 2016 to score at least 30 points against Georgia in Athens.

“I think they’re starting to find an identity,” Elko said.

On defense, Mississippi State safety Isaac Smith likely will be a focus of the Texas A&M game plan. Smith ranks second in the SEC with 56 tackles, which is good for 12th nationally.

For the Aggies, defensive back Marcus Ratcliffe is a key contributor with three interceptions in the last five games, while Nic Scourton leads Texas A&M with 4.5 sacks.

From a big-picture perspective, the two programs essentially have gone through opposite seasons to this point. Mississippi State won its opener before losing five in a row, while Texas A&M dropped its first game against then-No. 7 Notre Dame before winning five straight contests.

Texas A&M lost two consecutive meetings with Mississippi State before rolling to a 51-10 victory in last year’s matchup. Still, the Aggies have lost four of their last five road meetings with the Bulldogs.

“We’re not very good in Starkville as a program,” Elko said. “That certainly is something we’re very aware of. So we’re going to have to play our best football to have success on Saturday.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) is tackled by Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III (3) in the second quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.

No. 25 Texas A&M blasts No. 9 Missouri with balanced attack

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Le’Veon Moss rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns and Conner Weigman threw for 276 yards as No. 25 Texas A&M dismantled No. 9 Missouri 41-10 in their Southeastern Conference matchup on Saturday in Bryan-College Station, Texas.

The Aggies (5-1, 3-0 SEC) amassed 512 total yards, including 236 on the ground, in winning their fifth straight game. Their defense had six sacks, including 1 1/2 by Nic Scourton, and limited the Tigers (4-1, 1-1) to 79 yards in the first half and 254 for the game.

Missouri had just three plays that went for more than 20 yards, while Texas A&M had seven, including a 75-yard burst by Moss that widened the blowout to 31-0 on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter.

His 1-yard touchdown run had given the Aggies a 24-0 lead with 6:34 left in the first half. He added an 18-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter as he set a career high for rushing.

Brady Cook, who threw for at least 226 yards in each of the Tigers’ first four games, all played on their home field, managed 186 yards on 13-of-31 passing. A big chunk of those yards came on a 59-yard touchdown strike to Theo Wease with 5:06 left in the third quarter.

Weigman returned after missing three games due to a shoulder injury and completed 18 of 22 passes.

Texas A&M jumped on Missouri at the outset, stopping the Tigers on a fourth-and-2 at the Aggies’ 40 on the first possession of the game. The Aggies then went 60 yards the other way on eight plays, capped by Amari Daniels’ 1-yard touchdown run about five minutes into the game.

Randy Bond’s 44-yard field goal made it 10-0 with 5:01 left in the first period. After the second of three straight three-and-outs for the Tigers, Daniels again scored from 1 yard out to pad the lead to 17-0 on the second play of the second quarter.

Bond added a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter, and after Texas A&M made a goal-line stand in the closing seconds, Missouri’s Blake Craig booted a 23-yarder.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball during the second half against the Bowling Green Falcons at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.

No. 24 Texas A&M, Arkansas set for another Southwest Classic

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After meeting in the Southwest Classic in the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in nine of the past 10 years, No. 24 Texas A&M and Arkansas will play the final game in the series at the Arlington, Texas, stadium on Saturday.

Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) may be without starting quarterback Conner Weigman for a third straight game since the sophomore injured his throwing shoulder against McNeese State on Sept. 7.

Aggies coach Mike Elko announced Monday that Weigman will be a game-time decision.

That means potentially more snaps for Marcel Reed, who came in against McNeese and started in the two Aggies victories that followed against Florida and Bowling Green.

Against the Falcons on Sept. 21, Reed threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns and led Texas A&M in rushing with 91 yards in a 26-20 victory.

“He’s got a big arm, he’s got tremendous athleticism. I still think there’s some progressions, reads, checks that he’s still working through,” Elko said about Reed’s progress. “I think those things have made tremendous strides from spring ball through fall camp.”

Arkansas (3-1, 1-0) has a dynamic quarterback of its own in Taylen Green. In a 24-14 win over Auburn last week, he struggled early, throwing interceptions on two consecutive Arkansas drives. But in the third quarter, Green responded with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna. With Auburn’s defense closing in, Green scrambled to his left and hit Sategna on the 1-yard line, and Sategna fell into the end zone to put Arkansas ahead 14-7.

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman said he is concerned with the need for scrambling with a line that isn’t allowing the Arkansas offense to reach its potential. On Saturday, Auburn had three sacks and seven tackles for loss, showing a unit struggling at the line of scrimmage.

“The most concerning part of offensive football from Saturday was the way that we did not protect the quarterback,” Pittman said. “And as we all know who played the game, at some point you’re going to try to do too much because you’re feeling like ‘we’ve got to make a big play because we’re not just consistently driving the ball down the field.’”

For Texas A&M, Elko doesn’t see their need for team improvements based on one or two different areas or focuses.

“It all boils down to consistency … and that’s a coach-speak answer to some degree,” said Elko. “I don’t think there’s the same glaring issue that shows up every single week, right? I think there’s progress.”

Arkansas leads the all-time series 41-35-3 but hasn’t beaten the Aggies since Sept. 25, 2021. In the nine-year series played at noted Arkansas alum Jerry Jones’ stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Razorbacks are 1-8.

While Pittman acknowledges the venue has helped Arkansas with Texas-based recruiting, it’s also a setback for the Razorbacks’ loyal fans back in Fayetteville.

“We’re playing one game out of the first five at home, and Auburn’s going to play five in a row at home, and I believe that it’s really hard to get the fan base excited if they don’t have an opportunity to see the hogs,” Pittman said. “This will give an opportunity at least one more every other year to have a home game.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs with the ball against the Florida Gators during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

QB watch on as No. 25 Texas A&M hosts Bowling Green

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All eyes are on No. 25 Texas A&M’s quarterback situation this week as the team prepares to face Bowling Green on Saturday in College Station.

Starting quarterback Conner Weigman remains “day-to-day,” Aggies coach Mike Elko said Monday. Freshman Marcel Reed, who had a terrific game in leading A&M past Florida last weekend, is the other option.

“We’ll continue to manage the quarterback room very similar to how we have and play the guy Saturday that we think gives us the best chance to win,” Elko said.

Reed looked the part in his first college start against the Gators, completing 11 of 17 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 83 yards and a TD in the 33-20 win. That performance earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

Outside of the quarterback situation, A&M has had little to complain about since its season-opening loss to Notre Dame. The Aggies rolled past McNeese on Sept. 7 and then had little trouble getting by Florida in the Swamp.

The season is young, but the Aggies have shown signs of a strong running game, averaging 263 yards per game on the ground. Defensively, they have a combined 15 tackles for loss and five interceptions.

Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler understands the challenge ahead for his team. The MAC has held its own so far against power schools, notably Northern Illinois stunning Notre Dame and Toledo routing Mississippi State. Bowling Green almost joined the list, holding a halftime lead against No. 10 Penn State before falling 34-27 last weekend.

This is another opportunity for the Falcons to make a statement but, in reality, there is a reason oddsmakers had them open as a 23 1/2-point underdog.

“We’ve got our hands full,” Loeffler said. “This is a very, very talented team. There’s some things where they’re very, very strong at that’s kind of our weaknesses a little bit.

“So, we’ve got to find different ways to get things done because they’re big, they’re powerful, super strong, athletic. Everything that you would think of when it comes to an SEC team.”

The Falcons are led by a former SEC quarterback, Connor Bazelak, who started his college career at Missouri. Bazelak has completed 65.6 percent of his passes so far with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also rushed for a score.

Bowling Green’s playmakers include tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who had 11 catches for 137 yards and one TD at Penn State.

“It’s a really experienced offensive group,” Elko said of Bowling Green. “They present a lot of stress on you with how they run their system. They do a really, really good job. And so this is a talented group for sure.”

For Elko, the matchup also brings back some fond memories of his early coaching days. He was Bowling Green’s defensive coordinator from 2009-13 under Dave Clawson. The Falcons went 10-4 in 2013, Elko’s final season as DC.

“Our family absolutely loved that town,” Elko said. “We have a lot of really fond memories, a lot of really good friends that live up in Bowling Green. A lot of respect for that school, a lot of respect for that university and their program.”

This will be the first meeting between Bowling Green and A&M.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier looks on against the Samford Bulldogs during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Gators sticking with two-QB plan as they prepare for Mississippi State

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Florida and Mississippi State are both badly in need of a victory as they meet Saturday in Starkville, Miss.

The Gators (1-2, 0-1 SEC), who didn’t offer much resistance in their 41-17 season-opening setback to Miami, had a similarly disappointing home performance in a 33-20 loss to Texas A&M last Saturday.

The poor start already is leading to speculation about the future of third-year head coach Billy Napier.

“Everything that happens within our team and organization is my responsibility,” said Napier, whose first two teams finished a combined 11-14. “This place has great history and tradition. You want to get it back there. It’s one of the reasons you take the job and accept the challenge.”

Napier said he’s likely to continue to play two quarterbacks, senior Graham Mertz and freshman DJ Lagway.

“The impressive thing to me is just how both these guys have handled themselves, how they’re working together, the camaraderie they have,” Napier said. “Ultimately, my expectation is they both prepare well, they both practice well and they both play lights-out when given a chance.”

The Gators are playing their first SEC road game while the Bulldogs (1-2) are playing their SEC opener a week after a 41-17 home loss against Toledo.

First-year head coach Jeff Lebby’s team suffered the program’s most-lopsided nonconference home loss since 2006.

“Both sides of the ball, the self-inflicted wounds and the facts of not being able to get out of our own way at times was probably the most disappointing thing,” Lebby said.

MSU did not gain a first down on any of its first three possessions and didn’t score a touchdown until less than six minutes remained in the third quarter.

“You look at us offensively, negative plays on the first three drives of the game put us in such bad situations,” Lebby said. “The messaging to our guys is focusing incredibly small, everybody understanding we’ve got this job to do, us as coaches and us as players, and to just do our job and focus solely on that.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) throws the ball during the second quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Conner Weigman, Texas A&M out to rebound vs. FCS McNeese

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Conner Weigman and Texas A&M look to work out the kinks on Saturday afternoon when they welcome FCS foe McNeese to College Station, Texas.

It couldn’t have gone much worse in the season opener for Weigman, who completed just 12 of 30 passes for 100 yards and two interceptions in the Aggies’ 23-13 home setback to then-No. 7 Notre Dame last Saturday. Heck, television cameras even caught him vomiting as he returned to the sideline following a drive in the second half.

The loss spoiled the debut of Mike Elko as coach of Texas A&M and ultimately knocked the then-No. 20 Aggies out of the AP Top 25 poll.

Elko, however, told reporters Monday that he feels confident that Weigman will shake off that performance when he faces the Cowboys (1-1).

“I think he’s gonna respond great,” Elko said. “I think he’s a competitor. I think he’s a winner. The kids are confident in him, I’m confident in him. He’s confident in himself. I think he’s gonna go out and have a great week of practice and become the quarterback we know he can become.”

Weigman didn’t hang his head too long after the season-opening loss to the Fighting Irish.

“The sun came up Sunday morning. I watched the film, get better, learn from it and move on to McNeese this week and we’ve got to go have a hell of a game,” Weigman said. “… If my footwork’s better, my accuracy’s better, my completion percentage is better. It’s a trickle effect. Simple as that, I can’t put it in any other words.”

The Aggies also need to shore up their play against the run. Notre Dame gashed Texas A&M for 198 yards on the ground, highlighted by touchdown runs of 47 and 21 yards.

McNeese has flourished thus far on the ground in each of its first two games. The Cowboys rolled up 200 yards rushing in a 26-23 loss to Tarleton State on Aug. 24 and 164 in a 21-7 victory over Southern last Saturday.

D’Angelo Durham found the end zone in both games and quarterback Clifton McDowell rushed for two touchdowns last week to give McNeese its first non-forfeit win since Nov. 12, 2022.

“I couldn’t be (prouder) of my team,” Cowboys coach Gary Goff said. “They didn’t quit, they continued to fight. Breaking the ice and getting that first win for these guys means everything. We had to have that moment. … I think that gives us a lot of momentum moving forward.”

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) who is hurt, dresses and throws some pre-game passes with fellow quarterbacks Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.

No. 20 Texas A&M-No. 7 Notre Dame matchup features ‘weird’ reunion

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A head coach and quarterback tend to have a close bond.

That’s why it feels so strange for Mike Elko to prepare for the Saturday season opener between No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 7 Notre Dame in College Station, Texas.

For the previous two seasons, Elko served as head coach at Duke, where he recorded back-to-back winning seasons with Riley Leonard as his quarterback. Both of them moved onward and upward this offseason, with Elko landing the top job at Texas A&M and Leonard transferring to Notre Dame.

Now, the coach will spend Saturday trying to ruin his old quarterback’s evening.

“I think it’s interesting and weird and not really something I want to do,” Elko said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a part of the game. Obviously, (I) have a tremendous amount of respect for who he is not just as a player but also as a young man, his family and all of that.

“It’ll be three hours competing against each other and then the rest of the year rooting for him.”

Leonard will make his debut under center for Notre Dame, which brought him in to replace departed signal-caller Sam Hartman. Leonard passed for 4,450 yards and 24 touchdowns in parts of three seasons at Duke, and he proved capable with his feet as he rushed for 1,224 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman knows that Leonard and his teammates are in for a hostile environment at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. Freeman and his coaching staff piped in noise during recent practices as a way to prepare for the chaos.

“We’ve trained, really, being able to execute your assignment in crazy conditions, with crowd noise and trying to do surprise situations in practice,” Freeman said. “But at the end of the day, they’ve got to do it when it matters, right?”

Notre Dame is coming off a 10-win season and has lofty goals in the first season of the expanded College Football Playoff format. The Fighting Irish have gone 19-7 since Freeman succeeded Brian Kelly as head coach.

Meanwhile, Texas A&M hopes that Elko can re-establish a proud program that has waned in recent seasons. The Aggies finished 7-6 last season and 5-7 the year before that, which is a big reason the school bought out former coach Jimbo Fisher.

Elko’s first test will be a big one. He said opening the season against a top-10 team comes with pros and cons.

“The pluses are the attention you’ve had (from) your players for the last eight months,” Elko said. “When you have this type of game, the sense of urgency you have from a preparation standpoint, the sense of urgency we had in training camp, you’d like to say that’s because of the coaches, but I’m certain the opener plays a huge role in that. …

“The negatives of it is it’s an opener. … You’re not going to have a lot of time to ease into this new program, these new systems that we’re running. You’re going to have to go out there opening night and be firing on all cylinders.”

This is the sixth meeting between the programs. Notre Dame has a 3-2 edge in the all-time series, though the Aggies won the most recent matchup in 2001 at home.

–Field Level Media