Every week in the SEC is a new test, and this weekend in Columbia was no exception. Coming off an emotional win in Death Valley, a lot of people around the country expected this to be a classic trap game for Texas A&M. Instead of falling flat, this team came out focused, composed and ready to handle business.
The Aggies defeated Missouri 38–17 and improved to 9-0 on the season for the first time since 1992. This win was another prime opportunity for A&M to prove that they can win on the road in tough environments and do it with consistency. What stood out most in this game was how mature this group played. While it definitely wasn’t perfect, this game showcased physicality, grit and efficiency.
When you watch a team come off a huge emotional win like the one against LSU, it’s easy to let your foot off the gas. That didn’t happen here. The Aggies controlled this game from start to finish, and they did it behind the same formula that’s carried them all season: A balanced offense, a dominant front seven and an unshakable belief in what Mike Elko has built.
Marcel Reed: Calm, confident and commanding
Reed continues to find ways to grow every single week. The poise and leadership he’s exuding as a young quarterback are special. He finished the game 20-of-29 for 221 yards and two passing touchdowns. Alongside these passing yards, he ran for another 29 yards on five carries.
What’s standing out to me more and more each week isn’t just how he has developed throwing the football, but also how he's commanding the offense to create success for this team. He is playing with a level of confidence and leadership that allows every player around him to play at their very best each week.
My favorite play of Reed’s came on A&M’s first offensive drive of the second half. On a crucial third-and-6, Missouri’s defense showed a heavy pressure look with seven defenders on the line of scrimmage. This look is most known as a “blitz zero” look. This is where Reed showcased his ability to command a team. He immediately recognized this look and called the perfect counter, a tunnel screen to one of the most dynamic players in the entire country, KC Concepcion. The electric wideout took the ball 48 yards to the house, giving the Aggies a crucial touchdown to put them up 21-0 as the Tigers weren't truly able to threaten the rest of the game.
This is what championship-caliber quarterback play looks like. Reed is not just managing games. He’s dictating them. He’s finding ways to play winning football no matter what the opponent throws at him.
Aggies win games on the ground
A&M’s ground attack continues to be one of the most consistent weapons in the country. While the rushing game did start off to a slow start, A&M’s offensive physicality wore down Mizzou’s defensive front, allowing the Ags to put the Tigers away in the fourth quarter. Rueben Owens II led the way with 13 carries for 102 yards, showing the burst and vision that have made him a key part of this offense. Owens ran hard, using his skill set to seal the victory late in the fourth quarter with a 57-yard touchdown run with 7:40 left in the game.
EJ Smith was a great support back to Owens on Saturday night. Smith’s physical running style punishes defenses when he gets his opportunities, carrying the ball six times for 24 yards and a touchdown. Smith continues to impress me when he gets his chances, and I expect him to get even more touches as we get farther down the home stretch of this season.
In total, the Aggies ran for 243 yards, averaging more than six yards a carry. That kind of production doesn’t just happen. It’s built on physicality up front and discipline in the backfield. The running backs hit the holes decisively, and the offensive line wore down this strong Tiger front, allowing the Aggies to dominate in the second half.
Offensive Line: The engine of this offense
Week after week, this group keeps setting the tone. Trey Zuhn III, Chase Bisontis, Mark Nabou Jr., Ar’maj Reed-Adams and Dametrious Crownover continue to play like one of the best offensive lines in the SEC.
This unit controlled the trenches from the opening drive. They created running lanes, protected Reed and dictated the pace of the game. Missouri’s defense managed to record only one sack all night, and outside of that, Reed rarely faced consistent pressure. That’s a credit to this group’s communication and toughness in another hostile road environment.
In the SEC, everything starts up front. If you can win the line of scrimmage, you can win any game. And right now, this offensive line is dominating people. They’re physical, disciplined and playing with a swagger that you love to see this time of year. In my opinion, this is a unit that could be up for the Joe Moore Award when it’s all said and done.
Dalton Brooks
In tough games on the road in the SEC, good teams have players who step up to make critical plays to help their team win, and that is exactly what Brooks did to help this team win this football game.
The kid from Shiner made two of the biggest plays of the day, one of which came from a gutsy fake punt call by Elko, allowing Brooks to run for a 48-yard gain and leading to a field goal. Plays like this ultimately destroy any momentum that a team feels like they’re building at home. One minute, your defense gets a stop, and you feel like you have an opportunity to get back in this football game. Next, you watch Brooks run down your sideline.
His other big play was his fumble recovery and run after a strip sack by Daymion Sanford. Brooks took it all the way down to the 2-yard line, which eventually led to a crucial momentum-building touchdown right before the half. Big-time players make big-time plays, and week to week, we see players step up all around this football team. That’s why this team continues to win.
Brooks is a versatile player both defensively and on special teams. His ability to be used in blitz packages and coverages makes him such a great safety for this football team. I have been very proud to see the player that he has become.
Receivers: Depth, balance and production
This wide receiver group remains consistent in this offense. Concepcion (four receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown) and Mario Craver (six catches for 59 yards) continue to be steady, reliable targets, and both came up with critical catches in key moments. Ashton Bethel-Roman (two catches for 26 yards) continues to establish himself as a legitimate third option, catching the first touchdown of the game for the Aggies in the first quarter.
When all three of these guys are on the field, defenses have to pick their poison. Concepcion works the middle of the field with elite route running. Craver stretches the defense vertically. Bethel-Roman’s athleticism creates matchup problems on the perimeter.
The balance between these three, paired with the backs catching passes out of the backfield, makes this offense extremely hard to stop. It’s not flashy. It’s efficient and dangerous.
Tight ends capitalize on their chances
Week to week, I feel that this is the group that has experienced the most growth in how they have been used in the offense. Theo Melin-Öhrström, Nate Boerkircher and Amari Niblack are all becoming complete tight ends for this football team. As a former TE, this is a group that I think played the best complete football game as a unit, from being threats in the passing game and catching the football, to being impactful in the run game. There are plays all throughout this game where you can watch their impact.
The group as a whole had 38 yards on five catches, and while that number doesn’t jump off the screen, you can go back and see that they are as reliable a group of tight ends as you will find in the country. Makes me proud to see what these guys are doing week to week.
Defense: Physical, disciplined and back to form
After giving up big yardage totals earlier in the season, this defense came into Columbia with something to prove, and they delivered. It started up front with Cashius Howell, T.J. Searcy, Dayon Hayes, Albert Regis, Tyler Onyedim and DJ Hicks, who battled to win the line of scrimmage all night. They were disruptive, shedding blocks and competing to get Missouri’s quarterback off his spot. Behind them, Sanford stepped up to be an impact player on this defense. His physicality and instincts continue to elevate everyone around him. He played fast, physical and never let Missouri’s run game find rhythm for long stretches.
Now, make no mistake, Missouri did find some success on the ground, rushing for 207 yards on the day, but the Aggies didn’t break. Every time the Tigers began to build momentum, this defense answered with a big play or a key stop to take it back. They forced two turnovers, including a crucial fumble late in the second quarter that the Aggies converted into a touchdown before halftime, completely swinging momentum.
On the edges, Howell and Hayes were constant problems for Missouri’s tackles. Howell recorded a sack and was disruptive throughout, while Hayes collapsed the pocket and forced hurried throws all game long. Sanford and Taurean York continued to play downhill football, with Sanford notching a strip sack and York bringing physicality that set the tone in the second half.
The secondary — led by Tyreek Chappell, Marcus Ratcliffe, Dalton Brooks, Dezz Ricks and Will Lee III — played disciplined, confident football. Alongside the defensive line's pressure, they limited Missouri’s passing offense to just 77 total yards and kept the Tigers from finding the end zone in the first half. That kind of lockdown coverage allows the front seven to stay aggressive, and you could feel how connected this defense played at every level.
This defensive unit looked like itself: physical, relentless and smart. They bent at times, especially against the run, but they refused to break. They did what they needed to do to win this football game, and they controlled the line when it mattered. Defenses that refuse to crack make the big plays that define championship-caliber defenses.
When you can give up yards and still own the momentum, that’s when you know you’re playing grown-man football. That’s exactly what the Aggies did in Columbia.
Culture and Composure: Built Different
What’s impressed me the most about this football team is how mature they are. There’s no panic. There’s no emotional rollercoaster. They trust each other. They trust the process. They trust their preparation.
For years, we’ve seen A&M teams talk about wanting to take the next step. And for years, I played on teams that were just missing that bit of maturity to achieve true greatness, but this group is actually doing it. They’re not just talking about it, they’re proving it week in and week out.
Elko has instilled discipline, confidence and belief in this program, and you can see it in the way these players approach every game. They don’t play to survive and SEC road match up. They play to dominate.
Closing Thoughts: A Championship-Caliber Mindset
Saturday’s win at Missouri is exactly what this program is becoming. A program where top-25 wins on the road are no longer something that we hope for, but something that we expect. It wasn’t all that flashy. It wasn’t emotional. It was business. That’s the difference.
That’s what great teams do. They go out and get the job done.
The Aggies are now 9-0, and every week, they’re showing the rest of the country that this isn’t a fluke. It’s the new standard of this program. This team is physical, mature, and I believe still improving every single week.
This was another step toward something special, another moment that proves this program is finally where it belongs, in the conversation for a championship.
Gig ‘Em and BTHO South Carolina!
