POSTGAME THOUGHTS: Aggies make a statement in dismantling of Mizzou

No. 25 Texas A&M had it’s share of doubters headed into this weekend’s game against No. 9 Mizzou. If I’m being honest I was one of them. The Aggies were 4-1, but after somewhat lackluster performances (at least offensively) against Bowling Green and Arkansas, there was reason to question if they were ready to face what was one of the top teams in the SEC coming into the 2024 season.

After what we just watched, I don’t know how you doubt this team now.

Obviously the biggest catalyst for change in this game was the return of QB Conner Weigman. After missing the past three games with a shoulder injury, and some both nationally and within the fanbase wondering if he should be the starter when he was healthy again), Weigman absolutely carved up the Missouri defense all afternoon to the tune of 18 for 22 for 276 yards, along with 33 yards on the ground. He didn’t throw a TD pass (or an interception), but he set up A&M often to punch it in on the ground. And they did that often. But Weigman’s performance was far from the only impressive one on this day. His offensive line gave him plenty of time to stand in the pocket and find open receivers (oh and the receivers got open often). And for the second game in a row, Le’Veon Moss rode a dominant second half to YET ANOTHER 100-yard game on the ground. 12 carries for 138 yards and three touchdowns, to be exact.

Both lines looked to be the more physical unit, Brady Cook was under pressure most of the day, and the Missouri run game was also held mostly in check all day long. That makes four games in a row in which the A&M defense has held the opponent to 100 rushing yards or less.

But from a broader, perspective, this feels like the kind of game that SO MANY Aggie teams of previous years would lose. How many times have had what felt like the opportunity to beat a ranked opponent, make a statement, and greatly increase our chances of a special season and come up short? 2023 Alabama and 2021 Ole Miss immediately come to mind, but that’s only in recent memory. There have been many others. So for A&M to face a top 10 team and not just win, but dominate, speaks volumes. It speaks to the culture change of this team, the physicality of this roster, and the changes that head coach Mike Elko was hired to bring about.

Certainly there is a conversation to be had about just how good Mizzou is. They certainly didn’t look like a top 10 team today, and you could argue they didn’t look like one in their previous two games against Boston College and Vanderbilt either. But college football is an exercise in constantly trying (and failing) to figure out exactly what a team is. Mizzou could have just as easily come out today and put it all together and justified their ranking in a statement win. Instead, we saw the opposite, and as an A&M fan, it feels like it’s been a long time since we’ve seen that. WE PUT IN BACKUPS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER!

In fact, I can tell you exactly how long. This was the largest margin of victory A&M has had over a ranked team since they defeated BYU 65-14 in the 1990 Holiday Bowl, and their largest margin of victory over a top 10 team EVER.

So now we all get to spend two weeks basking in this win, as A&M heads into the bye week at 5-1 and 3-0 in SEC play. The ONLY 3-0 team in the SEC. They’ll get to rest up, clean up mistakes and then head to Starkville against what has looked like a very underwhelming Mississippi State team. But as much as Davis Wade Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Ags, you still can’t take that one for granted.

But the next game is a conversation for another day. For now, appreciate this one, because what a win it was. We’ve all endured our fair share of misery rooting for this team, so this much joy is very much welcome. And if you had been on the fence about whether to believe in this team, it’s probably time to jump in.

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