Road warriors.
On Saturday in Columbia, third-ranked Texas A&M came out victorious yet again, “fetty wapping” No. 22 Missouri, 38-17.
Marcel Reed & Co. took the field to begin the pursuit for 9-0. The Aggies did not begin with their best drive, sputtering around midfield after a couple of first downs.
Ahmad Hardy gashed A&M for a gain of 40 to open up Missouri’s first possession, but that was the only stick-moving play as the Tigers punted four plays later.
The first quarter remained uninspiring as both offenses swapped wasted possessions, and it wasn’t until Mario Craver burst free for a gain of 23 to kickstart A&M’s initial touchdown march. After some troubling punching it in on the ground, Reed hit Ashton Bethel-Roman for a 4-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.
A&M would never look back.
First-time starting quarterback Matt Zollers found Donovan Olugbode for a 34-yard catch to conclude the first frame. To kick off the second stanza, Tyreek Chappell dropped Joshua Manning for a loss of four. The Tigers continued to move backwards as Cashius Howell came off the edge to sack Zollers and force the ball out. Luckily for the Tigers, Cayden Green fell on it.
Showing discomfort while flexing his throwing hand after the Howell sack, Zollers did not complete a pass the rest of the half.
A 20-yard reception to KC Concepcion highlighted what appeared to be a promising drive for the Maroon & White. Yet, a holding call put A&M behind the sticks, and the Ags were unable to make up the distance.
Jamal Roberts saw increased action with a couple of solid carries for the Black & Gold. After back-to-back penalties for A&M, Daymion Sanford got to Roberts for a tackle for loss. On fourth down, Missouri intended to kick a 50-yard field goal until Will Lee III jumped offsides. The Tiger offense came back out but failed to convert.
After a few short gains, Mike Elko’s visiting squad stalled out at the A&M 48. Needing to spark the momentum, A&M’s defense answered the call. Sanford went after Zollers with full force, stripping the ball out as it landed right in the hands of Dalton Brooks. The safety took it to the 2-yard line, and EJ Smith punched it in as the half soon expired.
To open the second half, Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers failed to piece together an effective drive, going three-and-out. As for A&M, Rueben Owens II picked up 16 to open A&M’s third scoring drive. Reed checked down to Concepcion, who evaded defenders and sped away straight to the end zone from 48 yards out.
Zollers completed his first pass since the Howell sack, but from there, the duo of talented running backs went to work. Hardy and Roberts combined for 30 yards, and Roberts crossed the goal line to put Mizzou on the board.
After three ineffective downs, A&M faked the punt as the two-way player at Shiner ran for 48 yards. Another standout play from Brooks set up a 32-yard field goal from Randy Bond.
To start the fourth frame, a Bethel-Roman fumble gave the ball back to Mizzou. The Tigers found some rhythm after a 40-yard rush from Roberts, and Missouri cut down the Aggies’ lead to 14 with a 49-yard field goal.
Yet, A&M punched right back. On a big third down, Owens went untouched, running 57 yards all the way to the house to extend their lead by 21.
The Tigers kept clawing as the fourth frame turned into a track meet. Hardy covered 45 yards before finding his way into the endzone.
But the momentum still favored the Aggies. A&M drained the clock with a rush-heavy drive that ended with Owens walking it in, 38-17.
More went the Aggies’ way as Roberts muffed a punt and Myles Davis secured it, setting up A&M on the Mizzou 15. A&M did not punch it in from there, but it didn’t matter as they took down Missouri in CoMo.
RUMBLED: Have a game, Dalton Brooks. The junior had two game-changing plays against the Tigers. In the second frame, Brooks was in the perfect spot as Sanford knocked out the ball, running it right outside the endzone. In the third, A&M faked a punt, and Brooks was the one to haul it 48 yards.
STUMBLED: The penalty problems persisted. A&M committed eight for 65 yards and gift-wrapped a couple of first down to the Tigers.
TURNING POINT: In a defensive battle, it was Mike Elko’s group that rose to the occasion. In the second quarter, Sanford forced the ball out on a big third down, and Dalton Brooks recovered it. Down at the 2-yard line, the Aggie offense handled it from there as Smith scored a touchdown to take a 14-0 lead.
UNSUNG HERO: EJ Smith may be his best when the Aggies need him most. Used as the feature back when A&M needed a yard or two, Smith converted two first downs early on by picking up short gains. While healthy, the senior has been so reliable.
KEY STAT: Zollers completed just 32 percent of his passes on Saturday. He was 7-for-22 and threw for just 77 yards.
Scoring Summary
First-quarter
A&M: 1:16 - Marcel Reed 4-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Bethel-Roman. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards. TOP 4:37. Texas A&M 7, Missouri 0
Second-quarter
A&M: 0:20 - EJ Smith 1-yard rushing touchdown. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards. TOP 0:37. Texas A&M 14, Missouri 0
Third-quarter
A&M: 11:21 - Marcel Reed 48-yard touchdown pass to KC Concepcion. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards. TOP 1:36. Texas A&M 21, Missouri 0
MIZ: 6:50 - Jamal Roberts 4-yard rushing touchdown. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards. TOP 4:20. Texas A&M 21, Missouri 7
A&M: 3:10 - Randy Bond 32-yard field goal. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards. TOP 3:34. Texas A&M 24, Missouri 7
Fourth-quarter
MIZ: 11:17 - Oliver Robbins 49-yard field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards. TOP 3:34. Texas A&M 24, Missouri 10
A&M: 7:40 - Rueben Owens II 57-yard rushing touchdown. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards. TOP 3:29. Texas A&M 31, Missouri 10
MIZ: 6:45 - Ahmad Hardy 45-yard rushing touchdown. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards. TOP 0:49. Texas A&M 31, Missouri 17
A&M: 2:36 - Rueben Owens II 1-yard rushing touchdown. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards. TOP 4:08. Texas A&M 38, Missouri 17
