No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC) followed up its epic 27-point win over South Carolina with a 48-0 victory over Samford, which is the first shutout win for the Aggies since 2022, while this was the final regular-season game in Kyle Field before Texas A&M heads to Austin on Friday to face the Texas Longhorns.
Under second-year head coach Mike Elko, the Aggies finished 7-0 in Kyle Field. After producing 48 points, Texas A&M’s offense has scored 30-plus points in seven consecutive games since the 2013 season during Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel’s final season in College Station.
After throwing three touchdowns in the first half, star quarterback Marcel Reed was pulled just minutes before halftime, and while some Aggie fans felt this was too early, Texas A&M built a 28-0 lead, while the defense prevented Samford from gaining a first down until late in the second half.
Outside of padding his stats, staying in the game to build a larger lead isn’t necessary, especially with the Lone Star Showdown just six days away. Reaching 11-0 for just the third time in program history, Texas A&M’s goals, including a spot in the SEC Championship Game and a top 4 seed in the College Football Playoff, are firmly in its grasp.
Before heading to Austin (TX), here are five key takeaways from Texas A&M’s 48-0 win over Samford in Week 13.
Texas A&M’s defense played its most complete game of the season
Yes, it’s fair to say this was the easiest matchup on the Aggies’ 2025 schedule, facing a Samford offensive line that had surrendered 50-plus sacks. From start to finish, the first, second, and third-team Aggie defenses completely shut down the Bulldogs’ pass and run attack.
Led by freshman edge Marco Jones’ seven tackles, Texas A&M’s pass rush only produced one sack, but were in the backfield on nearly every play, recording 11 tackles for loss and double-digit pressures. Holding Samford to a pedestrian 77 total yards, including 31 yards on the ground, this performance fuels more confidence before facing Texas on Friday.
HC Mike Elko made the right decision to sit QB Marcel Reed after the first half
Heading into Week 13, Texas A&M’s 27-point comeback win against South Carolina sent a message to Mike Elko and his team that slow starts and early mistakes, no matter the opponent, could lead to a shocking loss. However, thanks to star QB Marcel Reed’s elite second half against the Gamecocks, the Aggies avoided what looked like an inevitable gut punch.
Against Samford, Marcel Reed completed 10/15 passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns, including a perfectly thrown 58-yard strike to WR Ashton Bethel-Roman. This early performance resulted in a 28-0 lead, prompting Elko to pull Reed from the game.
Again, leaving Reed in with a significant lead is only necessary to pad his stats while preventing injury and allowing backup QB Miles O’Neill to gain valuable in-season reps, which are rare, was Elko’s plan all along. On defense, defensive linemen Dealyn Evans, Landon Rink, and DJ Sander received more snaps, while freshman WR TK Norman also saw the field, finishing with 39 receiving yards.
These games are essential for the youth of the roster to see the field, which was accomplished throughout the day.
Amari Daniels’s big day shows the depth of the Texas A&M RB room
Junior running back Amari Daniels knew he’d see the field on Saturday, but only learned of his starting status just minutes before kickoff, and took full advantage of his first start since last season. After not appearing in Texas A&M’s wins over Missouri and South Carolina, the Miami native rushed for 106 yards and his first touchdown of the year on nine carries.
Hindsight is 20/20, and facing FCS defenses usually allows more talented running backs to gain chunk yards on nearly every snap. Daniels averaged 11.8 yards per carry and could have easily matched his single-game record if Elko had left him in.
Missing his fifth consecutive game, senior back Le’Veon Moss will more than likely make his return against Texas, and while sophomore Rueben Owens, who leads the Aggies on the ground, was dressed out, Elko opted not to play him before facing the Longhorns.
This led to freshmen Jamarion Morrow, Tiger Riden Jr., and even Preston Landis getting on the field for the majority of the game, further proving that this is by far the deepest running back room in the SEC.
The 12th Man has always delivered, but even more so in 2025
No one in college football, outside of maybe Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, and several others, can match or top the support of the Aggies fan base, representing the 12th Man every Saturday this season in full force during all of Texas A&M’s seven home games in Kyle Field.
On Saturday against Samford, a game many predicted would have the lowest attendance, 104,877 Aggies filled Kyle Field, and on the year, an average of 106,159 fans supported Texas A&M in Kyle Field from start to finish. Sitting at 11-0 and 7-0 in the SEC, helping this team isn’t difficult, but during even the toughest years, the 12th Man has yet to doubt its support for the Maroon & White on the gridiron.
While this is the last regular-season game in Kyle Field, depending on where Texas A&M ends up in the College Football Playoff, the Aggies could host in the first round of the CFP if they earn a 5-8 seed.
Texas A&M has a kicking problem, but progress was made
Texas A&M doesn’t have many weaknesses this season, which is one of the reasons this team is 11-0 for the first time since 1992. However, the kicking game has been close to atrocious, and could result in a close loss down the line if this issue isn’t partially fixed.
Senior Randy Bond, who has a bright future, possibly working for NASA one day, is kicking 61% on field goals, and with transfer Jared Zirkel back in the lineup after dealing with an injury, Mike Elko switched their roles against Samford.
Zirkel’s day improved after missing a 36-yard field goal late in the first half, going on to successfully hit from 25 and 39 yards without any issues. This was a brilliant strategy by Elko and his special teams staff, as Randy Bond has yet to show improvement, while Zirkel has the bigger leg.
Still, unless accuracy improves and shows more consistency, Texas A&M’s offense will need to rely on touchdowns and fourth-down conversions in tight games.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Here is everything we learned after Texas A&M’s 48-0 win over Samford
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
