What the Stats Say About Texas A&M Aggies Against Utah State Aggies

Game two of year two of the coach Mike Elko era in Aggieland is almost here. Texas A&M is set to host the Utah State Aggies on Saturday as part of their hopeful trip to the College Football Playoff.

The last time the two teams faced off, it was for the first time in school history. A Texas A&M squad, led by quarterback Jerrod Johnson, was able to win the battle of the Aggies 38-30.

Utah State vs Texas A&M Box Score, 2009

	1	2	3	4	Final
Utah State	14	0	3	13	30
Texas A&M	14	10	7	7	38

Now, with completely different programs, Texas A&M and Utah State are set to face off for the second time in the schools’ history. Here is what the stats say about the battle of the Aggies.

Texas A&M vs Utah State: What the Stats Say

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) calls a play during the first quarter against the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7 at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

While both programs came away with victories in Week 1, they did so in different fashions. Texas A&M relied on its new toys at the wide receiver spot to get it done against UTSA, and Utah State leaned on its run game to come away with a victory against the UTEP Miners. Here’s a look at each team’s Week 1 stats:

	Texas A&M vs UTSA	Utah State vs UTEP
First Downs	17	18
3rd Down Efficiency	3-11	2-12
4th Down Efficiency	1-1	0-0
Total Yards	401	362
Passing Yards	291	233
Completions/Attempts	23/36	19/28
Yards Per Pass	8.1	8.3
Passing Touchdowns	4	1
Interceptions Thrown	0	0
Rushing Yards	110	129
Rushing Attempts	22	31
Rushing Touchdowns	1	2
Yards Per Rush	5.0	4.2
Penalties	7-50	11-73
Turnovers	0	0
Fumbles Lost	0	0
Interceptions Thrown	0	0
Time of Possession	26:19	30:37

As interesting as it would be to formulate a table showcasing each team’s season-long stats from 2024, Utah State threw a wrench in that plan. This is its first year under head coach Bronco Mendenhall, meaning the team’s stats from last season would not accurately showcase what they could do on the field this year.

Prior to being the head coach at Utah State, Mendenhall spent a year as the head coach of the New Mexico Lobos, where he posted a 5-7 record. Under Mendenhall, the Lobos posted a 24th-ranked 33.5 points per game and a 3-4 record in the Mountain West. They relied heavily on talented quarterback Devon Dampier, but outside of that, the talent was not there for Mendenhall to succeed in just one season. The Lobos struggled against above-average offenses, which was a major contributor to their losing record.

Last year, Texas A&M leaned on its impressive run game to carry it to an 8-5 record. Offensively, the Aggies ranked ninth in the high-powered SEC. They average 405.8 yards per game. A&M held the second-best rushing attack in the conference, averaging 195.5 yards per game and scoring 27 touchdowns.

If Utah State wants a shot at keeping up with Texas A&M, it will need to hope that Mendenhall’s defensive woes stay in Loboland. For A&M, limiting Utah State’s run game will be key for the Maroon and White to come out on top.