Texas A&M is headed to Columbia, Missouri this weekend to face off with the Missouri Tigers in game 9 of the 2025 season. Texas A&M has a lot of momentum headed into this one, but there are plenty of reasons to not get overconfident: after all, it was just last year that the Aggies came off of a bye into a game on the road in Columbia (though the other one) after defeating LSU, riding high, and got mown down.
Of course, this is a far different team than that one in many respects, overall quality being chief among them. This team is far more battle-tested than that one, as well, and whereas last year's squad was unsure how to handle sudden attention, the spotlight has been in these Aggies since the win over Notre Dame— and they're determined to finish strong this year.
The team they'll be facing is one in a much different spot, as well. Where the South Carolina Gamecocks were beginning to peak with their game against the Aggies, this year's Missouri Tiger team may have just begun a severe decline.
That's thanks to the absence of their starting quarterback, Beau Pribula. Though they'll be without him, though, the thing that will give the Aggies the most trouble will still be all too present: the ferocious pass rush.
Texas A&M will face best pass rush yet against Missouri Tigers
The Tigers rank fifth in the SEC with 2.88 sacks per game, helped along hugely by the addition of Georgia transfer Damon Wilson to the roster. In just games against FBS teams, the number jumps to a round 3 per game; against conference teams, they're at 4 per game, good for fourth in the conference.
That's the best the Aggies will have seen this season, with only Auburn coming close. That game against Auburn was the one where the Aggies surrendered the most pressure, of course, allowing a whopping four on the day.
This Texas A&M offensive line has been the best part of their team so far this year, and they played a huge role in the success the Aggies had on offense against LSU two weekends ago. If Marcel has time and is not hurried up through his progressions, he's becoming an excellent passer, but if not, this could become a complete slugfest, much like we saw in that aforementioned Auburn game.
If that pressure doesn't get home against the Aggies, though, this could quickly turn out to be a laugher like the LSU game. There's a very real world in which a new QB on a team that allows a decent amount of pressure, thrust into his first start of his career, can't really get things moving on offense, and the Aggies begin to wear down the Tiger defense.
Missouri no doubt hopes to counter that with Ahmad Hardy, one of the best running backs in the nation. Though Hardy leads the conference in rush yards per game, however, against SEC opponents, he's actually fourth behind two players the Aggies have already faced: Mike Washington and Jadan Baugh. Washington had a big day against the Ags, but Baugh had his worst against A&M earlier this season.
If Texas A&M can stymy that run game and get up early on the Tigers, I like how this matchup stacks up. Give me Texas A&M putting together a full game against the Tigers and eventually winning 45-17.