Yardbarker
x
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Texas A&M Aggies' Week 2 Victory
Sep 6, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) celebrates after a touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Utah State Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Fireworks literally and figuratively flew over the Kyle Field skies thanks to Texas A&M football's stellar offensive output and a steady supply of touchdown celebratory sparklers. There was a lot of upside to the 44-22 victory, while a couple of key players going down with injury tried to damper the early afternoon mood.

Transfer wide receivers and quarterback Marcel Reed have only strengthened their chemistry, as the redshirt sophomore gunslinger had himself a second four-touchdown game in a row. However, a scare at the end of the third quarter left fans in near disbelief.

Star blindside-blocking tackle Trey Zuhn III got tangled up on early in the competition and did not return to action, but on the other side of the ball, defensive end Cashius Howell cemented himself into A&M lore as a one-man wrecking crew. Let's dive into the good, bad and ugly of this week's victory.

The Good: Cashius Howell, Sack Machine

While Reed has had himself another four-touchdown, blemish-free game contends heavily for the "good" spot in this ranking. When a man takes care of an opposing drive single-handedly, it's hard to award anyone else with such an honor.

Howell, a fifth-year senior in his second season with the Aggies, exploded with a fiery resolve in the first half when he commanded the line of scrimmage through a full four downs. Lined up directly over the Utah State left tackle, Howell charged through, dropping down the quarterback for his first sack.

Fans and the Aggies had the same taste of deja vu as Howell repeated his feat the following play, notching his second sack in a row. Just as it seemed it couldn't get any crazier, he made a break past the left tackle again, racking up his third sack in a row and forcing a punt with a collective 21 yards lost by Utah State.

The Bad: Reed's third-quarter injury scare

The air was stripped out of Kyle Field when a quarterback scamper ended with the Nashville native lying injured on the ground in the third quarter. Reed was hustling to get a first down when he was tripped up and seemingly had the wind knocked out of him, remaining on the field for a few minutes while the training staff attended to him.

Luckily for the Aggies, head coach Mike Elko seemed confident that his starter will be ready to go against Notre Dame in Week 3. "I fully anticipate that Marcel (Reed) being fine," Elko said. If that's the case, hopefully the only bad thing was the brief thought that the season could already have been derailed before it truly began.

The Ugly: Zuhn exits the game and does not return to action

While Reed ultimately seemed fine walking off the field under his own power, Zuhn had a harder time getting to his feet and to the sidelines. Unlike Reed, Zuhn required a bit more attention after going down in the first quarter, heading into the locker room before the half's completion.

A veteran of the program and two-time team captain, Zuhn has shown tremendous growth as the blindside blocker for the Maroon and White and will be an all-too-necessary piece to a possible road victory over Notre Dame next week. No team wants to lose one of its top offensive linemen, and hopefully for the Aggies, the only long term ugly sight will be waiting for news on the Colorado native's return.


This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!