Jamal Roberts gashed the Texas A&M defense for 222 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 14 Missouri’s defense smothered the Aggies in a 27-6 victory Saturday at Faurot Field.
The win improved the Tigers to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC while dropping Texas A&M to 3-3 and 1-3 in conference play. It marked Missouri’s first victory over the Aggies in the Eli Drinkwitz era after previous struggles in the series.
Texas A&M struck first with a 53-yard field goal from David Olano late in the opening quarter for a 3-0 lead. Missouri answered early in the second when Austin Simmons found Cayden Lee on a short slant that Lee turned into a 32-yard touchdown. Blake Craig added a 50-yard field goal to put the Tigers ahead 10-3 at halftime.
The second half belonged to Missouri. Craig drilled a 51-yarder to open the third quarter, then Roberts capped a methodical 12-play, 76-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run as the period expired, stretching the lead to 20-3. After Olano connected on a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth, Roberts sealed it with a 54-yard scoring burst with under three minutes remaining.
Roberts finished with 34 carries for 222 yards and the two scores, continuing the form that produced 211 yards and three touchdowns against Florida a week earlier. Simmons completed 14 of 28 passes for 147 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Lee led the receivers with seven catches for 94 yards and the score.
Missouri’s defense was the story as much as the ground game. The Tigers held Texas A&M to roughly 150-220 total yards for the afternoon, with the Aggies’ rushing attack limited to the mid-20s. Marcel Reed threw two interceptions and struggled to find any rhythm, as the Aggies managed just two first downs through three quarters in one of their most ineffective offensive showings in recent memory. Missouri’s front and secondary consistently disrupted plays, forcing short fields and empty possessions.
The Tigers controlled the line of scrimmage and the clock for long stretches, converting key drives while limiting big plays from an Aggies team that entered after a 34-7 win over Arkansas. The performance provided another signature home win for Drinkwitz’s program following last week’s 45-17 rout of then-No. 8 Florida.
Missouri now turns its attention to the road and a matchup with Ole Miss, while Texas A&M faces the task of rebuilding its offense and finding consistency in a difficult SEC slate. For one afternoon in Columbia, the Tigers dictated every phase.
