When Texas A&M lines up against Arizona State, the conversation naturally starts at quarterback. That’s usually where these early-season Power 4 non-conference breakdowns go, and this one is no different on the surface: the Aggies have the edge with Marcel Reed against Cutter Boley.
But the cleaner advantage in College Station may belong to the other side of the ball entirely.
Mike Elko’s defense already showed what it can do in Texas A&M’s 50-0 opener against Missouri State. There’s only so much to read into that game - the Bears were overwhelmed from the jump, and the Aggies were expected to dominate.
Still, the numbers were hard to miss. Missouri State finished with fewer than 100 total yards, managed just four first downs, and got only 30 passing yards and 37 rushing yards.
That’s the kind of start that says the defense showed up ready, not just ready to survive.
Arizona State is a much better test. Under Kenny Dillingham, the Sun Devils have built real offensive punch.
In 2024, his second season, Arizona State finished with the nation’s No. 30 scoring offense and No. 20 ground game. The scoring output dipped last season, but Dillingham has continued to prove he knows how to steer an offense.
Even with the departures of running back Raleek Brown, quarterback Sam Leavitt to the transfer portal, and Jordyn Tyson to the NFL, the Sun Devils still look like a team that wants to run first and use that to open up the big-play passing game.
That’s where Texas A&M’s defense could tilt the matchup. The Aggies haven’t made stopping the run their calling card under Elko, but this is a spot where their secondary can shape the game. With returning production and talent back there, Texas A&M has a chance to squeeze Arizona State into a narrower plan.
If the Aggies can take away Cutter Boley’s explosive throws downfield, they can shrink the field and make Arizona State play on Texas A&M’s terms. That could force the Sun Devils into running the ball even when the situation doesn’t call for it.
Texas A&M and Arizona State kick off at 11:00 AM from Kyle Field this Saturday.
In Other News...
Rival Coach Just Turned LSUs SEC Controversy Into A Bigger Story
Mike Elko did not need much prompting to weigh in on LSUs recent run-in with the SEC, and the Texas A&M coach used a pointed analogy to describe what happened around Baton Rouge. Speaking after LSUs dispute with the league over its attempt to roster former NFL players, Elko compared the episode to a child pushing limits before the consequences arrive, a sharp way to frame a controversy that briefly had the Tigers staring at possible expulsion.
The SEC ultimately backed off after LSU filled those roster spots with eligible student-athletes and severed ties with the former NFL rookies, defusing a situation that had threatened to become much bigger. Elko said he expects things to settle down and LSU to remain in the league, but his remarks added another layer to a strange little saga that already had the SEC office and one of Texas A&Ms biggest rivals in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Elko Just Turned Up Texas A&Ms LSU Tension Again
Mike Elko has a way of making the SECs biggest rivalries sound a little more personal, and his latest remarks only added to the edge around Texas A&Ms meeting with LSU. The Aggies coach drew a comparison between the conferences disciplinary response and a parent correcting a child, a blunt way of saying LSU is being kept in check as the league weighs the fallout from the Tigers offseason activity.
For Texas A&M, it is the kind of comment that keeps an old SEC tension simmering in public view rather than letting it fade into the background. With future games between the Aggies and LSU looming, Elkos framing only sharpens the sense that this is about more than one isolated conference issue, because the rivalry already has enough history without needing any extra fuel. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Is Bringing Back One Of Kyle Fields Most Meaningful Traditions
Texas A&M will add a familiar layer of meaning to its upcoming Red, White and Blue Game against Arizona State at Kyle Field, using the matchup to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The Aggies are planning to wear special red, white and blue helmets and gloves, reviving a tradition that stretches back to the years immediately after 2001 and has long tied the programs on-field presence to a larger moment of remembrance.
The game has also carried a charitable side in the past, with previous Red, White and Blue Games helping raise funds for organizations connected to 9/11 relief efforts. For a fan base that values the symbolism attached to Kyle Field traditions, this one will once again be about more than just the opponent across the field. [Read more 🡒]