COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Marcel Reed threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score in less than three quarters to help No. 15 Texas A&M cruise to a 38-3 win over New Mexico State on Saturday night.
It was a bounce-back performance for Texas A&M (8-2, No. 15 CFP), handed its first Southeastern Conference loss after being shut out in the second half of a 44-20 defeat at South Carolina two weeks ago before an open date last Saturday.
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“In a game like this you want to handle your business and do the things that you’ve got to do and we did that tonight,” coach Mike Elko said.
Texas A&M led 17-0 at the end of a first quarter in which it outgained New Mexico State 273-50. The Aggies were up 31-0 when Conner Weigman took over for Reed with about 3 1/2 minutes left in the third.
Seth McGowan ran for 75 yards for New Mexico State (2-8), a Conference USA team that lost its third straight and eighth in the last nine games.
“We knew we were the better team but you’ve still got to go out there and play like that,” Elko said. “It was good for us to go out there and finish the game the way we did.”
Texas A&M made it 7-0 when Noah Thomas grabbed a 16-yard touchdown reception from Reed on the first drive.
Amari Daniels extended the lead to 14-0 when he ran 71 yards for a score on the first play of A&M’s next possession. He escaped one tackle near the line and dragged another defender into the end zone to get his seventh touchdown this season.
Texas A&M led by 17 when Reed, who threw for 268 yards, connected with Moose Muhammad III for a 6-yard touchdown that made it 24-0 early in the second.
Reed, who has both started and come off the bench this season, discussed the biggest way that he has grown in his second year at A&M.
“Just being a vocal leader and just commanding the offense,” he said. “I was a freshman last year and I wasn’t as commanding as I am this year. But I know the role that I have now and how I have to be.”
Reed got Texas A&M into scoring position again just before halftime, but Keonte Glinton intercepted him on the 1.
A 5-yard TD run by Reed pushed the lead to 31-0 midway through the third quarter.
Abraham Montaño’s 48-yard field goal gave New Mexico State its first points early in the fourth.
The takeaway
Texas A&M took care of business against a lesser team after the loss to South Carolina. Now the Aggies have one more game to improve before a Thanksgiving weekend showdown with rival No. 3 Texas as they chase a spot in the SEC championship game and expanded College Football Playoff.
Bonfire Remembrance
Texas A&M remembered the 12 people who were killed in a campus bonfire tragedy at Saturday’s game ahead of the 25th anniversary of the collapse on Monday. There was a moment of silence to remember the victims before the game and on each end of the field was painted a maroon ribbon with 1999 on one side of it and 2024 on the other.
Filling In
Daniels got the start in A&M’s first game since leading rusher Le’Veon Moss sustained a season-ending knee injury against South Carolina.
Daniels had five carries for 84 yards and EJ Smith added a season-high 60 yards rushing on 15 carries after playing sparingly this season. Smith, the son of NFL career rushing leader Emmitt Smith, is in his first season with Texas A&M after a transfer from Stanford.
Up next
Texas A&M visits Auburn, and New Mexico State visits Middle Tennessee next Saturday.
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