{"id":433985,"date":"2026-09-12T15:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T15:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/433985\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T15:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T15:34:10","slug":"one-number-could-tell-us-everything-about-texas-am-vs-arizona-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/433985\/","title":{"rendered":"One Number Could Tell Us Everything About Texas A&M vs. Arizona State"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texas A&M is a sizable favorite over Arizona State<\/a> in the pair’s Week 2 matchup, but point spreads don’t always account for chemistry issues that can arise during a program’s first Power 4 test.<\/p>\n

The Aggies are clearly an impressive football team. A 50-0 win<\/a> over any FBS team is a notable achievement. <\/p>\n

Against Missouri State last week, though, there was an issue that, if not fixed, can doom Texas A&M against more than just the Sun Devils this week.<\/p>\n

Eight Flags is Not Sustainable for Texas A&M This Season\"Mike<\/p>\n

Sep 5, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko looks on during the first quarter against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

There were eight flags against the Bears last week at Kyle Field. Within the friendly confines of their home field, the Aggies played a sloppy game.<\/p>\n

Sure, there were no repercussions then. It’d be foolish for Mike Elko to think this is sustainable, though.<\/p>\n

In the second quarter, there was a particularly egregious stretch when center Mark Nabou and left tackle Tyree Adams were called for holding. Nabou also had a false start call earlier in the game. This wasn’t just an offensive line issue, though.<\/p>\n

Transfer receiver Isaiah Horton was also called for offensive pass interference. Quarterback Marcel Reed couldn’t get the ball off in time and was called for a delay of game.<\/p>\n

These were mostly first half mistakes. It was the first time playing in front of a capacity crowd in over seven months for these players.<\/p>\n

Penalties are a more troubling sign than anything else, though. Even back-to-back sacks on Reed during one first quarter drive.<\/p>\n

Texas A&M Had Penalty Issues in 2025 and 2024<\/p>\n

It’d be a lot easier to reconcile with the sloppy Week 1 performance if it wasn’t an Elko-era trend.<\/p>\n

The Aggies have had issues with penalties over the past two seasons. In 2024, TAMU ranked No. 114 out of 134 FBS teams at the time. Elko’s first-year squad had 64.7 penalty yards per game.<\/p>\n

In 2025, the Aggies were ranked No. 122 of 136, with 60.7 penalty yards per game on 7.2 flags per game. Texas A&M improved as the season went on, but seem to be back to square one here in 2026.<\/p>\n

This year’s schedule is significantly tougher. The Aggies can’t beat themselves when there are plenty of teams, particularly in November, that are fully capable of handing them a loss without excessive penalties.<\/p>\n

We’ll see how Elko handles this issue. It may keep ASU in the game far longer than the oddsmakers suggest if it goes unchecked.<\/p>\n

Sign up to\u00a0our free newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for the latest news.<\/p>\n

\"\"Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a>