At Kyle Field on Saturday, the Aggies showed two very different sides of themselves.
Defensively, this was the most dominant performance of the season, maybe of the Mike Elko era so far, holding Auburn to under 200 total yards, a 0-for-13 mark on third downs, and forcing five sacks. Offensively, Texas A&M had its flashes, and the Aggies were dominant in the run game, racking up 207 yards on 47 carries. Ultimately, undisciplined football allowed the Tigers to stay in this game longer than they deserved to.
Here are my thoughts from the Aggies’ 16-10 win as they moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2016.
Offense
Moving the ball but stopping themselves
When you look at the box score, you would think the Aggies won by three or four touchdowns. A&M’s offense outperformed Auburn in yardage, 414–177, rushed for over 200 yards and had 21 first downs to just nine for the Tigers. That said, the main issue with our offense was glaring: penalties. The Aggies racked up 119 yards on 13 penalties in Saturday’s game. That’s nearly the same amount of yardage Auburn had passing. Almost every one of those penalties came at a brutal time, whether it was a holding call after an explosive play or an unsportsmanlike conduct in the middle of a successful drive.
As a former player, penalties like that are called “drive killers,” and it’s a significant metric. Scoring opportunities decrease dramatically when penalties hit. That’s what made this frustrating. A&M wasn’t stopped by Auburn. The Aggies were stopping themselves. They quite literally prevented themselves from putting more points on the board.
Even so, many players on our offense had good showings. Marcel Reed had a solid night, going 15-of-22 for 207 yards. He looked comfortable in the pocket and made strong throws in the intermediate game, but once again, he missed opportunities with the deep ball. His overthrow to KC Concepcion with 10:07 left in the second quarter, on what should’ve been a touchdown, left more points on the board. These missed chances won’t always be survivable in SEC play. Reed is improving, but those “big shot” plays need to start connecting if this offense is going to reach its ceiling.
Trust the run game
The Aggies averaged 4.4 yards per carry, with Le’Veon Moss punishing Auburn for 139 yards on 21 carries. Amari Daniels and Rueben Owens II (who I would have liked to see get more than just three carries) were great in support, combining for another 94 yards on the ground. Moss looks like he’s finally getting back into the form we saw last season, and that makes me even more excited to see how he progresses this year.
That said, I questioned some play-calling in third-and-short situations. At times, it felt like A&M went away from the run game when the Ags didn’t need to. One example in particular came on a third-and-2 late in the game that was picked off and returned to the Aggies’ 2-yard line. That play eventually turned into Auburn’s only touchdown of the night.
I do love Collin Klein’s creativity to get the ball to his playmakers, and I think he has done a great job of distributing touches. However, sometimes A&M needs to play its brand of football, which, in my opinion, is running the ball. When your offensive line is winning the line of scrimmage and your backs are playing with confidence, you have to force teams to stop you. That’s Aggie football.
When A&M establishes dominance on the ground, it opens up more opportunities for Concepcion, Mario Craver, Terry Bussey and others to break games open over the top. To me, that’s what this offense needs to be about. I know this game will be a great learning moment for the entire unit. Eliminate the self-inflicted wounds, and this group is more than capable of putting up 40 points a game consistently.
KC Concepcion: Reliable as Ever
Concepcion continues to be the steady hand in this offense. His ability to win against coverage in multiple route concepts makes him incredibly difficult to defend. He truly is a matchup nightmare from just about any position on the field. Whether it’s in the slot or lined up as an X receiver in a 3x1 set, Concepcion continues to make plays in the short, intermediate, and deep game.
He finished with seven catches for 113 yards, with even more production left on the field because of missed opportunities. His consistency stood out once again. To me, he is the security blanket of this offense and the player we’ll be able to rely on in every game this season.
Defense
Flat-Out Dominant
Now to the best part of the Aggies’ night. Auburn finished with only 177 yards of offense and just 52 rushing yards. Not a single third-down conversion in 13 tries, and they failed on both of their fourth-down attempts.
That’s not just winning on defense. That’s suffocating an opponent.
This was by far the best performance we’ve seen from A&M’s defense in 2025, and this is what championship-level football looks like. When one side of the ball struggles, the other steps up to ensure the team gets the win.
Taurean York continues to set the tone for this defense. He finished with seven tackles (6 solo), one sack, two TFLs and a pass deflection. In my opinion, this was the best performance of his collegiate career. He flew around the field and created chaos for Jackson Arnold and the Auburn offense all day. While York led this unit, the entire defense played lights out.
Arnold was sacked five times and pressured nearly every dropback. The rotation up front looked fresh, explosive and disciplined in their rush lanes. This defensive line is building week to week, and the growth is obvious. In critical moments, they stepped up, including the biggest play of the game when Dayon Hayes and Daymion Sanford sealed the victory for the Aggies in the fourth quarter with a sack on Auburn's final drive.
Secondary Complements the Rush
The secondary deserves major credit. When your front four dominate, it’s easy to assume coverage is simple, but many of those sacks were created because of outstanding coverage downfield. Auburn tried multiple deep shots, but A&M’s secondary was ready. Dezz Ricks and Will Lee III both played consistently well, keeping receivers in check all game. They were able to hold Cam Coleman, one of the top receiving talents in the SEC, to just 18 yards on four receptions.
This group did an excellent job of preventing explosive plays and cutting off Auburn’s chances to build momentum. The secondary has improved significantly from previous seasons and continues to improve week to week. Every SEC team has elite receivers, and these defensive backs will be tested. Still, I’m confident this unit can compete with the best wideouts in college football.
Closing Thoughts: Fix the Self-Inflicted Wounds
This was by far the most dominant defensive performance we’ve seen this season, and maybe in recent seasons as well. The Aggies showed they can suffocate an SEC opponent and win even when they’re not playing their best football. The offense moved the ball, the run game looked strong, and they had control of the game.
But that doesn’t change the fact that this should not have been a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter. Penalties, missed opportunities for explosive plays and a few questionable calls on third-and-short are the only reasons Auburn had a chance. That’s the next step for this team: discipline and execution. Those small details — the flags, the missed shots, the one or two decisions that swing momentum — are what separate good teams from championship teams in this league.
The foundation is there. This team has all the pieces to be a contender for the SEC this year. We’re not just talking about flashes anymore. We’re talking about a defense that looks like one of the best in the country, an offensive line that can wear teams down and playmakers across the board who can take over games at any moment. That’s the DNA of a program built to compete on the national stage.
This season feels like it’s Elko’s opportunity to get Texas A&M to where it belongs and in the conversation with the elite. Every Saturday from here on out is a chance to prove that A&M is the real deal and that this program is done settling for “close” or “almost.” The next few weeks of SEC play will tell us exactly what this team is made of, but I feel confident saying this:
If this group plays its brand of football, tough, physical, disciplined, there’s nobody on the schedule that Texas A&M can’t beat.
