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3 Takeaways from a Huge Win for Texas A&M Football Over Auburn

By Graham Harmon

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Walter Nolen (0) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) tackle Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) for a loss during the third quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Walter Nolen (0) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) tackle Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) for a loss during the third quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /
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Texas A&M football LB Edgerrin Cooper
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Walter Nolen (0) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) tackle Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) for a loss during the third quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /

3 Things We Learned from Texas A&M Football vs. Auburn

Man, that was an up and down opening SEC contest for this Texas A&M football squad. The game stated off looking good; the Aggie rush offense was having a little bit of trouble, sure, but Weigman seemed to be on target and the Ags were moving the ball well enough all things considered. Then the first ominous sign of the afternoon: an inability to convert in the red zone led to a Randy Bond field goal. The Aggies followed up with a great defensive stand, but similarly concerning events began to transpire once the Aggies got the ball back. Untimely penalties in the red zone set Texas A&M football back, leading to another field goal try. That 6-0 score would hang heavily in the air for most of the rest of the half, unsettling Texas A&M football fans as the Aggie offense failed to move the ball with any success. As a matter of fact, from the late first quarter through the end of the half, the Aggie O failed to get a single first down, while the Tigers were chipping away each time they touched the ball.

Those fits and starts offensively for Auburn didn’t yield much—the Tigers managed one field goal before the halftime break—and the score moved to 6-3 as each team headed to their respective locker room. The thing on most Aggie minds, however—other than an overturned scoop and score disfavoring Edgerrin Cooper—was the status of star QB Conner Weigman, who exited early with what looked like an ankle injury. Jimbo later mentioned that the X-Rays came back negative, but every Texas A&M football fan is hoping for a more specific and positive prognosis sooner rather than later.

After the half, though, everything turned. Max Johnson stepped up and slung it all over the yard, the defense was absolutely ferocious, and—despite a scare in the middle of the fourth quarter—the Aggies exited the game with a decisive win. There are definitely a few questions that loom large after the Aggies’ first conference contest, but here’s what we learned.