Texas A&M Leads Auburn at Halftime In SEC Opener

The No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies entered the afternoon hosting an unranked Auburn Tigers team in College Station, Texas, at Kyle Field. One of these programs will secure its first SEC win of the season, while the other will have to deal with the consequences.

Coming out of Week 4, the Aggies are fresh off a bye week after a thrilling 41-40 win against Notre Dame and are rested and ready to go. Meanwhile, the Tigers are coming off a disappointing 24-17 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Going into halftime, A&M leads Auburn 13-3 in a defensive battle.

Major headlines in the first half were the A&M defense creating havoc on a Tigers’ offensive line that hasn’t been able to put together success in pass protection consistently. The Aggies also recorded two sacks.

Another significant storyline is A&M scoring its first touchdown of the season on the opening drive. Senior running back Le’Veon Moss registered his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, which was the 21st of his career, with veteran kicker Randy Bond finishing off two drives with field goals.

Stop Jackson Arnold

Jackson Arnold throw — Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) passes the ball as Texas A&M Aggies safety Dalton Brooks (25) defends during the second quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

A&M knew what it was getting into with quarterback Jackson Arnold, desperate for a win, looking to turn around Hugh Freeze’s program. Last week, Auburn’s offensive line gave up nine sacks, which played a significant role in its loss. Nine sacks is how many A&M has had all season. The stunts and twists have tested A&M’s defense once again, especially in the secondary.

It was an eventful start by the safety Dalton Brooks, stalling the Tigers’ first drive with a colossal sack that pinpointed the confidence and juice the Aggies needed to start the game. Arnold was flushed out of the pocket numerous times with no protection.

Senior cornerback Will Lee Ⅲ and junior linebacker Tauren York had a heavy presence on second and third downs with tremendous heads-up football, especially with Arnold holding on to the ball. Junior defensive tackle DJ Hicks picked up A&M’s second sack, which was his first of the season, setting more frustration upfront for Auburn. Hicks was also the eighth Aggie to register a sack this season.

Native to Denton, Texas, Arnold sits second in Auburn’s rushing list, with the offense relying heavily on footwork and escapability. Thus far, bouncing to the outside hasn’t worked well, as the outside is covered effectively. There was an abundance of wrapping up properly in the tackle department, leading to a 0-for-8 start on third down.

Penalties have been an area that has killed both sides. A&M has seven penalties for 64 yards, while Auburn has eight penalties for 54 yards. This game might come down to who makes fewer mental mistakes.

As it sits, Arnold has a 59 percent completion percentage, going 10-for-17 with 75 yards. On the other side, QB Marcel Reed is 7-for-12, throwing for 100 yards in the air.

Keep Pushing The Ball Downfield

Reed had arguably one of his best performances as an Aggie two weeks ago in South Bend, Indiana, chunking the ball up in the air for 360 yards. Wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver created open windows and have done the same thing through two quarters, but have been well defended and quiet in coverage.

Concepcion started hot on the opening drive, hauling in a 24-yard completion, setting up the Moss 1-yard score. Reed once again hit Concepcion for a 19-yard gain on a drive that later stalled.

Craver, the 5-foot-9 sophomore, was surprisingly absent from numerous plays drawn up to be a passing play. It took over a quarter for Reed to connect with Craver, with 9:58 left on the clock, when offensive coordinator Collin Klein called a third-down screen that went for a 17-yard gain.

Luckily for the Aggies, the ground game has been what has led them to their current advantage. At halftime, the running back room has gone for 146 yards. Moss leads the Maroon and White with 67 yards, with sophomore Rueben Owens stepping up with three carries for 52 yards.

A&M has 246 yards of total offense with 36 plays and 12 first downs. Time of possession is also in A&M’s favor, holding the ball for over 17 minutes.

The second half at Kyle Field will resume momentarily on ESPN.