{"id":69915,"date":"2025-11-29T20:33:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-29T20:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/69915\/"},"modified":"2025-11-29T20:33:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-29T20:33:14","slug":"looking-back-on-the-aggies-loss-to-the-longhorns-in-austin-and-what-lies-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/69915\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking back on the Aggies loss to the Longhorns in Austin and what lies ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texas A&M<\/a> suffered its first loss of the season last night in Austin in what proved to be a roller-coaster outing for Mike Elko<\/a>\u2019s squad. There\u2019s still plenty of football left and every major goal remains within reach, but there\u2019s no denying that the setback came with its share of frustration.<\/p>\n

Now, the Aggies will miss a major opportunity to both play in and potentially win their first ever SEC Championship, as well as get their first win over the Longhorns since the rivalry\u2019s renewal.<\/p>\n

With a night to sleep on things, let\u2019s look back and review the major takeaways from last night:<\/p>\n

\"\"Nov 28, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Head coach Mike Elko watches the first half of play against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the bad.. <\/p>\n

I think most would agree that outside of a few self-inflicted mistakes, Texas A&M<\/a> controlled much of the first half in Austin, especially the second quarter. And while Mike Elko<\/a>\u2019s second-half adjustments have been a major reason the Aggies entered the night at 11-0, they weren\u2019t enough this time to counter the Texas<\/a> staff\u2019s halftime adjustments.<\/p>\n

After the first few series of the second half, it became clear the Aggies had slowed down and weren\u2019t playing with the same physical edge we\u2019ve seen all season. We saw a similar dip a year ago during their late-season collapse, but last night was the first real sign of it this season. You can certainly chalk some of that up to the grind of a long year and a roster still getting used to being primed for postseason-level play, but it was an interesting development nonetheless.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re expected to get star running back Le\u2019Veon Moss<\/a> and linebacker Scooby Williams<\/a> back for their first playoff game\u2014both of whom likely could have suited up last night if they felt absolutely needed\u2014which should provide a major boost. Those two are among the most physical players on the roster outside of the trenches, and their return comes at the perfect time.<\/p>\n

\"\"Nov 22, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) before a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Marcel Reed still has a lot of growing to do as a quarterback<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt Marcel Reed<\/a> has shown significant growth throughout his redshirt sophomore season at Texas A&M<\/a>, but that doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s a finished product. In reality, he still has plenty of development ahead of him before he reaches that point.<\/p>\n

Growing pains in the passing game are expected when leaning on a dual-threat quarterback in more of an \u201cair raid\u201d system, especially one as young as Reed. Still, there\u2019s been no shortage of missed opportunities through the air this season.<\/p>\n

Just a few weeks ago, the \u201cchants\u201d talk and memes began circulating to boost Reed\u2019s Heisman case. Since then, he\u2019s thrown four interceptions in three games. While he\u2019s generally done a solid job protecting the ball this season, there have definitely been some late-season bumps. If the Aggies want to make a deep postseason run, they\u2019ll need Reed to avoid slipping back into old habits and make the most of the next couple of off weeks.<\/p>\n

\"\"Aug 30, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Scooby Williams (0) in the second quarter against the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Injury absences continue to hurt the Aggies<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll both return to the field soon enough, but Scooby Williams<\/a> and Le\u2019Veon Moss<\/a> were two players whose absences arguably had the biggest impact on their respective sides of the ball. Both missed the regular-season finale.<\/p>\n

Williams\u2019 absence was especially noticeable as Arch Manning<\/a> consistently found room to run, jump-starting Texas\u2019 offense whenever it stalled. Taurean York<\/a> isn\u2019t an ideal option as a quarterback spy, which put the Aggies in a difficult spot schematically. And while Daymion Sanford<\/a> has held his own, the loss of Scooby was felt throughout the night. He\u2019s the one linebacker on the roster capable of truly neutralizing mobile quarterbacks, and that missing element showed.<\/p>\n

The Longhorns were without their two top linebackers for the first half, with one returning in the second, yet the Aggies still struggled to establish a consistent run game with Rueben Owens<\/a>. Owens has performed admirably since Moss went down with an ankle injury, but the production has left something to be desired. EJ Smith<\/a> has started to make an impact, yet there\u2019s no denying that Texas A&M<\/a> has lacked the consistency and spark they enjoyed with Moss healthy.<\/p>\n

\"\"Oct 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) returns a punt for a touchdown during the second half against the Louisiana State Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Offensive play calling inconsistencies show up once again<\/p>\n

Since arriving at Texas A&M<\/a>, offensive coordinator Collin Klein<\/a> has done a phenomenal job crafting an explosive and creative offense, something fans haven\u2019t seen in a long time. While he\u2019s had several strong performances this season, there have also been games where the plan simply slipped away.<\/p>\n

Last night was one of those instances.<\/p>\n

The Aggies controlled the offense for much of the second half, yet their approach seemed to completely change after halftime. It didn\u2019t make much sense then, and it still doesn\u2019t. They tried to force a run game early, effectively giving away the momentum they had built in the first half, even after receiving to start the second half.<\/p>\n

In reality, it felt like they were shifting into a conservative mode despite only holding a one-score lead. It\u2019s a situation that will surely be discussed publicly in the months ahead, but it will also be a major point of internal review over the next week or two.<\/p>\n

\"\"Nov 22, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko walks off the field after defeating the Samford Bulldogs 48-0 in a game at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s look forward to the positive..<\/p>\n

Losing a rivalry game can make it easy to lose faith, but it\u2019s important to keep some perspective. If you had told me before the season that the Aggies would finish the regular season 11-1, I have a sneaky suspicion every fan would have taken it\u2014regardless of who the loss came against.<\/p>\n

Mike Elko<\/a> taking a 7-5 program with numerous issues to 11-1 in just two seasons is deserving of any and all accolades he\u2019ll receive this offseason, alongside his new contract extension, and it\u2019s a strong reason for long-term optimism.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also been fascinating to watch how he manages a roster that is still not fully shaped to his liking. While there are players who don\u2019t perfectly fit the scheme and depth remains thin at multiple positions, the Aggies have battled through a brutal SEC schedule en route to what could be their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history.<\/p>\n

\"\"Oct 11, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; A wide view of the student section during the second half of a game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Florida Gators at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Kyle Field will (likely) host a College Football Playoff game<\/p>\n

For the first time in program history, Texas A&M<\/a> is likely to host a College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field.<\/p>\n

While a first-round bye and an SEC Championship Game appearance would have been ideal, last year showed that every team with a first-round bye lost their opening playoff game. Instead, the Aggies now have the opportunity to play at home before embarking on a major road game for the first time under head coach Mike Elko<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If the committee awards them a home game, it would be a well-deserved reward for a remarkable season so far and a memorable experience for the 12th Man.<\/p>\n

\"\"Nov 28, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) keeps the ball for yards during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

How do the Aggies respond from here?<\/p>\n

I spoke with a college coach a few weeks ago about whether a loss can ever have a positive impact on a team moving forward. The response was that leadership ultimately determines how a team responds, but in most cases, a loss provides an opportunity to study film and address issues in ways they hadn\u2019t before.<\/p>\n

For the Aggies, that opportunity will become a reality over the next couple of weeks.<\/p>\n

They have some time before they line up against another playoff team, and it\u2019s hard to see Mike Elko<\/a> not using last night\u2019s game as a major teaching moment. It\u2019s not the kind of lesson you ever want, but for a team that had yet to lose despite a few close calls, it could be exactly what they needed.<\/p>\n

We saw it last season with Ohio State<\/a>, which dropped its regular-season finale to Michigan<\/a> at home before the College Football Playoff and went on to win the National Championship. While I\u2019m not saying this Texas A&M <\/a>team is on the same level as last year\u2019s Buckeyes, history shows that many teams can use a game like this as fuel for a post-season run.<\/p>\n

Time will tell how Texas A&M<\/a> reacts and builds off this loss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Texas A&M suffered its first loss of the season last night in Austin in what proved to be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69916,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1507,132,134,133,35529,35530,35057,15997,35531,35059,35532],"class_list":["post-69915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-arch-manning-23-isidore-newman","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news","tag-daymion-sanford-23-paetow","tag-ej-smith-20-jesuit","tag-leveon-moss-22-istrouma-senior","tag-marcel-reed-23-montgomery-bell-academy","tag-rueben-owens-23-el-campo","tag-scooby-williams-21-ramsay","tag-taurean-york-23-temple"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}