Texas A&M Answered Three Major Questions Against Arizona State

After a 48-20 win over Arizona State, Texas A&M has now answered some important questions that it had going into Week 2.

Even after a slow offensive start to the first half, A&M never gave up its lead and showed that it could make the proper adjustments at halftime to pull away late.

Head coach Mike Elko knows his defense, which he constructed, can win the turnover battle. He also knows the Aggies can stay disciplined by avoiding penalty flags, and the program has proven it can beat quality teams to build its resume.

Aggies Create Turnovers

Julio Humphrey Texas A&M Aggies — Sep 12, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Cutter Boley (8) throws a pass as Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Marco Jones (10) pressures during the second quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A&M forced a total of four turnovers, and all of them swung the pendulum in favor of the home team. Two of the turnovers were fumbles, and two were interceptions.

The first turnover came early on when the Sun Devils were in punt return formation, and a muffed punt turned the tide in favor of the Aggies. There was also a late fumble recovery by safety Dalton Brooks that was forced by Sam M’Pemba that set up the Aggies at the Arizona State 26-yard line.

An additional pick-six was thrown by the Arizona State quarterback Cutter Boley that wound up in the arms of Julio Humphrey. Overall, Elko and Co. appeared satisfied with the ability to create turnovers and flip the momentum in A&M's favor.

“It means a lot to turn our practice into something in the game,” Brooks said. “We put a big emphasis on it.”

Penalties Get Addressed

Against Missouri State, A&M had lots of penalties that should not have happened against a lower-quality opponent, but it was Week 1, and there were going to be some mistakes. Elko had to have addressed it in the week of preparation for Arizona State because it was much cleaner in Week 2.

“It was really good,” Elko noted. “The one we made, we thought they jumped. It wasn't a focus penalty. There were times last year you saw my frustration with penalties. It felt like we were working on playing clean football. It was good to go out and do that today.”

As Elko noted, the Aggies committed only one penalty, and it was a false start against Tyree Adams that didn’t occur until the fourth quarter. Luckily, the offense was in Sun Devils territory and was only scooted back to the 31-yard line, which helped bolster their record to 2-0.

A&M Showed It Can Secure Resume-Boosting Win

Missouri State’s matchup with A&M was a good first impression, and the tools Elko had in his toolbox were tested in the second game against Arizona State. His roster showed it could put together a full 60 minutes of football, with help on both sides of the ball.

Look at the multiple wide receivers that quarterback Marcel Reed targeted as he connected with seven different weapons for a combined three touchdowns.

Six different Aggies also had carries for positive yardage in the run game, which illustrates how strong the depth of this team can take them the distance of the season with a golden opportunity to earn another ticket to the College Football Playoff.

“You've got to be able to overcome adversity if you want to be a really, really good football team,” Elko mentioned. “There were times when that showed itself today. Offensively, putting a drive together when they got things rolling. Defensively, after the turnover, stepping up and making a play. I thought we overcame some of the adversity today. That was really good to see.”

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