4 Takeaways From Texas A&M's Blowout Win Over Missouri State

Thanks to great play from Texas A&M players young and old, the Maroon and White are a comfortable 1-0 on the 2026 season. Here is what can be taken away from the Week 1 victory.

Missouri State Bears' Isaiah McMorris (8) attempts to tackle Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first game of the 2026 season could not have gone any better for the Texas A&M Aggies Saturday night in front of a rowdy Kyle Field crowd, which ended with the Aggies blowing out the Missouri State Bears by a score of 50-0.

After a relatively slow start from the offense that saw them up 19-0 at halftime, they were able to piece things together in the second half, scoring the remaining 31 points that made up the dominant win.

The Maroon and White turn their attention to the Arizona State Sun Devils, who will likely provide the team with much more competition when they visit College Station next week, but here are a few key takeaways from A&M's win Saturday night.

Isaiah Horton Is As Advertised

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Isaiah Horton (7) receives a pass during the first quarter against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the Aggies lost out to their rivals in Austin in the Cam Coleman sweepstakes, the Ags struck gold with the next best thing in Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton.

And it didn't take him long to get comfortable in front of the 12th Man. In fact, he scored the team's first touchdown of the season with a 15-yard pass from Marcel Reed on his first catch.

Horton ended his first game as an Aggie with four catches for 76 yards and the touchdown, all coming in the first half of play Saturday night.

It's something about Reed and transfer receivers wearing the No. 7. There is just simply a special type of connection there.

Return of the "Wrecking Crew"

The Aggies' last shutout happened just last November against the Samford Bulldogs by a score of 48-0, and now they have secured their second shutout in four games with their 50-0 victory tonight.

And all props to the stout defense that Mike Elko and defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill have been cooking up over the offseason.

The team only allowed 67 total yards, including 37 on the ground, and didn't even allow Missouri State to sniff the red zone the entire night, both yardages and the score a massive upgrade over last year's opener against UTSA.

The Aggies also forced three fumbles, and recovered all three of them, which allowed them to eventually add 14 points to their total because of them.

The offense may have faltered some in the first half, but the defense was a force to be reckoned with from the opening kick to the final kneel down.

Offensive Young Guns Get Their Feeding

Texas A&M Aggies running back Carsyn Baker (5) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Carsyn Baker. Aaron Gregory. KJ Edwards. Kelshaun Johnson. The list goes on.

Many true freshman got their reps in front of the 12th Man, and for Baker and Gregory, it even saw them score trips into the end zone, while Edwards rumbled for 44 yards on five carries and Johnson caught three passes for 25 yards during the blowout.

The skill shown by the younger players goes to show how deep the leadership within the team hits on all counts, as well as how much depth this A&M team has on offense in the skill positions.

Even Brady Hart got his first passing touchdown during the contest, throwing the 15-yard score to Gregory early in the fourth quarter after taking the reins from Marcel Reed to close out the contest.

Penalties Galore Early On

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko joked last year that players that committed penalties were about to have to contribute to the "Coaches' Cabo Fund," and earlier in the game, it seemed like the concept was going to have to be brought back.

Two holding calls on veteran offensive lineman Mark Nabou and a big gain by Isaiah Horton brought back by offensive pass interference.

It was an issue for the Aggies last year, and it almost seemed like it was going to crowd the game this year. But Texas A&M was able to show more discipline as the night went on, and in the end, both teams ended with only eight penalties apiece.

Even Marcel Reed said in his postgame press conference that the team "definitely left some money on the table" in terms of points. Had the game had higher stakes, those early penalties could've been much more costly.

Texas A&M has a chance to get some more of that "money" back when they host the Arizona State Sun Devils next Saturday at 11:00 AM.

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