Texas A&M’s jump in ESPN’s latest college football power rankings came with a familiar kind of warning label: the Aggies are winning, but there’s still plenty to clean up.
After a 48-20 Week 2 rout of Arizona State, A&M climbed six spots in ESPN’s updated rankings and landed at No. 8 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll. The result looked decisive on the scoreboard, and for long stretches it was. But the win was built less on offensive explosion than on timely defense and a handful of critical plays that changed the game.
Two pick-sixes did the heavy lifting on that front. Sophomore edge Marco Jones and senior cornerback Julio Humphrey each took interceptions back for touchdowns, giving the Aggies the kind of swing plays that can bury an opponent in a hurry. Starting quarterback Marcel Reed added three touchdown passes, even though he finished with just 163 passing yards.
That’s the odd part of the box score for Texas A&M. The Aggies handled a solid Big 12 opponent that figures to have a better time once conference play starts, but they did it without much production from the offense overall. A&M totaled only 255 yards and managed just 92 on the ground, a number that will sit uneasily with fans who expected more from that side of the ball.
Mike Elko and his staff now have a short window to sort through those issues before Kentucky arrives on Saturday. With the new nine-game conference schedule taking shape, this is the point where the margin for error starts to shrink. A&M also has a chance to open 3-0 before a prime-time trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU, a matchup that should say a lot about what the Aggies are - or might become - this season.
The running back situation is one of the biggest things worth watching. If Elko decides to shake up that room, freshmen KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker could see more of the field. The offensive line also remains a work in progress, and that group will be under the microscope again this week.
ESPN’s Dave Wilson put the performance in sharp relief after the ranking bump:
"Yes, the Aggies struggled on offense against Arizona State, with only 255 yards. But after producing only 10 turnovers all last season, A&M grabbed four Saturday, returning two of them for fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away for a 48-20 win.
Marcel Reed tossed three touchdowns to one interception, but the Sun Devils made the Aggies' offense work on the ground, with A&M's top three running backs -- Rueben Owens II, Jamarion Morrow and KJ Edwards -- combining for 21 carries and 84 yards. After ASU moved the ball well in the first half, A&M coach Mike Elko said his team adjusted to an almost completely different defense in the second half and dominated, shutting out the Sun Devils in the fourth quarter.
Elko praised A&M's emphasis on "winning football," with the takeaways, lack of penalties and red zone defense, while also acknowledging there's still a lot of work to do."
That’s the balance for Texas A&M right now: the defense is creating real momentum, the turnover count is a major positive, and the team is finding ways to finish. But the run game still has to show up if Reed is going to get the play-action looks that make this offense dangerous. Defenses will crowd the box if the Aggies can’t threaten them on the ground.
Saturday offers a useful test. Kentucky comes in with a run defense ranked 108th, and that gives A&M a clear chance to get things moving the right way on the ground.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Practice Scare Casts A Shadow Over Kentucky Week
Texas A&M got a brief scare in practice this week when an anonymous player suffered a heat-related medical emergency and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The program later confirmed the incident in a statement, and the player has since been released, easing immediate concern as the Aggies turn their attention to Kentucky.
The timing still adds an uneasy note to a week that should be centered on preparation, especially with early-season conditions often making practice management part of the conversation. Even with the player expected to be available for the game, the episode is a reminder of how quickly a routine practice can become something much more serious. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms SEC Opener Comes With One Uncomfortable Advantage For Kentucky
Kentuckys trip to Kyle Field for the SEC opener brings an unusual layer of familiarity into a game that already carries real early-season weight. Defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who spent two seasons as Texas A&Ms defensive coordinator, returns to a place where he knows the personnel, the building and, just as importantly, the way the Aggies like to operate on that side of the ball.
For Texas A&M, the comfort goes both ways, because Bateman also knows enough about the Aggies to make this a sharper chess match than most September conference games. The wrinkle is that his insight into offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins adds another wrinkle for both staffs, with each side expected to lean on its understanding of the others tendencies as the opener unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M's Place In College Football's Spending Race Says Plenty
Texas A&Ms place in college footballs spending race sits inside a larger picture the sport can no longer ignore. The Athletics survey of roster-building budgets across 68 Power Four programs and Notre Dame showed just how wide the gap has become, with the top end of the market pushing far beyond what many schools can match. The figures blend athletic department revenue, booster money and program-controlled funds, but leave out independent player income, which only adds another layer to the financial picture.
For Aggies fans, the bigger story is not simply who leads the list, but what it says about where A&M fits as the sport keeps tilting toward resource-driven competition. Ohio State landed at the top with an estimated range of $49 million to $54 million, while Boston College checked in at the low end at $8 million to $13 million. Where Texas A&M lands in that spread says plenty about how aggressively it is trying to keep pace in a market where spending has become part of the arms race. [Read more 🡒]