Texas A&M’s defensive showing allowed the Aggies to narrowly escape Auburn on Saturday at Kyle Field, 16-10.
It marks the ninth-ranked Aggies’ first 4-0 start since 2016.
Hugh Freeze’s offense was inefficient early, as a three-and-out drive ended with a Daymion Sanford sack.
A&M landed the first punch. Marcel Reed completed a 24-yard pass to KC Concepcion before Le’Veon Moss found 38 more on the ground. The star running back capped off the four-play march with a touchdown, A&M’s first opening touchdown this season.
Jackson Arnold & Co. were stopped once again as a false start penalty set the Tigers behind the chains, forcing another three-and-out. Similarly, A&M moved the sticks once but punted the following drive.
The Tiger quarterback ran for Auburn’s initial first down of the day with 6:55 to go in the first frame, but the Aggie defense held firm.
Back on offense, a holding call erased a chain-moving Amari Daniels’ run, and Reed was sacked a second time. Another penalty backed up the punt unit, where it bounced out of bounds at A&M’s 43-yard line.
Yet, Auburn’s offense failed to capitalize on the prime field position as DJ Hicks sacked Arnold, and Taurean York nearly picked off a pass.
With 96 yards of real estate ahead of them, Reed & Co. kicked off the second quarter with a lackluster response. The march began with an 11-yard rush from Moss, but three straight incompletions doomed the drive.
A deep shot to Eric Singleton Jr. moved Auburn near the red zone. Instead of third-and-17, another penalty allowed the visitors to move closer to the goal line. A&M’s corners were tested as Will Lee III and Dezz Ricks sealed the sidelines, forcing Auburn to kick a 32-yard field goal.
A&M found some rhythm on the ground on the following drive, and Mario Craver got involved. Craver remedied Reed’s missed deep ball and a drop by Terry Bussey, using yards after the catch to find the first on third down. With Moss in the injury tent, Rueben Owens II sped away for 33 yards, and A&M kicked a field goal five plays later, 10-7.
Highlighted by a York tackle for loss, Auburn went three-and-out to give the ball to A&M with 4:38 before the half.
Moss returned to action, and the Aggies ran the rock until Reed found Amari Niblack for a gain of 23. Bond’s 49-yard field goal allowed the Aggies to take a 10-point lead.
What looked to be another three-and-out drive for Auburn was kept alive as Albert Regis ran into the kicker, gifting the Tigers another set of downs, but they failed to do anything with it.
Reed manufactured a 46-yard, 38-second drive to end the first half, setting up a 50-yard field goal attempt for Bond. However, the senior missed, keeping it a two-score ball game.
After the break, Texas A&M’s offense responded sheepishly. Concepcion, Ashton Bethel-Roman and Craver all caught chain-moving grabs, but a wealth of penalties kept spoiling any good the Aggies did. From 49 yards out, Bond missed another field goal to keep things close.
Thankfully for A&M, the Aggie defense prevented Auburn from scoring once again. Across from midfield and going for it on fourth down, York tackled Arnold short of the line to gain. Yet, the Maroon & White handed it back three plays later.
A pair of passes to Brandon Frazier helped Auburn move the ball downfield until the penalty bug started to bite the Tigers, capping off a scoreless third quarter.
On third down, Nate Boerkircher rushed to move the chains on an essential drive for A&M. A pair of Moss rushes and Concepcion’s seventh catch all moved the sticks. On another big third down just outside the red zone, Reed’s pass to Bussey was high, and Xavier Atkins picked it off and ran it back 73 yards. Arnold punched in the score to make it a 13-10 game.
To follow, both squads traded off uninspiring offensive drives. A&M continued to feed Moss, with carries of 20 and six, before Reed found Craver in the end zone. To no suprise, the play was wiped away thanks to another penalty, and the Maroon & White settled for a field goal.
A&M’s defense held sturdy once again when the Aggies needed it most, forcing a three-and-out with 2:26 remaining.
A trio of Moss rushes took the game down to the two-minute warning until White punted away. After two short throws, Auburn was faced with fourth and one, where Dayon Hayes sealed the game with a sack.
RUMBLED: A&M’s defense held its own. Giving up just a field goal through three quarters, they gave Reed & Co. all the help they could get. Linebacker Taurean York led the pack with six tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, one pass breakup and three quarterback hurries.
STUMBLED: The Aggies committed 13 penalties for 119 yards on Saturday. After a bye, A&M proved to be undisciplined, sputtered offensively and consistently made costly mistakes. Still, they did just enough to bandage the self-inflicted wounds.
TURNING POINT: With a 13-3 lead in the fourth quarter, A&M was driving downfield. On third-and-1 at Auburn’s 21-yard line, Reed was picked off by Xavier Atkins, who ran it back 73 yards. Auburn scored on the ensuing play. Bond kicked a field goal, allowing the Aggies to take a six-point lead. The A&M defense responded by forcing two three-and-outs and a turnover-on-downs after the pick.
UNSUNG HERO: Tyler Onyedim consistently put pressure on Arnold all day, tackling the quarterback three times for a gain of one each time. The Iowa State transfer was a big part of A&M’s best defensive showing all year.
KEY STAT: Auburn finished 0-for-12 on third down. The Tigers’ lack of conversions plagued their offense.
Scoring Summary
First-quarter
A&M: 12:14 - Le’Veon Moss 1-yard rushing touchdown. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards. TOP 1:41. Texas A&M 7, Auburn 0
Second-quarter
AUB: 10:50 - Alex McPherson 32-yard field goal. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards. TOP 1:49. Texas A&M 7, Auburn 3
A&M: 6:49 - Randy Bond 33-yard field goal. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards. TOP 4:01. Texas A&M 10, Auburn 3
A&M: 1:45 - Randy Bond 49-yard field goal. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards. TOP 2:53. Texas A&M 13, Auburn 3
Fourth-quarter
AUB: 10:20 - Jackson Arnold 1-yard rushing touchdown. Drive: 1 plays, 2 yards. TOP 0:17. Texas A&M 13, Auburn 10
A&M: 2:42 - Randy Bond 44-yard field goal. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards. TOP 2:28. Texas A&M 16, Auburn 10
