This Facet of Texas A&M's Game Can Make All the Difference vs. Texas

No. 3 Texas A&M is number three in the country for a reason, as it sits at a perfect 11-0 record heading into one of the biggest games of its season. The Aggies will head to Austin for the Lone Star Showdown, as the Aggies will play with the Southeastern Conference championship game on the line.

This season, all parts of the game have picked up for A&M on offense, defense, and even special teams, where the Aggies have picked up vital yards, putting them in better field position for the next drives.

Both Texas A&M and Texas have dominant players on special teams, KC Concepcion for the Aggies and Ryan Niblett for the Longhorns. With the Aggies heading into Austin by being a 2.5-point favorite, special teams can certainly win the game for either team.

Special Teams Impact

Texas A&M KC Concepcio — Oct 11, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) runs a route during the first half against the Florida Gators at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

As far as punt returns go, Concepcion has been outstanding this season as he ranks third in the SEC in 20.95 average yards gained per punt return. He has been able to run back two punts for touchdowns this season in games against UTSA and LSU, making a true impact on special teams.

"The critical factors of football will play a huge role," Mike Elko said when asked about how important special teams can be in this game. "Turnover margins gonna play a big role, explosive plays is going to play a big role, winning on special teams is going to play a big role."

For the Longhorns they also have an explosive player on special teams in Niblett, who ranks second in the SEC, just ahead of Concepcion, as he averages 24.71 yards per punt return. Like Concepcion, Niblett also has two special teams touchdowns on the season.

"When you have two teams that are going to go battle it out, without a ton of separation between the two of them, it's going to come down to those really important factors that'll determine winning and losing, and so that's where you've got to try to stay on the front end of it."

The two have very similar stats when it comes to special teams, as Concepcion has totaled 398 yards, while Niblett has 420 on the season. Both have two punt return touchdowns, making them very similar.

With a big game like this on the line for the Aggies, it is very important that they play their hardest on all sides of the ball, including special teams, if they want to take back the Lone Star Showdown trophy.