POSTGAME THOUGHTS: A&M forces four takeaways in 48-20 defeat of Arizona State

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The Aggies passed their Power-4 test this season, taking on Arizona State from the Big 12. A 17-10 ballgame at halftime saw itself turn into a defensive coordinator’s dream, as Texas A&M forced three second-half turnovers to defeat the Sun Devils 48-20 inside Kyle Field in front of the 10th largest crowd in stadium history (107,523). Let’s look into how things played out in College Station on Saturday against the first Big 12 home opponent since 2011.

Turnovers – Lots of them!

While the Aggies were outgained in the total yards department 369-255, the defense put their ball-hawking skills on display. The Maroon and White defenders forced four turnovers, the team’s most in a single game since 2023. Three of the four takeaways directly led to touchdowns, with two pick-sixes and a muffed punt that saw A&M punch it in three plays later. Perhaps the biggest of turnovers was a #ThiccSix from Marco Jones that was returned 55 yards to the house and completely flipped the contest.

A tale of two Reeds

Arizona State’s Reed Harris finished with 189 receiving yards and two scores on nine catches as the Aggie secondary struggled to contain the wide receiver. However, it ultimately didn’t matter because of the turnovers created by A&M’s linebacking corps.

Offensively, Marcel Reed struggled out of the gate. Two punts struggled to see the quarterback find a rhythm, but a short field on a muffed punt allowed the junior to lead the Aggies to a score. Then, Reed used his legs (and arm) to guide a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in six minutes over the course of the second quarter. While it took a minute to find a rhythm, it paid off. He finished with a 60% completion percentage (15-for-25) with 163 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Line of Scrimmage is still an issue

Arizona State absolutely dominated the trenches in the first half, imposing their will against the Maroon and White. The “Maroon Goons” offensive line is still a work in progress, only allowing the A&M running backs to tally 92 rushing yards on 35 carries. With conference play rapidly approaching (next week vs. Kentucky), Elko and his staff must figure out the right group of starters to allow Reed and the rest of the backfield to operate.

Horton Hears a Whoop!

Isaiah Horton continues to show why Elko went out to get the Alabama transfer. His immediate impact was felt throughout Saturday’s game; two of his three catches went for touchdowns, his second career multi-TD outing. Horton has four scores in his first two games as an Aggie, nearly half of his total from 2025 (8 TD).

2-0 and thriving

Coach Elko has lots of things to clean up this week, but he’ll definitely feel good doing so as 2-0 for the second straight season. The schedule ramps up once again, as the Aggies welcome Kentucky to Kyle Field next week for just the third time in program history.

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