Texas A&M Falls Out of AP Top 25 For First Time Since 2019
It was fun while it lasted, Aggie fans.
Texas A&M will not find a number next to its name for the first time since 2019 after being removed from the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Aggies are coming off a 26-22 loss to Mississippi State at home to fall to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play.
A&M's offense struggled to find any consistency throughout Saturday's game. Either the team would capitalize on a big play or settle for short yardage. There never felt to be a middle ground in coach Jimbo Fisher's play-calling or in quarterback Zach Calzada's performance.
“They made the plays that we didn’t,” Fisher said. “We’ve got to do a better job overall in all three phases.”
Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers lit up A&M's secondary for four straight quarters. Entering Saturday, he ranked top 10 nationally in passing yards, completion rating, touchdowns and quarterback rating.
READ MORE: Texas A&M Zach Calzada not the problem, but also not the solution
He'll remain there for another week.
Rogers finished with 408 passing yards and three touchdowns on 59 passing attempts. The Bulldogs also relied on short passing instead of the long ball, averaging 6.9 yards per throw.
Bulldogs wide receiver Makai Polk led all receivers with 13 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns, including a 15-yard grab in the third quarter that ultimately propelled Mississippi State ahead. From then on, the Aggies were forced to play catch up.
Calzada scrambled on third down for a 25-yard touchdown run, bringing A&M back by five. On the ensuing drive, the Aggies would settle for a 44-yard field goal from Seth Small to bring them back within two.
One drive later, Calzada would be sacked in the end zone, culminating in a game-sealing safety. A&M now must prepare for No. 1 Alabama at home next Saturday evening.
READ MORE: Texas A&M Playing Short-Handed Vs. Mississippi State
“We need a lot of leadership and a lot of people who want to play,” A&M running back Devon Achane said.
With several marquee matchups in the SEC, A&M remained the one team to drop out of the Top 25 altogether. Arkansas moves from No. 8 to No. 13 following a 37-0 loss to No. 2 Georgia. Florida falls from No. 10 to No. 20 following a 20-13 road loss against Kentucky in Lexington.
Ole Miss, which entered Saturday ranked No. 12, now comes in at No. 17 after a 42-21 loss to the Crimson Tide. Auburn moves up to No. 18 after a come-from-behind road win against LSU. Kentucky joins the Top 25 for the first time this season, moving into the No. 16 spot.
READ MORE: Mississippi State's Rogers and Air Raid Offense Take Down Texas A&M
AP Top 25 Poll
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Iowa
4. Penn State
5. Cincinnati
6. Oklahoma
7. Ohio State
8. Oregon
9. Michigan
10. BYU
11. Michigan State
12. Oklahoma State
13. Arkansas
14. Notre Dame
15. Coastal Carolina
16. Kentucky
17. Ole Miss
18. Auburn
19. Wake Forest
20. Florida
21. Texas
22. Arizona State
23. NC State
24. SMU
25. San Diego State
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