The Good, Bad and Ugly of Texas A&M Aggies' Win Over Samford

The Texas A&M Aggies' first shutout victory since 2022 came with plenty of moments that were good, bad and ugly.

Nov 22, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Amari Daniels (5) runs with the ball in the first half of a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

For the first time in over 30 years, Texas A&M football is 11-0 heading into the final weekend of the season. To get there, the Aggies let a strong first quarter plus some change buy their starters a ticket to the bench as the backups took care of business for the majority of the contest.

Quarterback Marcel Reed led four touchdown drives in his time on the field, as his elite connection to wide receivers Ashton Bethel-Roman and KC Concepcion has continued to pay off. And once the prolific trio was off the field, the Aggies were still able to control the line of scrimmage.

With a successful Senior Day in the books and setting up a showdown next Friday in Austin, let's take a look at the good, bad and ugly of the Maroon and White's 48-0 win.

The Good: A&M holds its opponent under 100 yards for the first time since 1996

Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Nana Boadi-Owusu (12) runs out with the 12th man flag prior to the game against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Despite the absence of the majority of its starting defense, A&M still managed to pitch a shutout against its outmatched opponent in Samford. The Aggies allowed just one play over 10 yards, while the Bulldogs were forced to be one-dimensional through the air.

Moreover, Samford produced just 31 yards on the ground while quarterback Quincy Crittendon couldn't get anything done with constant pressure for the Aggie pass rush. Despite not getting their usual sack totals, the Maroon and White met their adversaries seemingly every play at the line of scrimmage.

The Bad: Kicking woes continue to loom

Sep 7, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies place kicker Jared Zirkel (99) kicks during the second quarter against the McNeese State Cowboys at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Despite the greatest comeback victory in school history last weekend, one of the questions that lingered over the minds of the A&M faithful was the question of what direction the kicking game was going in.

After missing two crucial kicks against South Carolina, kicker Randy Bond swapped positions with kicker Jared Zirkel as the kickoff specialist. This meant Zirkel was able to reclaim his starting role; however, a missed 36-yarder seems to put the Aggies back in the same spot with Bond in the game.

There's still time to improve, but it's getting a little too close for comfort.

The Ugly: The Bulldogs have more penalty yards than rushing yards

Nov 22, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Samford Bulldogs quarterback Quincy Crittendon (2) is sacked by Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Marco Jones (10) in the second half of a game at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

A testament to the Aggie defense's pressure, the Bulldogs had almost nothing to show for on offense. To add insult to injury, Samford had more penalty yards than rushing yards. Their longest run was just eight yards, and A&M got the tune-up game it needed en route to one of the biggest games of the season against Texas.