Transfers Shine In Debut As Texas A&M Dominates UTSA in Season Opener

The defense was come and go for the Texas A&M Aggies, especially in the first half, but with the dynamic abilities of the new and improved A&M offense, the UTSA Roadrunners didn't stand a chance Saturday night in College Station.

The Aggies enjoyed a sound victory over the Roadrunners by a score of 42-24, in front of a strong 107,521-packed Kyle Field.

Marcel Reed completed 22 of 34 attempted passes, threw for 289 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, while also leading the Aggies in rushing with 39 yards on the ground.

Mike Elko's Transfer Work Pays Off

The hype surrounding A&M's new receivers in KC Concepcion and Mario Craver during the offseason was no secret, both advertised as twitchy and speedy individuals, and Saturday night showed just how true those descriptions were.

Concepcion scored the first points for the Maroon and White on the season, taking a UTSA punt 80 yards all the way to the house in the first quarter to give the Aggies an early 7-0 lead.

The very next possession saw Craver, formerly of Mississippi State, get his licks in, catching a 24-yard pass from Marcel Reed to extend the Aggie lead to 14-3, before UTSA would answer back with a 15-yard rushing touchdown to bring themselves closer.

The following drive would see Concepcion find the end zone again, this time via a 31-yard reception that saw him showcase his main talent, his speed, going from hash mark to hash mark at one point to turn the corner and make it to the end zone to give the Aggies the 21-10 lead they currently hold.

Later on, in the third quarter, Craver would haul in his second receiving touchdown of the night courtesy of a 22-yard pass from Reed.

Craver finished the night as the Aggies' leading receiver, catching eight passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns, while Concepcion caught three passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Theo Melin Ohrstrom caught a touchdown on a 4th and 1 play, and E.J. Smith scored the first rushing touchdown for the Aggies midway through the fourth quarter, putting the game long out of reach.

The Aggies defense, however, seems to have a little more rust to knock off from the offseason, as UTSA Robert Henry was already at 95 yards after just two quarters, including the aforementioned 15-yard rushing score, and opened up the second half with a 75-yard rushing score to shrink the Aggies lead even more, as it seemed that the Aggies clearly have not learned their lesson from when Texas' Quintrevion Wisner torched them for 186 in the fateful regular season finale last season.

However, that was really when the Aggies defensive woes came to a stop, as the Roadrunners were shut out for most of the remainder of the game, and the Aggies put up 21 unanswered points.

The Aggies now will gear up and prepare to welcome another set of Aggies to Kyle Field when they take on Utah State in an early morning matchup on Saturday, September 6.