No. 14 Missouri gets a Texas A&M team in Columbia that has already lived two very different seasons in the span of five games.
The Aggies arrived with the kind of hype that comes with national title talk, then stumbled hard. Texas A&M is 3-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play after being beaten by Kentucky and LSU in its first two conference games.
That slide knocked the Aggies out of the top 25. But they steadied themselves last Saturday with a convincing 34-7 win over Arkansas, and now they come in trying to keep that momentum from slipping away again.
There’s plenty for Missouri to watch on the other side of the ball, because Texas A&M still has the pieces to be dangerous when things click. The offense has been uneven under new coordinator Holmon Wiggins, who replaced the kind of production the Aggies had with former co-OC Collin Klein before Klein took the Kansas State job. Through five games, Texas A&M ranks 98th in FBS in total offense, though that was an improvement from 112th before the Arkansas game.
Quarterback Marcel Reed has been a big part of the inconsistency. His decision-making has hurt the Aggies at times, but the ceiling is still obvious when Texas A&M can run the ball and let Reed work off that.
Against Arkansas, the ground game finally showed up in a major way: 231 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 49 carries. Rueben Owens II is the lead back, with KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker rotating in behind him.
The passing game has enough firepower to create problems too. All-American Mario Craver and Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton headline a receiver group that can stress secondaries.
The offensive line remains another work in progress. Texas A&M has nine sacks allowed, along with 11 quarterback hurries and 21 tackles for loss surrendered this season.
LSU got to the Aggies for five sacks and seven tackles for loss. The front has also been shuffled around, including sophomore and former Mizzou commit Lamont Rogers making his first start at right tackle against Arkansas.
Defensively, Texas A&M has changed voices as well. Lyle Hemphill is running the unit now after taking over from Jay Bateman, who is now Kentucky’s defensive coordinator. The Aggies still look like a Mike Elko defense: aggressive, physical and built to create problems.
So far, that side of the ball has been solid. Texas A&M is giving up 18.6 points per game, which ranks 38th nationally and just ahead of Missouri’s 40th-place mark.
The Aggies have forced eight takeaways, and those turnovers have led to 41 points on the scoreboard. They’ve also done a strong job getting off the field, holding opponents to a 26.4% third-down conversion rate, which ranks 11th in FBS.
The numbers through the air are respectable as well. Texas A&M is allowing 191.8 passing yards per game, good for 44th in the country, though the coverage has been shaky at times in zone.
Missouri has had its own recent edge in this matchup disappear. Since both teams joined the SEC, the Tigers and Aggies have met six times, and Missouri has dropped the last three.
In those three losses, the Tigers never scored more than 17 points. Texas A&M beat Missouri 38-17 in Columbia last season and leads the all-time series 11-7, with the first meeting coming in 1957.
Saturday gives both teams a chance to reset the tone of their season. Kickoff is 11 a.m. Saturday on ABC.
In Other News...
Drinkwitz Leaves Mizzou Waiting On Freshmen Discipline Decision
Missouri is still waiting on a decision involving three freshmen who were arrested on first-degree harassment charges and released on bond, with Ahmod Billins, Karsten Fiene and Trashundon Neal all remaining on the roster. None of the three has played since the Tigers Week 1 game, and the situation has left their status in limbo as the program sorts through the next steps.
Eli Drinkwitz has acknowledged the matter and said the legal process will be allowed to play out before Missouri makes any team decisions. For now, the Tigers are keeping the focus on the process rather than rushing to a discipline ruling, which means the wait continues for three players whose football futures with the program are still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Freshman Lineman Faces A Frightening Health Crisis
Johnnie DJ Jones has quickly become one of the most important names around Missouri for all the wrong reasons. The freshman offensive lineman is dealing with a serious heart issue that was first noticed through initial observations and then confirmed with a second opinion, turning what began as a medical concern into something far more alarming for the Tigers program and everyone close to him.
Eli Drinkwitz said the team is rallying around Jones and his family with support and prayers as they face an incredibly difficult stretch. For Missouri, the immediate football picture has taken a back seat to Jones health, and the uncertainty hanging over a young players future is the kind of story that cuts far deeper than any game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Freshman Lineman Faces A Far More Important Fight Than Football
Missouris season has already had plenty of attention on the line of scrimmage, but freshman offensive tackle Johnnie Jones is dealing with something far bigger than football. The program said Jones underwent initial observation before further evaluation at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., where doctors identified a significant heart issue. Coach Eli Drinkwitz disclosed the news during a press conference and said the Tigers are standing with Jones and his family through the process.
The update turns Joness immediate future into a medical fight, not a football one, and it leaves the focus on the care hes receiving away from the field. For Missouri, the concern is no longer about a young linemans development or where he might fit in the rotation, but about a player who is still at the clinic as the next steps in his treatment are sorted out. [Read more 🡒]