Texas A&M went into Columbia with a lot on the line and came out of Faurot Field with a rough 27-6 loss to Missouri, a game that never really tilted in the Aggies’ favor once the Tigers settled in. In an early kickoff played under blue skies, Texas A&M managed only 216 yards of total offense and spent most of the day trying to dig out from behind.
The Aggies’ biggest issue was plain from the start: they could not stay on the field. Texas A&M finished 5-for-17 on third down, a number that tells the story as clearly as the scoreboard does.
At halftime, the Maroon and White had only two successful third-down conversions, and the struggles only kept stacking up after the break. Marcel Reed took sacks at costly moments, including one on the final possession before halftime and another to open the third quarter on third-and-eight for a 12-yard loss.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the Aggies were still fighting uphill, and even a pair of fourth-down conversions could not fully rescue the offense.
Reed also had a difficult first half in another way, throwing two interceptions. One came after Missouri linebacker Daymion Sanford picked off Austin Simmons’ first interception of the season and gave the ball back to A&M early in the first quarter.
That drive reached the red zone, but a false start helped stall it, and then Reed’s pass intended for Ashton Bethel-Roman was tipped and intercepted. Later, after the defense forced a fourth-and-four, Reed returned to the field at the A&M 25 and got no help when Bethel-Roman could not secure a ball that hit him right in the hands.
Mario Craver’s availability was a question all week, and he did suit up and warm up before the game. But the junior from Birmingham, Alabama, never became much of a factor.
After posting six catches for 59 yards in the 2025 meeting at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, he managed just one reception for six yards this time around. For an offense that needed any spark it could find, that was a quiet afternoon from one of its top receivers.
Texas A&M did get some production from its kickers when the offense stalled. David Olano drilled a 53-yard field goal after the first drive bogged down, giving the Aggies an early 3-0 lead.
Later, down 20-3 in the fourth quarter, Mike Elko sent Olano back out for a 27-yard field goal on fourth-and-one, and the chip shot was good. Those were two of the few clean moments for an offense that had trouble turning opportunities into touchdowns.
The defense, at least early, gave A&M a chance. Missouri had only 10 points at halftime, and the Aggies were still in striking distance after holding the Tigers to 199 yards through two quarters.
Blake Craig’s 50-yard field goal pushed Missouri ahead 10-3, but Brandon Davis-Swain blocked a 39-yard attempt at the buzzer to keep the halftime damage from getting worse. Still, the second half belonged to Missouri, which finished with 399 total yards and 252 on the ground.
A&M’s defense did not record a sack or force a fumble, and the Tigers added 10 more points in the third quarter while the Aggies’ offense continued to sputter.
Jordan Shaw and Tawfiq Byard led Texas A&M with eight tackles apiece, but the numbers never translated into a turnaround. In the end, Missouri’s balance, Texas A&M’s third-down failures, and the Aggies’ inability to cash in on field position added up to a one-sided finish.
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