No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC) entered Week 13 against a bad Samford team with the intent of shutting out the Bulldogs, which was fulfilled during all four quarters, resulting in a 48-0 shutout win, allowing just 77 yards while starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who threw for three first half touchdowns, continued to look like a Heisman finalist before heading to the bench early.
Pitching their first shutout since 2022, Texas A&M’s defense showed its immense depth, especially along the defensive line, as freshman edge Marco Jones led the Aggies with seven tackles, while fellow freshmen defensive linemen Landon Rink and Dealyn Evans combined for six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Overall, the most significant takeaway is that Texas A&M’s future D-line is in good hands.
Two of Reed’s touchdown passes went to redshirt freshman wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman, including his 58-yard strike that served as the final first-team offensive snap before Elko led his starters to rest for the remainder of the game. Junior running back Amari Daniels ran for a career-high 106 yards and his first touchdown of the season, and further proved just how deep the Aggie RB room has been this season.
Heading into the short week, head coach Mike Elko and his talented team have shifted their focus to the Texas Longhorns, as the historic rivalry is back for the second consecutive year, with everything on the line for both teams. If the Aggies win, they’re headed to the SEC Championship Game for the first time in program history. If they lose, Texas has an outside shot of making the CFP.
Win or lose, Texas A&M is a lock for the College Football Playoff, but likely needs two more wins to solidify a top 4 CFP ranking. For the final time this regular season, ESPN’s FPI predictor gives the Aggies a 48.5% chance to defeat Texas (51.5%), which is essentially a coin flip heading into Black Friday.
After defeating Arkansas 52-37 on Saturday, Longhorns QB Arch Manning has been playing out of his mind, but will now face Texas A&M’s elite defensive line, led by senior edge Cashius Howell.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: ESPN FPI predicts Texas A&M vs. Texas in Week 14
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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