The No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies dismantled the No. 22 Missouri Tigers 38–17 on the road at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field on Saturday. With the win, the Aggies are 9–0 for the first time since 1992, 6–0 in conference play for the first time since ’98, and 6–0 in SEC play for the first time.
Behind a balanced offense and a suffocating defense, the Aggies overpowered the Tigers in every phase. Quarterback Marcel Reed once again looked in complete control, completing 20 of 29 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Rueben Owens II led the ground game with 102 yards and two scores on 13 carries. Wide receiver KC Concepcion led all wideouts with 84 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown reception early in the third quarter, which turned the game into a formality.
A&M’s offense totaled 464 yards of total offense and converted seven of 14 third-down attempts, controlling possession for nearly 12 minutes longer than Missouri. The defense, meanwhile, limited the Tigers to just 284 total yards, only 77 through the air, and finished with two forced turnovers.
The turning point came late in the second quarter. With A&M leading 7–0, Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers, a true freshman making his first collegiate start, was hit mid-throw by linebacker Daymion Sanford, forcing a fumble that ricocheted into the hands of safety Dalton Brooks. Brooks sprinted the ball to the Missouri 2-yard line, setting up E.J. Smith’s 1-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the half.
Just minutes later, the Aggies struck again. After Missouri opened the third quarter with a three-and-out, Reed hit Concepcion on a quick slant that turned into a 48-yard score and a 21–0 lead. From that point forward, A&M’s dominance was unquestioned.
Brooks, who also recovered the earlier fumble, added a 48-yard run on a perfectly executed fake punt midway through the third quarter, setting up Randy Bond’s 32-yard field goal to extend the lead to 24–7. Brooks finished with six tackles on defense and was responsible for two of the contest’s biggest turning points.
Missouri had a short-lived burst of offense with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Jamal Roberts and a 45-yard score from Ahmad Hardy, but A&M’s relentless offense put the game out of reach. Owens’ 57-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter pushed the margin to 31–10, and he finished the night with a 1-yard score to make it 38–17.
Defensively, Sanford led with five tackles, a sack, and two tackles for loss, while Tyler Onyedim and Cashius Howell each tallied five tackles. Howell’s strip sack raised his season total to 10.5 sacks.
The win kept A&M flawless on the season while sustaining their chance at the SEC title game. The Aggies entered Week 11 tied with Alabama at the top of the conference standings, with Georgia, Texas, and Ole Miss all sitting one game back.
Up next, Texas A&M will host South Carolina in their final SEC home game on Saturday.
