Texas A&M opens the season against a Missouri State team that arrives with more than the label of a typical warmup opponent. The Bears are in just their second year as an FBS program, and they’re coming off a 7-6 season that ended with a loss to Arkansas State in the XBox Bowl. That history alone makes this a little more interesting than a standard opener, even if Missouri State still profiles as a major underdog.
There’s also a familiar Aggie tie in the mix. Former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino was Missouri State’s head coach not long before the program made the jump, a connection ESPN could easily highlight during the broadcast.
What Missouri State did last season suggests it can compete at this level in spots, but the roster has been hit hard by turnover. The Bears had a senior-led offense a year ago with quarterback Jacob Clark and running back Shomani Lawrence, and both are gone.
That leaves Missouri State with one of the worst returning production marks in the country. Still, the Bears managed to reach double-digit scoring in every game last season, including matchups with USC and SMU, so the offense did show it could punch above its weight.
This year, they’ll lean on UTEP transfer Skylar Locklear, a dual-threat quarterback, to help keep things moving.
The transfer additions were limited beyond that, though Missouri State did bring in former SMU offensive lineman King Large, one of the best names in the sport. Even so, the Bears’ offensive ceiling looks much lower than it did a year ago, which gives Texas A&M a real chance to clamp down early.
This will also be the first game for new Missouri State head coach Casey Woods, who previously served as offensive coordinator at SMU. Woods takes over after Ryan Beard left for Coastal Carolina, and he inherits a roster that won’t look anything like the one he had with the Ponies. At SMU last season, Woods helped coordinate the nation’s 24th-best offense in yards per play.
For Texas A&M’s defense, that coaching change adds another wrinkle to an opener already worth watching. First games under new leadership can get weird, and the Aggies will have to sort through that unknown as they settle in.
One more area that stands out: Missouri State’s discipline. The Bears were among the most-penalized teams in the nation in 2025, finishing 125th out of 136 teams with 7.6 penalties per game and 66.5 penalty yards per contest. That kind of sloppiness can undo drives fast, and it’s another reason Texas A&M should be in position to control this game.
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For A&M, the appeal is in the variety. Edwards, Morrow and Owens can all fill different roles depending on the situation, and the expectation is that the offense will lean on them in ways that maximize the running game rather than force one back into every job. The bigger question now is how that rotation settles in once the games start and whether one of those runners can separate from the pack. [Read more 🡒]