Any concerns Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and Aggie fans may have had over player performance following the prior week’s upset were alleviated on October 16.
Aggies stormed into Farout Field in Columbia, MO, to administer a decisive 35-14 victory, taming the host Missouri Tigers. Quickly imposing a 21 point 1st Quarter, A&M maintained its distance for the remainder of the game, not allowing Mizzo to narrow the gap any closer than 14 points.
The win enabled the now 5-2 Aggies, 2-2 in Southeastern Conference play, to latch onto the 17th spot in National polls.
All scouting reports and pre-game analysis underscored Missouri’s generally poor run defense. Junior Isaiah Spiller led the ground play with 168 yards and a TD in 20 carries. He was followed closely by sophomore Devon Achane for 128 yards, a pair of end zone visits on sixteen attempts. Both of these players are Texas natives.
Second-year A&M QB Zach Calzada was efficient when needed with several third-down conversions. His 13 completions on 25 tosses produced 148 yards and a pair of TD strikes, each finding the hands of junior wideout Ainias Smith.
The visiting winners also displayed strength on defense. A pair of first-quarter interceptions set up two of three A&M touchdowns, while a couple of QB sacks and several “hurries” marked a team effort limiting the host Tigers to just 348 yards total offense.
In what may prove troubling during upcoming games, A&M displayed a poor kicking game. Seth Small missed two field-goal attempts, and Nic Constantinou managed only 88 total yards on three punts.
The Aggies will welcome unranked South Carolina to their home for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Kyle Field on October 23. This game will be followed by a bye week in the schedule before what will likely be a rugged November 6 home field encounter with Auburn.