Saturday, November 16
Bryan-College Station
6:45 PM
Texas A&M
vs
New Mexico State
No. 15 Football Hosts New Mexico State on Senior Night
Nov 15, 2024 | Football
No. 15 Texas A&M will honor its senior class and celebrate our nation's military on Saturday as the Aggies host New Mexico State on Senior Night/Military Appreciation Night at Kyle Field. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. on the SEC Network.
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
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SecsNew Mexico State at (#15) Texas A&M
Saturday, November 16, 2024 • 6:55 PM CT
Kyle Field • College Station, Texas
Weather: clear, upper 60s
WATCH
TV: SEC Network (Dave Neal, Aaron Murray, Ashley ShahAhmadi)
Watch Live: ESPN App
LISTEN
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (Andrew Monaco, Dave Elmendorf, Will Johnson)
1620 AM/94.5 FM (local), SiriusXM 190
Listen Live: 12th Man Mobile App
Spanish Broadcast: Click Here (Pedro Luna, Michel Gonzalez)
102.7 FM (local)
Listen Live: 12th Man Mobile App
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Live Stats: Click Here
Social Media: @AggieFootball on X
New Mexico State Aggies (2-7)
- RANKING: AP: NR / Coaches: NR
- LAST GAME: Nov. 9
- Western Kentucky 41, at NMSU 28
- HEAD COACH: Tony Sanchez (NMSU '98)
- Overall Record: 22-47 (6th season)
- at NMSU: 2-7 (1st season)
- vs. Texas A&M: 0-0
Texas A&M Aggies (7-2, 5-1)
- RANKING: AP: #15 / Coaches: #15
- Last Game: Nov. 2
- at South Carolina 44, #10 A&M 20
- HEAD COACH: Mike Elko (Penn ‘99)
- Overall Record: 23-11 (3rd Season)
- at Texas A&M: 7-2 (1st Season)
- vs. NMSU: 0-0
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- Texas A&M and New Mexico State face off for just the second time after the Maroon & White took the first meeting 52-10 in 2016.
- The Aggies boast one of the best rushing offenses in the nation, ranking 14th with 212.9 yards per game, while their 22 rushing touchdowns are good for 22nd in the country.
- Junior RB Amari Daniels has played a key role in the Aggies’ success in the run game, ranking 16th in the SEC with 51.8 yards per game while his six rushing scores are good for ninth in the SEC.
- The offensive line has controlled the battle in the trenches while clearing the way for A&M’s top-15 rushing attack, as the unit ranks second in the SEC and ninth nationally allowing 32.0 tackles for loss.
- Texas A&M has been efficient in the red zone as it ranks second in the country and leads the SEC with a 97.1 conversion rate ... The Aggies have scored on 33 of 34 trips, including 25 touchdowns.
- The Maroon & White have disrupted the opposition’s aerial attack all season, registering their third game this season with multiple picks after tallying three against LSU ... The Aggies’ 11 interceptions on the season are tied for third in the SEC and 19th nationally, while their 50 passes defended rank among the 17th in the country and third in the league.
- Sophomore LB Taurean York paced the defense as of late, leading the team in tackles in each of the last three games, most recently tallying eight at South Carolina ... York leads the the team with 54 tackles, good for 19th in the SEC.
- Junior DL Nic Scourton has come on strong in league play, tallying 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks through six SEC games and has registered at least 1.0 tackle for loss in seven of the team’s nine games this season ... He ranks 10th in the nation and third in the SEC with 12.5 tackles for loss on the season, while his 5.0 sacks are good for 11th in the league.
QUICK HITS
- The Aggies notched their best start in SEC play, boasting a 5-0 record for the first time since joining the league in 2012 and their best conference start since going 7-0 to begin Big 12 play in 1998.
- With the wins over No. 8 LSU and No. 9 Missouri, Texas A&M stands as one of just two teams in the nation to take down two AP top-10 teams this season.
- After three weeks away from action, sophomore QB Conner Weigman returned in Week 6, leading them to a big victory over top-10 Missouri, connecting on 18-of-22 passes for a season-best 276 yards.
- Freshman QB Marcel Reed has led the Aggies to three victories in his three starts as well as three of A&M’s record five wins to start league play, sparking a 31-6 scoring spree in the second half to lift the Aggies past No. 8 LSU with three touchdowns of his own on the ground.
- The Aggies have held their opponents to 100-or-fewer yards on the ground in five of the last six games, most recently limiting LSU to just 24 yards on 23 attempts ... A&M has only allowed multiple rushing scores in a game twice this season and its nine touchdowns allowed this year rank 21st in the nation.
- Junior DB Will Lee III has brought veteran leadership to the secondary and ranks 10th nationally with nine break-ups while his 10 passes defended are the 17th-most in the country ... He ranks fourth on the team with 33 tackles, 31 of which are solo takedowns which are good for 18th in the SEC.
- Graduate K Randy Bond ranks 11th nationally with 16 made field goals this season while his 80 total points are good for 25th ... Bond is just two field goals away from taking sole possession of fourth all-time at A&M, entering the game with 55 in his career.
- Sophomore DL Nana Boadi-Owusu was named the 12th Man ahead of the 2024 season, becoming just the sixth student-athlete in program history to hold the season-long honor.
MILESTONES TO WATCH FOR
- Sophomore QB Conner Weigman continues to climb the Texas A&M record books and is in need of three touchdown passes to crack the top-15 all-time, entering the game with 19 career scoring strikes.
- Graduate WR Moose Muhammad III ranks 14th in career touchdown receptions at Texas A&M with 11 entering the week and his next scoring grab will move him into a tie with Chad Schroeder (2003-06) for 13th ... Muhammad is also five catches and 44 receiving yards away from cracking the top-30 all-time at A&M.
- Junior WR Noah Thomas is looking for a touchdown catch to move into the top-14 all-time at A&M, entering the week with 10 to-date.
- Graduate K Randy Bond ranks among the top-10 on A&M’s career fields made, extra points made, kicker-only scoring and overall scoring lists ... He is just two field goals away from taking sole possession of fourth all-time with 55 to-date ... Bond is eyeing Josh Lambo’s 109 career extra points as he sits in 10th with 105.
QUARTERBACK ROOM
- The Aggies boast proven depth in their quarterback room with three players that have made multiple starts in their A&M careers and each thrown for at least 290 yards and multiple touchdowns in a game.
- Sophomore Conner Weigman began the year as the starter and returned after battling an early injury to guide the Aggies to a landslide victory over No. 9 Missouri in Week 6 and made it four straight in league play with a road win over Mississippi State.
- In the Missouri win, Weigman connected on 18-of-22 passes for a season-best 276 yards, leading the Aggies to victory over a top-10 team for the second time in his career ... Against McNeese, Weigman guided the Aggies to touchdowns on all five drives he was in on in the first half, helping A&M take a 38-0 lead into the half.
- Freshman Marcel Reed has stood ready and shown up in a big way when called on, leading the Aggies to three victories in his three starts as well as three of A&M’s record five wins to start league play ... Reed was named SEC Freshman of the Week after sparking a 31-6 scoring spree in the second half to lift the Aggies past No. 8 LSU with three unanswered rushing touchdowns of his own to become the first A&M QB to rush for three-plus scores since Trevor Knight in 2016.
- Reed also garnered SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performance at Florida after throwing for 178 yards and two scores to go along with 13 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown.
- Junior Jaylen Henderson started the final four games of the 2023 campaign, accounting for four touchdowns in the lopsided win over Mississippi State in his first start for the Maroon & White ... He has completed 53-of-78 passes for 715 yards and six touchdowns as an Aggie, while also adding 104 yards on the ground and two scores.
MAROON GOONS
- The Texas A&M offensive line has been winning the battle in the trenches, playing with great consistency despite having to lean on its reliable depth ... The Maroon Goons have helped the Aggies boast one of the best rushing offenses in the country while also holding strong to protect their quarterbacks.
- The Maroon & White rank ninth in the country and second in the SEC, allowing 32.0 tackles for loss on the year, while their 14.0 sacks allowed rank fourth in the league.
- With the help of the o-line clearing the way, the Aggies rank 14th nationally and second in the SEC averaging 212.9 rushing yards per game and have racked up over 200 yards on the ground in five games this season.
- The line is anchored by junior Trey Zuhn III, who was named a season-long team captain prior to the season ... While the Aggies have had to use four different starting lines this season due to injury, Zuhn has remained a staple at left guard and has been joined in all eight games by Ar’maj Reed-Adams at right guard and Dametrious Crownover at right tackle.
- Zuhn started all 13 games last season and has logged 33 career starts as he helped clear the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in 2022 and helped A&M rack up over 400 yards of total offense in eight games last year.
ELEVATING THE RUN GAME
- Junior running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels made big improvements in the offseason and were a dynamic duo in the backfield to give the Maroon & White one of the best rushing offenses in the nation ... With the loss of Moss after a season-ending injury at South Carolina, Daniels and freshman QB Marcel Reed have stepped up to maintain the rushing attack.
- On the season, Daniels ranks 16th in the league with 51.8 y/g while his six touchdowns are good for ninth in the SEC.
- Daniels racked up a career-high 91 yards on 12 carries in the win over LSU ... He recorded his second multitouchdown game of the season and of his career with a pair of 1-yard scores in the first half against Missouri and joined the 1,000 career yards club with 68 yards on 13 carries in the win at Florida.
- Dual-threat freshman QB Marcel Reed has also supplemented the Aggies’ solid rushing attack ranking second among all SEC QBs with five touchdowns on the season, while his 47.7 yards per game are good for top-20 in the league ... Reed came in midway through the third quarter against LSU and sparked the Aggies scoring three unanswered rushing TDs.
- As a team, the Aggies are No. 14 in the country and second in the SEC in rushing offense, averaging 212.9 yards per game, and their 22 rushing scores rank 22nd nationally, while also standing in second averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
- After eclipsing the 300-yard mark in Week 2, the Maroon & White tallied 310 yards on the ground in the win at Florida, marking the first time they have tallied 300-plus rushing yards in back-to-back games since the 2012 season.
- In the win over McNeese, A&M racked up 333 yards on the ground and five rushing scores, marking the most rushing yards in a game for the Aggies since rushing for over 500 yards against Northwestern State to start the 2018 season and the most rushing scores since reaching the end zone five times on the ground in the Orange Bowl win over North Carolina to cap off the 2020 season.
STEADY BACKER
- Sophomore LB Taurean York immediately stepped into a leadership role as a true freshman in 2023, quarterbacking the defense at middle linebacker, and was selected as a team captain by his teammates ahead of the 2024 season.
- In the win at Mississippi State York tallied a career-high 12 tackles, registering the second double-digit tackles game of his career ... He has led the team in tackles in five games this season, most recently with eight at South Carolina.
- York’s efforts against the Bulldogs also led an impressive outing from the entire linebacker unit, as junior Scooby Williams recorded his first career interception and returned it 32 yards to set up an A&M touchdown while also adding a career-best 2.0 tackles for loss and six tackles, and sophomore Daymion Sanford nearly doubled his previous career high with seven tackles, 1.0 TFL and two breakups.
- He leads the Aggies with 54 tackles on the year, good for 19th in the SEC, and has recorded five-plus tackles in six of the team’s nine games so far this season.
- York started all 13 games last season, finishing second on the team with 74 tackles, which ranked in the top-20 among SEC players and third among league freshman ... His 8.5 tackles for loss were the most by an SEC freshman a year ago and ranked fourth on the team.
NEW-LOOK SECONDARY
- The Texas A&M secondary has seen a number of new faces in 2024, adding eight defensive backs in the transfer portal while returning sophomores Jayvon Thomas and Dalton Brooks have also made starts this season.
- Junior Will Lee III, who came to Aggieland from Kansas State, ranks third in the SEC with 10 passes defended on the year, breaking up a career-high four passes in the win over Arkansas and recording his first interception as an Aggie in the win over McNeese ... Top-four on the team in tackles, 31 of Lee’s 33 tackles are solos and good for 18th in the SEC.
- Brooks has come on strong in SEC play, making at least five tackles in four of the last five games and leading the team in two of those outings ... Brooks tallied a careerbest nine tackles in the win at Mississippi State.
- Sophomore Marcus Ratcliffe made an immediate impact for the Maroon & White after spending last season at San Diego State, starting all nine games and ranking second the SEC while ranking 22nd nationally with three interceptions on the year.
- Senior BJ Mayes came up big in the third quarter against LSU, registering two of A&M’s three interceptions in the win that set up a pair of Aggie touchdowns ... His two picks on the year are good for 10th in SEC.
- Lone returning veteran Bryce Anderson registered the first touchdown of his career when he came up with a tipped pass and returned it 45 yards to the house at Florida, becoming the third Aggie to have scored a defensive touchdown in their career.
- As a team, the Aggies rank 17th nationally and third in the SEC with 50 passes defended, sitting at 19th in the country and third in the SEC with 11 picks, while also ranking 26th in the FBS and third in the league in turnover margin (0.67).
DEPTH ON THE D-LINE
- Texas A&M boasts one of the most talented and unpredictable defensive lines in the nation, led by the veteran experience and consistent production of senior Shemar Turner and junior transfer Nic Scourton.
- Scourton has played with consistency in the SEC, registering at least 1.0 tackle for loss in seven of A&M’s nine games ... Against Arkansas he finished with 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, including a strip sack late in the fourth quarter to help the Aggies seal the victory.
- Scourton ranks 10th nationally and is tied for third in the SEC with 12.5 tackles for loss on the year ... His total is tied for ninth with Pittsburgh Steeler DeMarvin Leal in A&M’s single-season list since joining the SEC in 2012 ... Scourton also adds 5.0 sacks on the season which are good for 11 in the league.
- Turner filled out the stat sheet in the win at Mississippi State, finishing with six tackles, 2.0 for loss, and a solo sack for 9 yards lost, while also breaking up a pass a forcing a fumble ... He started the 2024 season with a career-high seven takedowns against Notre Dame.
Junior Cashius Howell has been a key disruptor in league play and ranks 16th in the SEC with five pass breakups on the season ... Howell has registered at least one breakup and one hurry in three of the last five games, tallying three breakups and two hurries in the win at Mississippi State. - Juniors Shemar Stewart and Albert Regis have earned starting jobs on the line this season after being part of the Aggies’ consistent second rotation last year ... Stewart has come on strong in the last three games, getting to the quarterback in back-to-back victories while matching his career high with five tackles at Florida.
- As a defense, the Aggies have held their opponents to 100-or-fewer yards on the ground in five of the last seven games, most recently limiting LSU to just 24 yards on 23 attempts, not allowing a rushing yard in the second half ... A&M’s 63.0 tackles for loss rank among the top-25 nationally.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
- Graduate K Randy Bond was one of the nation’s leading scorers a season ago and continues to rank among the best in 2024 while also climbing A&M’s all-time scoring, field goals made and extra point lists.
- Bond currently ranks 11th nationally and second in the SEC with 16 made field goals this season, after sending a pair of 50-plus-yarders through the uprights at South Carolina, including from a career-long 55 yards ... His 80 total points land among the top-25 in the country and top-five league scorers.
- Bond has posted double-digit points in a game 11 times in his career and four times this season, most recently tallying 10 points in the victory at Mississippi State by way of two field goals and four extra points.
- The kicker has been climbing A&M’s all-time field goals made, extra points and scoring lists, ranking sixth with 55 career makes, seventh overall with 270 points and 10th with 105 made extra points.
- Freshman P Tyler White has also elevated A&M’s special teams game this season, as he averages 45.3 yards on 31 punts in his first year as the team’s primary punter ... White boasts a 62-yard long from the Notre Dame and has sent nine punts 50-plus yards.
- White earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks this season after landing seven of his nine punts inside the 15 and five inside the 10 against Arkansas and the following week averaged 46.3 yards per punt, pinning Missouri on its own 1 ... White earned his third SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor after booming three punts 50-plus yards down the field, landing four of his five punts inside the 20, and finishing the night with an average of 48.4 yards per boot, including a game-long 54 yards.
- Four Aggies on the 2024 roster have registered a blocked kick in their careers ... Senior DL Shemar Turner blocked a pair of field goal attempts last season, getting his hand on the ball in back-to-back weeks against Ole Miss and Mississippi State, and junior DL Albert Regis blocked a field goal attempt in the win over Miami in 2022, and senior WR Jahdae Walker blocked a punt a year later in Miami ... Prior to arriving in Aggieland, graduate DB Trey Jones III registered a blocked kick against Eastern Michigan in 2022.
THE ELKO EFFECT
- Known as one of the top defensive minds in the country, head coach Mike Elko has consistently produced highly disruptive and productive defenses throughout his career, most recently putting the Texas A&M defense on the map during his time as defensive coordinator and carrying the same standard as the head coach at Duke.
- In his first season at the helm in Aggieland, Elko has led the Maroon & White to their best start in SEC play, going 5-0 against their first league opponents ... This markeds the best record in conference play since the Aggies started their Big 12 slate 7-0 in 1998.
- In 2023, Duke led the ACC and ranked 16th nationally in scoring defense (19.0 ppg) while registering a top-five rush defense among league teams and standing in 17th in the country with 67 passes defended ... In Elko’s first season as a head coach, the Blue Devils ranked in the top-35 in the nation in scoring defense, rush defense, rushing touchdowns allowed and passes defended.
- After not finishing in the top-50 nationally in total defense for more than a decade, Elko’s first stint in Aggieland as defensive coordinator from 2018-21 coincided with consistent top-35 finishes, including a top-10 ranking in the 2020 final FBS total defense standings.
- Elko has produced top-50 defenses in 11 of the last 12 years with multiple programs (Duke, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Bowling Green).
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