Why Texas A&M Is Step Closer To Being National Championship Contenders

Stellar performances from sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed are becoming routine. Many ups and downs have occurred, including a few scary hits that have every Aggie fan holding their breath, but there is no question that the Aggies build upon big hits and moments. 

“We did what we talked about all season,” Reed said. “We finished. I knew I’ve always been a tough guy. A gritty guy. Our team fought to the end.”

Reed’s like a magician. He fools defenses. Pulls out astounding tricks from his hat. It all happens, though, because of the protection his offensive line provides him, which opens up lanes and windows to display his accuracy, mobility and remarkable footwork.

While the completion numbers don’t necessarily appear attractive, going 17-of-37 for 360 yards and two touchdowns is impressive against a defense that quieted A&M at Kyle Field back in 2024. Reed’s execution was also enough to join the 3,000-yard club.

Notably, wide receiver Mario Craver also continued to tear secondaries apart and join the record books with his impressive route running, registering 207 yards alone. It was his third straight game recording over 100 yards, and to add to the magical night, Craver became the first Aggie with 200 yards receiving since Mike Evans did it against Auburn in 2013. 

That sounds scary. 

To take the pressure off of Craver, junior KC Concepcion continued to be a reliable target despite his friend’s presence on the field. Concepcion managed to collect four receptions for 82 yards. Crunching the math, the duo totalled 289 yards combined when the offense posted 488 yards altogether. 

Eventually, it gives the tight end room a chance to run a 1-on-1 route when Craver and Concepcion are covered or getting double-teamed. Senior Nate Boerkircher was the hero with the go-ahead touchdown when he stepped up on the night’s biggest play after the original call wasn’t supposed to go to him on fourth-and-goal. It just goes to show that A&M’s offense has taken the next step to win big games and make heroic plays. 

“I never envisioned this,” Boerkircher said. “ It’s special. I was just thankful he gave me a good ball to have a chance to win the game. When I caught that, after the game I thought about my journey as a walk-on.”

Don’t forget the Aggies' four-headed monster ground game getting no attention because of who was running the ball for the Irish. 

Le’Veon Moss had a tremendous night, reaching 1,500 career rushing yards and was the first Aggie in at least 30 years to have three rushing touchdowns in a single quarter. He was terrific in the red zone with 81 yards on 20 carries to cap off a historic showing. 

Road Schedule

While South Bend is not an SEC environment, the nature and intense pressure for the Aggies’ offense is exactly what it needed to experience to get a feel for what's left. 

“We got a win against a top-10 team on the road going into a bye week,” Reed said. 

After a physical and hard-fought win, rest going into a bye week is huge for A&M because of the opponents ahead, which helps when studying film on how other programs operate. 

A&M visits three Tigers in the SEC. Auburn, of course, visits Aggieland, but on the road, A&M travels to No. 3 LSU, where Death Valley is not going to be welcoming after coughing up a disappointing loss at Kyle Field a season ago. Following the trip to the Bayou, A&M takes a flight to Columbia, Missouri, visiting the No. 25 Missouri Tigers. 

Wrapping up the year is a trip to Austin, Texas, to take on the No. 7 Texas Longhorns, where returning to a crowd of Burnt Orange will raise both sides' blood pressure. Getting these reps against playoff-potential teams, though, allows for player development and growth in vicious environments that benefit A&M down the line.

History books in recent memory say that road games for the Maroon and White have not treated them well. Maybe A&M has made it over the hump? There is always room for improvement. 

A&M knows that. So does Elko after losing two road games late in the season that resulted in missing a punched ticket to the SEC Championship Game. 

“We have to get a lot better as we head into SEC play with all of our goals in front of us,” Elko said. 

Regardless, do championship-caliber teams pull off miraculous wins on the road? Yes. Do they manage to hold one of the most dangerous running back rooms in the country to under 150 rushing yards? Yes. Do championship-caliber teams display their brotherhood on the field in the toughest of times? Yes. 

It just means more. 

It feels different.

Especially after a Saturday night like this at Notre Dame Stadium with two top-20 teams.

A&M has the ingredients. 

It’s now a matter of focusing on the instructions and details of the game every week.