Texas A&M’s dreams of an undefeated regular season are getting more and more realistic.
The No. 3 Aggies (9-0, 6-0 SEC) had no trouble in a 38-17 win over No. 22 Missouri thanks to two touchdowns in a four minute span sandwiching halftime.
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A&M led just 7-0 and Missouri had the ball at the end of the second quarter with the hope of tying the game before halftime. Instead, Daymion Sanford stripped the ball from Mizzou QB Matt Zollers as the quarterback went to throw and the ball popped into Dalton Brooks’ arms.
Brooks returned the fumble to the Missouri 2-yard line, and RB E.J. Smith scored with 20 seconds to go.
Missouri (6-3, 2-3) went three-and-out to start the second half and A&M responded with a 48-yard catch-and-run by receiver KC Concepcion for a 21-0 lead.
Given the way Missouri’s offense was playing, Concepcion’s TD effectively ended the game. And even if that wasn’t enough of a dagger, Brooks made another big play after the Tigers had cut the lead to 14.
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A&M ran a fake punt with Brooks lined up in the backfield as a blocker. He took a direct snap and ran to his right for a 48-yard gain to set up an Aggies field goal and another three-possession lead.
Missouri’s offense struggled as Zollers, a true freshman, made the first start of his career. After beginning the season as the team’s No. 3 QB, Zollers was elevated to No. 2 in Week 1 after backup Sam Horn suffered a season-ending injury. In the Tigers’ last game against Vanderbiit, starter Beau Pribula suffered a dislocated ankle on a fourth-down run and Zollers replaced him in the second half of the Tigers’ 17-10 loss.
With Zollers ineffective through the air, A&M was able to key on Missouri’s run game. Ahmad Hardy broke a 40-yard run on the Tigers’ first offensive play of the game but was otherwise held in check.
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Texas A&M can clinch a spot in the SEC title game next week
It’s unlikely, but A&M could be guaranteed a spot in the conference title game as soon as Week 12.
The Aggies entered Week 11 tied with Alabama atop the conference at 5-0 with Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas all with one conference loss. With Georgia playing Texas in Week 12, an A&M win over South Carolina along with a loss by Ole Miss to Florida and an Alabama loss to either LSU on Saturday night or Oklahoma in Week 12 would clinch a spot in Atlanta for the Aggies.
Again, that’s unlikely. But A&M is poised to capitalize in 2025 after being in a similar spot and coming up short in 2024.
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A season ago, A&M lost its last three conference games of the season against South Carolina, Auburn and Texas. The defeats dropped the Aggies out of the SEC title game, even as they had a chance to get to Atlanta with a win over the Longhorns in the final week of the season.
It’s possible that A&M could be in a similar spot in 2025. But with the way this team is playing, a repeat of the end of the 2024 season looks more and more impossible with each passing week.