Texas A&M Football: 3 standout players in Week 1 win vs. Kent State

Texas A&M Football Week 1 Standout No. 1: S Leon O’Neal

Last season, Kent State quarterback Dustin Crum threw 12 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. The year before, he threw 20 touchdown passes and again, two interceptions. He had the same total of picks in each of his last two seasons.

Leon O’Neal took offense to this.

At the end of the first half, Kent State was threatening to even the score of a game that was within reach. With a score of 10-3, the Golden Flashes were on the Aggies’ 22-yard line with a chance to, at the very least, bring the game within four points. Or so everybody thought.

O’Neal would rain on that parade, picking off a Crum pass in the endzone for a touchback and giving Texas A&M some well-needed momentum into halftime. They’d use this momentum, going on a run in the second half.

That said, there would be no run if not for another big play from O’Neal.

After an Aggie drive in the second half that resulted in a field goal, it felt like Texas A&M needed something. O’Neal made that difference. After Kent State got all the way down to Texas A&M’s 22-yard line again, O’Neal snuck in and grabbed another interception, taking this one 85 yards to the house.

This one finally gave A&M the separation they needed, making the score 20-7. The floodgates seemingly opened after this, as that was the closest the game would be for the remainder of regulation.

If you were handing out an MVP trophy for tonight’s game, it would have to go to Leon O’Neal, who had the best game of his career.