No. 19 Football Doubles Up Utah State, 44-22

Sep 06, 2025 | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes Postgame Quotes Highlights Postgame: Elko Postgame: Concepcion Postgame: Howell Postgame: Moss Photo Gallery

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – No. 19 Texas A&M defeated Utah State, 44-22, for its second win of the season Saturday afternoon before 100,026 fans at Kyle Field.

The Aggies totaled 554 yards of offense in the win led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed's 220 yards through the air and 66 yards on the ground with four touchdowns. Junior KC Concepcion hauled in six receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore Mario Craver found paydirt once to go along with five catches for 114 yards. Junior running back Le'Veon Moss compiled a team-best 68 yards rushing and added his first rushing score of the season.

On the defensive side, Texas A&M registered 6.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss, marking the second consecutive game in which the Aggies posted 9.0-plus tackles for loss. Redshirt senior Cashius Howell notched 3.0 sacks that came on consecutive plays in the second quarter. Senior linebacker Scooby Williams amassed a team-best six tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. Redshirt sophomore Sam M'Pemba recorded the first turnover of the season for the Maroon & White when he recorded a strip sack late in the fourth quarter.

How It Happened

Texas A&M struck first as Reed connected with Terry Bussey on a 34-yard touchdown reception, marking the first receiving score of Bussey's career.
Utah State responded on the ensuing drive as graduate running back Miles Davis reeled in a 3-yard touchdown grab. The Aggies failed their two-point conversion attempt to pull within 7-6.
Jared Zirkel drilled his first field goal in the Maroon & White from 37 yards out, giving Texas A&M a 10-6 edge with 2:55 remaining in the first quarter.
Reed scampered in with a 1-yard rushing touchdown early in the second quarter to extend the home side's lead to 17-6.
Moss added to the Aggies' total with a 21-yard rushing score to make it a 24-6 ballgame with 3:18 remaining in the second half.
Reed and Concepcion connected with a 12-yard touchdown reception in the final seconds of the second half to put the Aggies in front 30-6 at the break.
Utah State opened the scoring in the second half with a 16-yard touchdown reception to junior Braden Pegan.
Concepcion recorded his second score of the afternoon after hauling in an eight-yard strike from Reed to create a 37-14 gap between the teams with 6:07 in the third quarter.
Craver notched the longest play of the afternoon for Texas A&M with a 72-yard receiving touchdown from redshirt freshman quarterback Miles O'Neill as the Aggies took their biggest lead of the day, 44-14.
Utah State's Miles Davis found the end zone for the second time following a one-yard touchdown carry late in the fourth quarter. The visiting Aggies converted their two-point conversion attempt to make the final score 44-22.

Notes

The Aggies registered 554 yards offensively (319 passing and 235 rushing yards), marking the first time they have passed and rushed for 250-plus yards in a game since the 2021 season opener against Kent State.
Texas A&M remained perfect in red zone opportunities after two games with 4-of-4 effort with three touchdowns against Utah State.
Craver posted his second-straight 100-yard receiving game with five catches for 114 yards, including a career-long 72-yard catch and run score from QB Miles O'Neill. He's the first Aggie to have consecutive 100-yard games since Evan Stewart during the 2023 campaign
Reed finished 19-of-28 for 220 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 66 yards and another score on 10 rushes. It marked the eighth multi-touchdown game through the air of his career and fifth game of his career with at least two passing TDs and one rushing score. With a 67.8 completion percentage against USU, Reed has now completed over 60.0 percent of his attempts in eight straight games.
Howell finished the game with four total tackles, including three-straight sacks in a single drive in the second quarter. Research indicates that Howell is the first FBS player to record three consecutive sacks in a single drive since Wisconsin's Jack Cichy in the 2015 Holiday Bowl. Howell is the first Aggie to record at least 3.0 sacks in a game since Edgerrin Cooper in 2023.

Up Next

Texas A&M travels to No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday, September 13 for a 6:30 p.m. CT kick. Notre Dame is 0-1 after a 27-24 road loss at Miami during its season opener on August 31.

Postgame Press Conference: Mike Elko

(opening statement) "Yeah, thought we handled that game the way we needed to handle it through three quarters, fought two or three quarters. We played the way we wanted to play. It was good to see us play a little bit more consistently on defense for the most part of that game. I thought we put that thing away after the 72-yard pass. And then I just thought -- a little disappointed in how we finished and the level drop that happened when we kind of went to some other guys at the end of the game. But that's something that we'll correct on film and get better at. But excited to be 2-0. Obviously, that was how the season had to open. And now the real challenges begin, and going up to South Bend next week. So from an injury standpoint so you guys don't have to ask, anticipate Trey [Zuhn] and Marcel [Reed] being fine. Trey could have come back. We chose not to just because of the way the game was being played. Fully anticipate Marcel will be fine for next week. So that's kind of where we're at."
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Postgame Press Conference: Cashius Howell

Cashius, walk us through the three sacks in a row. What looks were they giving you? Was it something different? Or how did you manage those three in a row?

"After the first one happened, I was starting to get confident within my pass rush. So they threw it again. He had kind of over set me. So that gave me the inside lane to just shoot the inside lane. And that's how I got the second one. And then after that, it was just like the third one, I was like man, if they pass it, who knows? I was just like in a flow state at that point. So yeah, they threw it. Yeah, the rest is history for real."

Similar to that, Cashius, three sacks in a game, never mind sometimes in the season how hard it is to actually get to the quarterback. How rewarding was that for you to have it in succession like that?

"It was definitely a rewarding feeling for sure. Just after not getting a sack in the first game and just honestly just the whole offseason, my whole journey that I've taken up to this point. So it just felt really good to have some of that hard work, some of those trials and tribulations be able to pay off. So that's really how I was feeling."
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Postgame Press Conference: Le'Veon Moss

Take us through your touchdown run on a key down there.
"I thought I was tackled. Honestly, it felt good to be back in the end zone, get my first touchdown back."

Considering how your season ended last year, how did you feel after that touchdown? How fulfilling is it to get back in that end zone after how last year ended? Did you ever have any doubts?
"I still played it in my head a little bit, like, worried about it. But when I don't think about it, that's when I make the biggest play, make a great run on, finish a play good."
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Postgame Press Conference: KC Concepcion

Just in general, how do you feel like the offense performed today and was clicking along?
"I feel like the offense, we were clicking better than last week for me. Just getting everybody the ball, getting Terry Bussey his first receiving touchdown. So it was just fun. But also feel like there are things that we can get better at. We're not perfect. We're going to get back to the drawing board, and next week is a real test for us."

You've only played two games here and already made it to the end zone four times. What does it mean to come here and make that impact early on?
"It's amazing. A lot of kids, a lot of adults, wish that they were in our shoes, wish that they can go out there and play in front of 105,000 every time. I give all of my thanks to the Lord and Savior. I'm just blessed and glad that He has allowed me to go out there every week and put on a show for you guys."
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