Texas A&M left Saturday with a 41-0 win over the Citadel, and that was enough to sharpen the focus on what comes next: Alabama.
The Crimson Tide lost on the road to Tennessee earlier in the afternoon, and the Aggies now turn their attention to a meeting with Kalen DeBoer’s team. Texas A&M has not faced Alabama since 2023, and it has not won in Tuscaloosa since 2012. That is the size of the challenge sitting in front of them.
Still, the Citadel game offered a clear clue about where the Aggies can create a better shot. The answer is simple, maybe even too simple: Texas A&M needs to lean harder into the designed run game with Marcel Reed.
Reed looked as comfortable as he has all season, and the bigger dose of designed runs for him was no coincidence. The Aggies have been more cautious with him than they were previously, likely because of the limited quarterback depth in the room, but that caution has run its course. It’s the second half of the season now, and Texas A&M needs every possible edge to get the offense moving.
Reed’s legs have always been his biggest weapon in college, and the Aggies have to use that more aggressively. They did not get nearly enough of it in the last two road games against LSU and Missouri, and both outings produced the kind of offensive struggles that followed naturally.
Designing runs for Reed also helps Texas A&M keep defenses from keying on the rest of the rushing attack. Missouri went after Reed whenever the play had any read element to it, forcing him to give the ball up, and there were a couple of times when he handed off even when he probably shouldn’t have. Putting more intentional runs on the call sheet lets him stay active as part of the ground game instead of turning him into a passive piece of it.
Texas A&M’s defense still has issues to sort through, but the last couple of games have shown that Alabama’s offense can be slowed by a good defense. That gives the Aggies a path into the game. But if they turn in another offensive showing like Missouri, where nothing could really get rolling, the upset chances disappear fast.
They’re about to face a swarming, aggressive defense, so the Aggies need to force that group to react a half-step late. Using Marcel Reed in the run game with purpose is how they can do it, and Mike Elko and Holmon Wiggins need to make sure it’s part of the plan.
In Other News...
Texas A&M May Have Found Something On Offense At The Right Time
A lopsided win over The Citadel gave Texas A&M a chance to clean up some offensive rhythm, and the Aggies took it. In a 41-0 non-conference victory in Week 7, Texas A&M piled up 501 yards while the defense kept The Citadel to 183 total yards, a performance that looked more like the balance the Aggies have been searching for as the schedule gets tougher.
Marcel Reed continued to settle in at quarterback, pushing his completion rate to 62 percent and connecting with Aaron Gregory for a touchdown. Jamarion Morrow added the kind of red-zone punch this offense can lean on, scoring three times in a game where the Aggies did just about everything cleanly. The bigger question now is whether this was a one-week reset or the start of something more useful for Texas A&M moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Marcel Reed Just Changed The Alabama Conversation For Texas A&M
A routine win over The Citadel still offered a useful glimpse of where Texas A&Ms offense may be headed, and Marcel Reed was at the center of it. The Aggies kept the game on schedule by scoring touchdowns on every drive Reed directed in the first half, while the defense handled the triple-option side of things with a shutout that never let the afternoon get away from them.
Reed finished 8 of 13 for 130 yards and a touchdown without an interception, which only added to the sense that his passing game is settling in at the right time. With other offensive pieces contributing and Alabama next on the calendar, the decision at quarterback now carries a different kind of weight for the Aggies, and it is no longer just about who can get them through a tune-up. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Showed Which Aggies Are Ready To Lead Right Now
Texas A&Ms 41-0 win over The Citadel was the kind of afternoon that can tell a coach a lot beyond the scoreboard. In a lopsided game, the Aggies still got meaningful proof that some of their veterans and playmakers are settling into bigger roles, with the ground game, passing attack and defense all showing clear signs of reliable leadership.
The running back who piled up 116 yards on 13 carries gave the offense a steady edge, while the receiver who snagged six balls for 94 yards and two touchdowns kept turning routine possessions into points. On the other side of the ball, a safety who finished with seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss helped set the tone, giving Texas A&M a glimpse of which players are ready to carry more of the load as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]