COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M football finished off its first perfect home schedule since the Clinton Administration on Saturday.
Thanks to a decisive 48-0 win over Samford, A&M finishes the season 7-0 at home and moved to 11-0 overall. it’s the program’s first undefeated home slate since 1999 and the first shutout since 2022.
Although a win was anticipated, Texas A&M nearly covered a huge 54-point spread by dominating on both offense and defense, while blocking a field goal on special teams. Now the Aggies shift focus to Texas in the regular season finale.
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After taking a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, the Aggies began substituting backups into the game before the halfway mark of the second quarter.
The team finished the game healthy, seniors were honored for what could be their final home game and the defense forced three-and-outs on the Bulldogs’ first nine possessions.
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Here are four takeaways from Saturday’s game:
Texas A&M wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman (3) catches a pass for a thouchdown over over Samford cornerback Nahil Perkins (3) during the first quarter Nov. 22, 2025, in College Station.
Sam Craft/Associated Press
MORE A&M: Texas A&M vs Samford: Aggies shut out Bulldogs for 48-0 win
Aggies dominant on defense
It took until the midway point of the third quarter for Samford to earn its first first down of the game. The Bulldogs didn’t gain positive yardage through the air until the same quarter, starting the period with minus-2 yards.
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Samford finished the game with two first downs, went 0-for-13 on third down and tallied just 46 passing yards on the day.
“Some people have been knocking our defense, but when we play well, we are a good defense,” said freshman Marco Jones, who had a team-high seven tackles. “We took pride in what we did today.”
A&M shows depth in running game
With Le’Veon Moss and EJ Smith in street clothes, along with Reuben Owens II in uniform but not in action, the Aggies were down their three top ball carriers.
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Despite that, A&M’s run game rolled on, led by senior Amari Daniels. Daniels finished with nine carries for a career-high 106 yards and a touchdown. The highlight was a 41-yard rush through the heart of the Bulldogs defense.
Seven running backs touched the ball, helping the Aggies gain 247 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. True freshman Tiger Riden Jr., saw some action with 45 yards on 11 carries and his first career touchdown.
“I was loving it,” Daniels said. “They look up to the older guy in the room.”
Texas A&M running back Amari Daniels (center) runs the ball against Samford’s Lashon Young (left) and Jaden Mosley in the second quarter at Kyle Field on Nov. 22, 2025 in College Station.
Tim Warner/Getty Images
Offensive line continues to be a strength
With backups playing for most of the game, A&M still recorded 475 yards. Much of this production can be credited to the Aggie offensive line, a cornerstone of the team.
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Key pieces Trey Zuhn and Ar’Maj Reed-Adams had an early exit, paving the way for younger offensive linemen to get extensive work.
The Aggies rotated their offensive linemen out as early as the second quarter. Reserves, including freshman Lamont Rogers and Reuben Fatheree II, helped secure 17 points and 117 rushing yards in the second half.
A&M did what it had to do
Perhaps the most significant event in Week 13 was that A&M simply took care of business. The game was never close, which is exactly what coach Mike Elko and his staff expect when playing a team from the Southern Conference.
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The Aggies will play for a spot in the SEC championship game Friday when they travel to Austin to take on the Longhorns. But they needed to focus on handling their business against Samford first.
Teams across the SEC beat up on lower-level foes, save for a few — including rival Texas. The Longhorns blew out Arkansas ahead of next week’s huge matchup. While the SEC title game may be on the line, thanks to the 11th win today, a College Football Playoff spot is virtually assured.
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko talks to his staff during an injury time out against Samford in the fourth quarter Nov. 22, 2025, in College Station.
Sam Craft/Associated Press
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.
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