After falling to Notre Dame at Kyle Field last year, Texas A&M took a revenge trip to South Bend and picked up a statement win. With the physical grind of the SEC on deck, the next challenge for Mike Elko & Co. will be proving they can do it week in and week out.

Texas A&M had a solid performance in all three phases vs. Utah State in Week 2, but the real test lies ahead. With a primetime road game against a top-10 opponent on deck, the Maroon & White must use a 44-22 victory as a building block and a springboard to larger success.

After a busy offseason of talent acquisition, Mike Elko's second season at Texas A&M began with a 42-24 victory over UTSA in Week 1. While the Aggies showed flashes of greatness, the overall performance reveals work to be done in order to reach championship-level football.

Plagued by a lack of offensive execution and missed opportunities on defense, Texas A&M suffered a 17-7 loss to Texas in the return of the Lone Star Showdown. Finishing 8-4 and 5-3 in SEC play, the Aggies will find out their postseason bowl placement on Sunday.

While a trip to Auburn appeared to be just another step toward a highly anticipated showdown with Texas, the Fightin' Texas Aggies were up-ended in quadruple overtime. With plenty of lessons to be learned, A&M cannot make the same mistakes vs. their arch-rival.

Saturday represented a get-right win for Texas A&M as the Maroon & White disposed of New Mexico State at Kyle Field, 38-3. While not the most challenging, the Week 12 victory allowed A&M to find its rhythm and build momentum heading into the season’s critical final stretch.

Areas in desperate need of improvement were exposed as Texas A&M was throttled by South Carolina in a 44-20 beatdown. Tied for first in the SEC, the Aggies can still fulfill their postseason aspirations but only have a razor-thin margin of error moving forward.

With a dominant second-half performance, Texas A&M rallied back to defeat LSU at Kyle Field on Saturday night, showing grit, physicality and composure along the way. Now 7-1 and 5-0 in the SEC, the Ags have the chance to truly separate themselves during the month of November.

It was not a perfect performance, but the Aggies still found a way to pick up their sixth consecutive victory by beating Mississippi State on Saturday, 34-24. The win has earned No. 14 Texas A&M a top-15 showdown with No. 8 LSU at Kyle Field in Week 9.

With Conner Weigman back in the saddle and a dominating ground game, Texas A&M took it to Missouri on Saturday and delivered a complete team victory. Enter their bye week at 5-1 and 3-0 in conference play, the Aggies have obvious momentum on their side.

Saturday's win in Arlington was far from easy, but the Maroon & White got it done in a 21-17 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium. Having won four straight, there is still plenty for Texas A&M to improve upon as No. 9 Missouri comes to Aggieland in Week 6.

In a non-conference matchup against a MAC opponent, Texas A&M has its fair share of challenges in a 26-20 over Bowling Green. With the return to SEC action beginning this week, cleaning up inconsistencies and becoming more disciplined is a requirement for the Aggies.

With Marcel Reed standing behind a stout offensive front, the Fightin' Texas Aggies picked up a 13-point victory at Florida to end a 10-game road losing streak. With this win, the Maroon & White now have even more confidence to carry with them into the coming weeks.

Sure, it was against an FCS opponent, but what Texas A&M did to an overmatched McNeese squad on Saturday is a sign that the Aggies are headed in the right direction. With a get-right win, the Ags must continue refining their game as they head to Gainesville this week.

There was some good, but there was also plenty of bad coming out of Texas A&M's frustrating loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night. However, there were also plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Aggies as they now turn their sights on a Week 2 matchup with McNeese.

Two of the nation's most talented rosters will face off on Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field when Texas A&M hosts No. 11 Alabama. Behind a dominant defense and a productive offense, the time is now for the Maroon & White to show the nation what they're capable of.

Conner Weigman and the Texas A&M offense showed out in a get-right game with Louisiana Monroe last weekend, and in doing so, Bobby Petrino's unit showed that they are capable of having enough success to springboard the Aggies into some serious momentum.

Despite feelings of excitement and positive momentum ahead of last week's contest in Miami, Texas A&M still slinked back to Aggieland with the all-too-familiar emotions of frustration. Now is the time for the Aggies to find the positive benefits of their first adversity of 2023.