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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – After a week of questions, Texas A&M football gave its fans something to exhale about. Jamarion Morrow ran for three first-half touchdowns, and the Aggies shut out The Citadel 41-0 at Kyle Field on Saturday.
The win moved the Aggies to 4-3 and ended the sting of a 27-6 loss at Missouri. Texas A&M piled up 501 yards, went 6 for 6 in the red zone and never turned the ball over. The Bulldogs fell to 2-5 and are still looking for their first conference win.
A perfect day in Aggieland
The weather was pleasant, the kickoff came at midday, and The Citadel looked healthy and poised in warmups. Then the Aggies’ traditions began, and Kyle Field filled and roared to life in front of an announced crowd of 101,052.
The Bulldogs lost the toss and received the opening kickoff, a chance to shake off first-possession jitters. They punted, but the drive got them warmed up. The Aggies answered by marching into the red zone, and Morrow punched it in. The cannon fired, and Texas A&M led 7-0 with 8:56 left in the first quarter after a nine-play, 62-yard drive.
The Citadel’s best chance slipped away
The Bulldogs got moving on their next possession and reached midfield. Facing fourth-and-4, they called timeout, talked it over and went for it. The throw sailed high, and the Aggies took over on downs at the 45-yard line.
Texas A&M drove to the Citadel 8-yard line before the quarter ended. Early in the second, Morrow scored again on a carry to make it 14-0 with 14:29 left in the half. That drive took eight plays and covered 55 yards.
Reed and Gregory connect, and Morrow finishes the job
After a Citadel three-and-out, the Aggies faced pressure from the Bulldogs’ defense but kept moving. On third down, a pass was first ruled incomplete, but a replay review gave quarterback Marcel Reed a 37-yard touchdown to Aaron Gregory. The score was 21-0 with 10:26 left in the half.
The Citadel answered with a strong return and kept grinding against the Aggies’ front. It converted a fourth-and-1 to reach the Aggies’ 40-yard line, but it needed points and got none. A later fourth-and-8 became fourth-and-14 after a delay-of-game penalty, and the Bulldogs punted with 2:56 left before halftime.
Texas A&M took over at its own 2-yard line, and Reed found his rhythm. A big run moved the Aggies into Citadel territory, and Morrow finished from a yard out for his third touchdown of the half. It was an 11-play, 98-yard drive, and the Aggies led 28-0 at the break.
The halftime numbers were lopsided but odd. The Citadel held the ball for 19:06 of the first half, nearly twice as long as the Aggies’ 10:53, but it managed just 76 yards and no points. Texas A&M had 278 yards and 15 first downs.
Second half: a stand, a field goal and a Hart touchdown
The Citadel defense stiffened to open the second half. After a 22-yard kickoff return, Texas A&M had to settle for a 20-yard field goal that made it 34-0 with 3:22 left in the third quarter. A false start penalty and a Bulldogs defensive stand in the red zone kept the Aggies out of the end zone. Brady Hart replaced Reed at quarterback with the game in hand.
The Bulldogs got a 32-yard reception on their first drive of the half but could not convert a fourth-and-2. Their offensive line, a concern before the game, appeared to tire on the next possession. They did force the Aggies’ first punt of the day, and they strung together a few good runs before Texas A&M got a stop.
Hart then led a seven-play, 54-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Gregory with 5:47 left. The Aggies led 41-0. A Citadel field goal attempt missed late, and Texas A&M turned to its third-string quarterback to run out the clock.
By the numbers
| Stat | The Citadel | Texas A&M |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 183 | 501 |
| Passing yards | 43 | 237 |
| Rushing yards | 140 | 264 |
| First downs | 12 | 26 |
| Third downs | 5-15 | 7-11 |
| Red zone | 0-0 | 6-6 |
| Penalties | 2-20 | 5-38 |
| Time of possession | 33:59 | 26:01 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
Elko: “We’re not going to pound our chest”
Aggies coach Mike Elko praised his team’s professionalism and said many players got needed reps and rest.
“We’re not going to pound our chest when we are the better team,” Elko said.
He added that it was good for the Aggies to bring energy and finish the game. He liked how the team stayed in third-and-manageable situations but said the defense was “not as good.” Asked about the confidence the win brings into SEC play, he said, “It’s better than not.”
What’s next for Texas A&M football
The Aggies are 1-3 in SEC play, and the road ahead is steep. They visit Alabama next Saturday, Oct. 24, then have an open date. After that come South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas.
Texas A&M needs two more wins to reach six and become bowl eligible. Alabama is the toughest test, and the open date gives the Aggies time to heal. South Carolina and Tennessee look like the games that decide their season. Saturday’s 264 rushing yards were a good sign, but the opponent was an FCS team, and the real answers will come in SEC play.
The Citadel returns to Southern Conference play, with a home game against newcomer Tennessee Tech and a trip to defending champion Mercer coming up. Its time-of-possession win and 140 rushing yards show some things to build on.
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