Arizona State Report Card: Grading Every Position Group In Texas A&M Loss

Arizona State's 48-20 loss to No. 10 Texas A&M in College Station was not the result that Sun Devils fans were hoping for. There are several reasons why and while doing our position group grading for the game we cut right to the heart of the issues ... this is one report card that ASU players won't want to take home to Mom.

Quarterbacks Grade: D

This wasn't Cutter Boley's first rodeo playing in a tough SEC road environment. He had games for Kentucky last season at Georgia and at Auburn, so this shouldn't have been culture shock. Boley's final line: 21 of 34 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions is about in line with what he did last season in similar spots. But this performance needed to have fewer mistakes than an equal TD/INT ratio. Blessed with a talented receiving corps and under the tutelage of Kenny Dillingham, it was fair to expect progression in his game. It didn't quite look that way.

Boley was under increasing pressure as the game wore on and the run game was abandoned due to the situation on the scoreboard. That was evident on his second Pick 6 of the second half when under duress he jumped while trying to throw a bubble with a pass that went high and was ultimately intercepted. That ball needed to thrown away with something more at the receiver's feet as sort of a wasted play. Completing nine passes apiece to Reed Harris and Omarion Miller was solid distribution, but nobody else caught more than one ball. To win these types of games, Boley will need to be much better.

To the HOUSE 😈

📺 ABC#ForksUp /// @reedharris05 pic.twitter.com/fp3A67x9sM
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 12, 2026

Running Backs Grade: B-

It's unrealistic to expect a 100-yard rushing performance on the road against Texas A&M or any "class" opponent, especially when you run the kind of offense Arizona State does. So the 13 carries for 66 yards by Kyson Brown were solid but not spectacular. The Sun Devils couldn't stick with the run given that the scoreboard was getting away from them in the second half. But 5.1 yards per carry is definitely strong. Fan favorite Grayson Rigdon (three carries, four yards) looked a step slow against a "class" defense on his limited tries.

Wide Receivers Grade: B

Much of this grade goes to Reed Harris, who proved to be one of the very best players on the field. That's a good sign considering that Arizona State needs an elite offense with elite weapons if it harbors any legitimate Big 12 title hopes. Harris' size proved too much for A&M on his first touchdown - a 21-yard reception - and it was good to see the Boston College transfer show he can use his 6-foot-5 frame effectively. His second touchdown showed off the speed as he raced about 25 yards following a catch for what was a 58-yard touchdown to make it 24-20 in the second half.

Omarion Miller's 3.2 yards per reception are fluky. He had nine receptions overall, which showed good distribution if nothing else. But A&M bottled up most of those situations and limited anything after the reception with one of the better secondaries that ASU will see all season. No other receivers caught more than one ball.

Offensive Line Grace: C

The scoreboard did not work in this unit's favor. The run game had to be mostly abandoned with the team scrambling to catch up on the scoreboard. A&M knew it and sent the pressure, which as the game wore on, the Sun Devils' line handled progressively worse. Will Arizona State see a front like Texas A&M's again this season? Probably not unless you think Texas Tech is anywhere near last season's levels or BYU is elite.

The middle runs early were blocked well, so there's that. But there was just nothing on display in this game that would make us walk away thinking this offensive line ranks anywhere in the Top 30 nationally. That could change, however ... hopefully.

Defensive Line Grace: C+

Trying to curtail an athlete like Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed was always going to be a tough ask. Arizona State tried mostly to do it with limited pressure and still put him under a little duress. But Reed was able to break out of it most times and create.

LSU transfer Ashton Stamps was part of a secondary that graded out nicely in Arizona State's loss to Texas A&M. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Finishing with two sacks and five tackles for loss, even if some of that came from the linebackers, still bodes well as an overall sign of quality up front. He didn't light up the stat sheet but we were impressed in spots by freshman defensive tackle Julian Hugo's combo of size and hustle.

The dual-threat quarterback challenges are only just beginning with games against Kansas and Baylor (assuming DJ Lagway is healthy) up next.

Linebackers Grade: C

If the defensive line isn't going to stand out this season (see above) and the secondary doesn't play at an elite level (see below), then the linebackers had better be a force. Ask yourself if that was the case at all on Saturday. In pass defense, this group consistently had receivers work in behind them and had balls get over them.

Will there be another test like Marcel Reed, though? Not in the regular season, no. But Arizona State fans want to see something that will make them feel the certain units are playoff-level quality. It just wasn't there on Saturday against the toughest opponent of the season. Martell Hughes, who had five solo tackles, needs some help from others.

Secondary Grade: B-

There was actually a lot to like here. Montana Warren had seven tackles and a sack. Lyrik Rawls had an interception. LSU transfer Ashton Stamps looked good in coverage.

Unfortunately, the team as a whole was put in a bad spot several times due to special teams miscues or turnovers that led directly to points as the deficit swelled. Overall, Reed only threw for 163 yards and the secondary did a nice job on standout receiver Mario Craver.

One of few knocks would be a sequence in which corner Rodney Bimage Jr. dropped an interception that would have been nullified anyway by a defensive holding penalty on him on the same play. All of that happened on a third down that would have gotten the defense off the field, but instead the drive continued and ultimately ended with a touchdown pass from Reed to Isaiah Horton, who made a great catch on a well-thrown ball that realy wasn't defensible.

Look what he found. 👀#GigEm | @MarcoJones2025 pic.twitter.com/mmJvOYauLM
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) September 12, 2026

Special Teams Grade: F

Distster. Let's be frank: You don't need special teams to win a game, but you absolutely cannot have them lose one. That's basically what happened Saturday.

Corey Butler's early muffed punt inside his own 10 gifted the Aggies their first score moments later. The fake punt call near halftime was an unnecessary risk that led to a Texas A&M field goal with seconds left before intermission. Can't have that with the score only 14-10 at the time. The execution wasn't great either, but the issue is more the gamble and uncreative play call.

Trailing 24-20 in the second half, the punt team gave up a big return that ultimately led to a Craver touchdown. So that's 17 points allowed you can tie directly to Arizona State special teams. Again, this cannot be the unit to lose you a game.

Lone bright spot was kicker Carson Smith making both field goal attempts with a long of 35 yards.

Add us as a preferred source on Google