No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC) blew out Samford 48-0 on Saturday afternoon, as the final regular-season game in Kyle Field featured 104,877 fans who mostly stayed throughout the entire game to support their team, as the Aggie defense pitched its first shutout since the 2022 season. Finishing 7-0 in Kyle Field, the Aggies will now shift their focus to No. 17 Texas, which defeated Arkansas 52-37 at home.
With the win, Texas A&M is a virtual lock to make the College Football Playoff, currently ranked No. 3, and will likely stay pat heading into Tuesday night’s latest rankings reveal. Texas beating one of the worst defenses in the SEC isn’t impressive, any more than the Aggies escaping Fayetteville with a 45-42 win. I don’t expect the Longhorns to rise significantly in the rankings.
Still, Texas QB Arch Manning played what is by far the best game of his career, passing for 389 yards and four touchdowns, combined with a rushing score and a touchdown reception. However, giving up 37 points and over 500 yards after losing 35-10 against Georgia last week isn’t a great sign heading into the Black Friday matchup.
Texas A&M’s offense, led by starting quarterback Marcel Reed, will look to push the ball down the field early to set the tone. After being called for targeting against the Razorbacks, sophomore linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith will reportedly miss the first half of Friday’s game.
Texas junior linebacker Anthony Hill, who is currently dealing with a broken bone in his hand, is now expected to play against Texas A&M, according to head coach Steve Sarkisian, but may not be 100%. Still, avoiding Smith to start the game, who has recorded 44 tackles and two sacks this season, is good news for A&M’s offense.
No. 3 Texas A&M will face No. 17 Texas at 6:30 p.m., airing on ABC.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas sophomore LB will miss first half vs. Texas A&M on Friday
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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