Texas A&M’s offensive line didn’t exactly announce itself in the first half of Saturday’s 50-0 win over Missouri State. Then the second half arrived, the group settled in, and quarterback Marcel Reed saw the response he wanted.
The adjustment came after third-year coach Mike Elko and offensive line coach Adam Cushing made changes that sharpened the communication at the line of scrimmage and got the group more locked in on its assignments. On the tape, the biggest issue traced back to missed assignments, which made sense for a season opener after Texas A&M replaced four starters from the 2025 unit.
There were still some clear bright spots. At left tackle, LSU transfer Tyree Adams turned in the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade on the team at 79.3, and he stood out in both pass protection and run blocking.
That matters even more with Saturday’s home game against Arizona State coming up. Junior left guard Blake Ivy also appears set to keep his starting job after shaking off a shaky first half and looking much better after the break.
Elko had options if he wanted to get aggressive with the lineup, but he stuck with most of the original starting five. That included South Carolina transfer right guard Trovon Baugh, who also had a rough day.
For Reed, though, the bigger takeaway was the way his linemen carried themselves with each other and with him. After the game, he talked about the relationship he has built with the front, including right tackle Wilkin Formby, Adams, and Ivy.
"I remember running out, and Wilkin Formby just said, 'I love you, brother.' I said, 'I love you, too.'
Tyree Adams was checking in on me. I saw Blake Ivy maul somebody and get hype.
They're going to protect me."
He added another note on the group’s mindset and the way they handled him throughout the game.
"They said more to me. They tried to lift me up.
Respect those guys a lot and the care they have for their quarterbacks. Those guys want to protect.
I know they will get it done each Saturday."
Now it falls to Cushing to clean up the remaining problems, and there could still be lineup changes if needed. But the second-half turnaround gave Texas A&M something real to build on heading into Saturday, Sept. 6, when the Aggies host Arizona State on ABC at 11 a.m.
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