COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The Texas A&M football team took another step toward bowl eligibility with a 41-0 win over The Citadel Saturday at Kyle Field.
Where those final two wins will come from remains up in the air, but this season’s Southeastern Conference has proven that any team can win any Saturday.
A&M’s next test will be whether any of the confidence gained Saturday can carry over to a trip to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama.
But first, three takeaways from Saturday’s game:
A&M needs to get healthy. Seven key A&M players did not suit up for Saturday’s win, including wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman, who was away from the team attending to personal matters.
The Aggies are already horrifically depleted at wide receiver with Mario Craver and Kelshaun Johnson sidelined due to injury. Terry Bussey and Madden Williams have been ruled out for the season from injuries they sustained.
That leaves Isaiah Horton as the Aggies’ lone experienced receiver, and Horton did not impress against the two-win FCS opponent. The Alabama transfer had one catch for 10 yards on three targets. While the two incompletions were not officially ruled drops, they most likely should have been.
On the defensive line, DJ Hicks and Anto Saka missed Saturday’s game. Linebacker Daymion Sanford, who was limited early in the season as he recovered from a leg injury that required surgery over the offseason, took the day off as well.
Finally, on the offensive line, Trovon Baugh did not play.
After the game, head coach Mike Elko said he was not sure whether any of these players would miss extended time.
Almost all of these players have made key plays for the Aggies at some point this season and will be necessary if the Aggies want to turn their season around.
Jamarion Morrow ran with physicality. Morrow has been in and out of the lineup this season, nursing his own injuries. Saturday, the Aggies officially welcomed him to the 2026 season.
Morrow collected 54 yards on eight carries. More importantly, he powered through the middle of the line for three rushing touchdowns. Against FCS competition, it’s easy to have vision. The holes the offensive line was opening at times were massive.
The biggest carry-over the Aggies can have from this game is a Morrow who initiates physicality and keeps moving for yards after contact. That could unlock pieces that have been missing from A&M’s rushing offense.
“I think he’s got a low center of gravity,” Elko said of Morrow. “I think he’s a physical ball carrier. I think he finishes runs forward. He was a kid we had really high expectations on coming into the season and, obviously, got banged up. It’s hard when you’re a running back and you don’t have your wheels.”
His efforts were aided by a 116-yard performance from freshman KJ Edwards, including a long play of 34 yards.
“We’ve got to find ways to create explosiveness,” Elko said. “We talked about that a lot. It’s really, really hard, especially in this league to be that consistent on offense.”
Brady Hart isn’t ready. The sophomore quarterback entered the game on the Aggies’ first drive of the second half and completed 8 of 12 passes for 107 yards and a passing touchdown.
It was a similar stat line to starter Marcel Reed, who connected on 8 of 13 passes for 130 yards and a passing touchdown. However, the offense clicked better, especially when running tempo, with Reed calling the shots.
All four of Reed’s drives ended with a touchdown. Hart was given the majority of the first-team offense through the third quarter and only managed a pair of field goals. His lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter against a majority of The Citadel’s depth defenders.
Hart certainly could be a future quarterback for the Aggies and could be called upon if more losses stack up, but Reed clearly still gives the Aggies the best chance to win a game, even when he’s not at his best.
“Obviously, I thought Marcel did a nice job throwing the football,” Elko said. “I thought some of the incompletions could have been catches. I’m trying to find the polite way to say that. So, I thought he did a nice job. It was good to see Brady get out there. I still think he operates a little bit quicker than I’d like him to. I’d like to see him be a little bit more relaxed and a little more comfortable in the pocket.”
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