Five takeaways from Texas A&M’s 38-10 win over Abilene Christian
Yes, Texas A&M (7-4, 4-3 SEC) won their last home game of the 2023 football season in front of a packed Kyle Field. Yes, the play was underwhelming in the first game since now-former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s firing, but what stood out more than anything was the heart and soul of the 12th Man displayed 24 years to the day after the tragic 1999 Aggie bonfire collapse to the lives to 12 Texas A&M students.
Since the incident, this is the first time in history that the game was played on the exact day as the A&Mn remembrance. At the same time, the A&M logo was draped with a ribbon, and senior linebacker and special teamer Sam Mathews, who represented the 12th Man on the field this season, showed up and showed out in his final game in Aggieland.
Trailing 7-0 after an ACU pick-six, sophomore quarterback Jaylen Henderson, in his second start of the season, failed to find any momentum early in the first half, but thanks to the play of wide receivers Moose Muhammad (4 receptions, 104 yards, 1 TD) and Jahdae Walker’s (4 receptions, 88 yards) impressive day through the air, Henderson threw a crisp 13-yard end zone fade to sophomore WR Noah Thomas to take a 17-10 lead into halftime time.
After the half, Henderson swiftly found Muhammad for a 49-yard dime early in the 3rd quarter, sealing the game as the Aggie’s defense held ACU to just 149 passing yards and 93 yards on the ground, only allowing three points on offense.
To cap things off, interim head coach Elijah Robinson implemented the annual senior day all-walk kick-off team, almost resulting in a fumble after a big hit from senior kicker Blair Zepeda. At the same time, Sam Mathews made the final tackle of the fame in a fitting fashion.
Ahead of A&M’s season finale road matchup vs. LSU next Saturday, here are five takeaways from the Aggies’ 38-10 win over Abilene Christian.
Moose Muhammad III is a really good football player!
Something crazy happened on Saturday afternoon! Texas A&M wide receiver Moose Muhammad III, who recorded 610 receiving yards and a team-high four receiving touchdowns last season, entered the starting lineup just a week after former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s firing and lit up the scoreboard, all while wearing sleeves!
But seriously, after recording a team-high 104 receiving yards and a touchdown against ACU, Muhammad’s lack of involvement throughout the season was baffling. Every time this young man touches the ball, good things happen, and in the season finale against LSU, his impact could be even greater against a bad Tigers secondary.
Freshman running back Rueben Owens is a special talent
Aggies’ freshman running back Rueben Owens is just scratching the surface in his A&M career, and against the Wildcats, the former five-star prospect recorded his first 100-yard rushing game with 108 yards on the ground on 18 carries and his third touchdown this season.
While the vultures prepare to strike on College Station as Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork continues his search for the Aggies’ new head coach, interim HC Elijah Robinson must do everything in his power to keep Owens in the program going forward.
A&M's defense never wavered
Week after week, minus a couple of bad performances, Texas A&M’s steadfast defense has come through, amassing a nation-leading 40 sacks, while the Aggie’s secondary (at full health, mind you) has been locking down the competition that past two weeks.
Against the Wildcats, only one sack and six tackles for loss were produced, but that impressive, revamped secondary netted seven pass deflections while allowing just 149 yards through the air. Set to face LSU quarterback and Heisman candidate Jayden Daniels, this group must be on top of their game for four quarters next Saturday.
Interim head coach Elijah Robinson is off to a solid start
Elijah Robinson is now 1-0 as the interim head coach at Texas A&M, and even though the Aggies’ offense failed to find any consistency, Robinson’s calm and straightforward coaching style provided loads of confidence to the team in the second half, outscoring ACU 21-3.
While the coaching search ramps up this week, Robinson should, and likely will be, be considered, while next Saturday’s season finale road test vs. LSU could further his chances of landing the position. However, whoever ends up landing the job, retaining Robinson is an absolute must, as most of the Aggie’s talented roster have developed a tight-knit relationship with the veteran coach.
The 12th Man is truly one of a kind
The 12 men and women who tragically passed during the 1999 Aggie Bonfire incident were honored 24 years to the day, and to top it all off, the 12th Man Kickoff team, led by all walk-on players, including by 2023 12th Man representative and linebacker Sam Mathews, made the play of the day on special teams, and man, that was fun to watch.
#12THMAN KICKOFF TEAM BRINGIN' THE HAMMER 🔨 pic.twitter.com/HwZvqGhbRh
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 18, 2023
Oh, and to top it all off, Sam Mathews poetically made the final tackle in his final game in Kyle Field, and in one of the more disappointing and chaotic A&M football seasons, Aggie fans continue to show up and support their team all year, something every future recruit has acknowledged after Jimbo Fisher’s dismissal. The bottom line is that this is a turn-key job for whoever takes the reigns.
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