This Texas A&M football team looks like it’s on a mission.

Off to its best start in three decades, the Aggies made more history against LSU on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. It was a completely dominating performance, 49-25, and the second straight win A&M has in its rivalry against the Tigers.

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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) is defended by LSU safety Tamarcus Cooley (0) of the LSU Tigers and defensive back A.J. Haulcy during the first half Oct. 25, 2025 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. 

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) is defended by LSU safety Tamarcus Cooley (0) of the LSU Tigers and defensive back A.J. Haulcy during the first half Oct. 25, 2025 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. 

Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images

It’s also another feather in the cap of head coach Mike Elko, who has dominated Octobers since coming to College Station. The Aggies are 6-0 in the month in Elko’s two seasons.

SOCIAL REACTION: Aggies fans rejoice after LSU beatdown

GAME RECAP: Score-by-score highlights of A&M’s win

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Up next for A&M is Missouri, which lost to Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Here are three takeaways from the win in Baton Rouge, La: 

Texas A&M’s offense is dangerous

The Aggies have scored 40-plus point more times than they haven’t this year. Offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s unit came into the game ranked fifth in the SEC in yards per game, bolstered by a top-five run game (196.7 rush yards per game) and pass game (267.3 pass yards per game).

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Tonight, the Aggies scored on a short run by quarterback Marcel Reed, a long run by Reed, a pass to a running back and a pass to a receiver. Oh, and there was KC Concepcion’s second punt return TD of the year. Even in game that Reed had an uncharacteristic amount of turnovers (two) the offense was so efficient. It was his first multiturnover game of the season and his team still won by 24.

A&M can score with anyone thanks to a top-tier offensive line and speed everywhere else.

The Aggies are tough on third downs

Texas A&M was 7-for-10 on third downs, showing a ruthless efficiency. They’ve outperformed each SEC opponent on that down, with Arkansas coming closest (4-for-10 success rate compared to A&M’s 5-for-11). 

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Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and the LSU offensive line had a tough time keeping up with assignments thanks to the varied looks deployed by Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman. The Aggies on third down would crowd the offensive line with up two six or seven would-be blitzers before a few dropped into coverage, while others harassed Nussmeier before he was pulled for Michael Van Buren Jr. in the fourth quarter. LSU failed on 12 of its first 13 third-down attempts.

This a CFP contentder

Aggies fans know all too well about disappointment, but this season feels different. An injury to top back Le’Veon Moss, felt eerily to last year, when he hurt his knee while leading the conference in rushing. A&M was 7-1 with Moss then finished 8-5 as he missed the rest of the year. 

When Moss, a preseason All-SEC first-teamer, was hurt earlier this month, there had to be fear of a similar fall off. But that hasn’t happened. A&M ran for over 180 yards in the three full games since Moss was hurt.  

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We already described how A&M’s offense is scary on offense. The defense seems to do just enough each week and the pass rush has stood out in second halves. 

The Aggies enter a bye week then get Missouri, South Carolina and Texas with a nonconference game against Samford in between. A 2-2 record likely gets them to the SEC title game.

Mike Elko is on fire

The big problem for Texas A&M in the beginning of the season was its run defense after two of the first three opponent to run for more than 200 yards. They fixed that. Then the pass defense was shaking in allowing 40 points twice. The next week, they held each opponent’s first-team offense to 20 points or less (LSU’s garbage time touchdown with a minute left notwithstanding).

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Now, finally, Texas A&M looks have figured out its penalty problem. There was an ill-timed false start here and a questionable unnecessary roughness there (on third down, no less) but this isn’t the team that was flirting with double-digit flags each week. That’s a credit to the coaching staff.

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