Five Takeaways From Texas A&M's Loss in the Lone Star Showdown

The Aggies were unable to punch their ticket to the SEC Championship, falling to their rivals from Austin 17-7 in the first football matchup between the two teams in 13 years.

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks for an open receiver as Texas Longhorns linebacker Trey Moore (8) defends during the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

In the first Lone Star Showdown in over a decade, the Texas A&M Aggies struggled to really muster much of anything throughout the contest, resulting in their season-ending unceremoniously at the hands of a 17-7 loss to the Texas Longhorns.

From the first offensive drive of the game resulting in a turnover on downs to the final drive which resulted in a fumble, there were not many positives for the Aggie football team tonight.

The team was unable to score an offensive touchdown for the first time this year and was shut out in the first half at home for the first time since Mississippi State held them scoreless back in 2017.

Hindsight is always 20/20, though, and here are five takeaways from the first Lone Star Showdown since 2011.

Offensive Woes Hold Aggies Back

It was almost as if Texas A&M left their offense in Auburn.

Marcel Reed completed 16 of 23 attempted passes and also ran the ball 14 times for 56 yards. Reed was unable to find the end zone via his arm nor his legs, however, and also threw an interception. The offense struggles wavered throughout the team. Amari Daniels and even the returning Rueben Owens were unable to get much going in the running game, rushing for a combined 31 yards.

The offense started the game with a turnover on downs, and the drive afterward was Reed's sole interception on the night. The Aggies would go on to turn the ball over on downs twice more on the night, and their final drive resulted in a fumble by Reed that was recovered by the Longhorns, wiping away what little hope remained for the Texas A&M team.

Run Defense Back To Square One

Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner had a performance on the ground tonight that looked very similar to what Notre Dame and McNeese put up against the Aggies earlier in the season. Wisner ran the ball 33 times for 186 yards, his highest total of the season. The Longhorns combined for 240 yards on the ground, almost twice the average of what the Aggie defense had allowed throughout the season.

With Nic Scourton heading off to the NFL draft next spring, this is not the hole that the Aggie run defense needs to see after a lackluster past couple of performances.

What Happened?

Texas A&M started out 5-0 in SEC play after a huge comeback win against LSU put them atop the SEC rankings at one point. Fast forward to tonight, and that LSU win ended up being the final conference win for the team in the season, which they followed up by getting dashed by the South Carolina run game, falling in four overtimes to the Auburn Tigers, and getting picked apart by their biggest rivals tonight.

It's like the switch flipped at the worst time for the team. Mike Elko will surely be looking to prevent this next year.

Roller Coaster Pass Defense

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers completed 61% of his passes on the night, going 17-for-28 with a touchdown and an interception. He found running back Jaydon Blue in the back corner of the end zone for the lone passing touchdown by either team tonight.

While the speedy receiver Isaiah Bond did not receive a single target tonight, tight end Gunnar Helm showed why he is one of the best collegiate tight ends in today's game, catching six passes for 56 yards, leading the Longhorns in receptions.

Even when third or fourth down would be upon the Horns, it always seemed like Ewers would find someone open, as Texas scored 26 first downs on the night.

Wasted Opportunities

The game was a textbook definition of "one step forward, two steps back" for the Aggies. Their first drive saw them drive deep into Longhorn territory, but a turnover on downs saw their progression wiped away in an instant.

In the fourth quarter, a blocked punt saw the Aggies on the Texas four-yard line with seemingly a red carpet walk back into the game if they could just find their way into the end zone. But alas, it also was not to be, as another turnover on downs pulled Texas A&M further away from victory.

The Aggies made opportunities for themselves, but they just never seemed to take advantage of any of them.

The Longhorns will now face the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship next week, and the Aggies will now look to improve their game plan as they look forward to their bowl game and then 2025.

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