The 12th Man Shows Up In A Big Way for Texas A&M in Home Finale

The Texas A&M Aggies are 11-0, and for the first time in the history of Kyle Field, 7-0 at home.

On Saturday, the Aggies dominated the Samford Bulldogs 48-0 and recorded their first shutout since 2022.

Texas A&M fans have come out in droves to support their team, consistently showing the power of the 12th Man.

Kyle Field: A Cathedral of College Football

Texas A&M Aggies running back Amari Daniels (5) is lift into the air by offensive lineman Ar'maj Reed-Adams (55) in the first half of a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Kyle Field. | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

”Thank you for the season that we had here from the 12th Man,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said after the game. “I think some things that stood out: 106,000 average home attendance. That's the largest in the history of Kyle Field. We were over 100,000 fans at every single game this season. That does not happen. The fact that that place had over 100,000 people today for an 11:00 AM kick is another impressive feat. We talk about it all the time, but it can't ever go unspoken how important the 12th Man is to us and how much their support means to this program. To everyone that was part of that this year, thank you.“

The 12th Man has gone to bat for the Aggies every single game, and it has shown when propelling A&M to a 7-0 start. Seeing Kyle packed one more time was major for the seniors honored in Saturday’s senior day festivities.

“It was good to score a touchdown at my last home game at Kyle Field,” running back Amari Daniels said. ”It felt good. That's it. I'm just ready for the next opportunity so I can make a play.”

While players usually make lasting memories for fans, the 12th Man has the ability to create lifelong memories for players.

“Long-lasting memory, I got a few in Kyle Field,” Daniels said. ”But one that will always stick with me was my freshman year — I was just talking about it — in 2021, when we beat Alabama here. That was the one where they rushed the field. That was fun to be a part of. And that's one memory that I'm always going to remember forever, like forever.“

Against FCS opponents, Kyle Field’s 100,000+ screaming fans have to be intimidating. Samford’s Pete Hanna Stadium fits 6,700 fans, a tiny fraction of what the Bulldogs experienced on Saturday.

“It’s a wonderful college football environment,” Samford head coach Scott Sloan said after the game. “This is what college football is about: to get to play in this stadium in front of this crowd. I thought their fans were phenomenal, first class, an opportunity for our guys to experience this level of football.”