First look at Missouri State Bears for Texas A&M fans ahead of season opener
Second season as FBS team
Fans would be forgiven for thinking this was an opener against an FCS squad, but Missouri State is actually entering their second season as an FBS team. The Bears joined Conference USA last season after years of competition at the FCS level, and they more than held their own.
As a point of interest, former Aggie offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino was the head coach of the Bears not long before they made the jump. He didn't exactly excel there, but there's that connection between the Bears and Aggies that we could see ESPN bring up on the broadcast this weekend.
Bowl-eligible last season
Despite just making the jump from a lower level, the Bears made their way to a bowl last season. They lost to Arkansas State in the XBox Bowl to drop to 7-6 on the year, but considering they were coming up from the FCS level, that's not too bad.
In other words, this isn't just an FCS squad in all but name— they have the horses to be competitive at the G6 level. They shouldn't be able to hold a candle to the Aggies, of course, but it's worth noting.
Abysmal returning production suggests a step back
The Bears had a senior-heavy offensive attack last year in seniors QB Jacob Clark and RB Shomani Lawrence. Both are gone, leading to one of the worst returning production ratings in the nation. The Bears got to double-digit scoring in every game last season, including against USC and SMU, but a lot of that potency is now gone. Bears fans hope dual-threat UTEP transfer Skylar Locklear can make some things happen at the QB spot this season, though.
There wasn't a lot of help that came in via the transfer portal, either, though they did get one of the best names in the nation in former SMU offensive lineman King Large. It's not the end of the world if Texas A&M allows a couple of points to the Bears, in other words, but they will have a chance to completely lock them down.
New head coach Casey Woods
Missouri State will be seeing their very first game under new head coach Casey Woods, formerly the offensive coordinator at SMU, after former head coach Ryan Beard headed to Coastal Carolina. Woods coordinated the nation's 24th-best offense in yards per play last year with the Ponies, but will have a much more limited roster in Springfield.
Facing off against a first-time head coach can bring some uncertainty for teams, so it will be interesting to see how the Aggie defense operates against the Bears. This will be a storyline to watch, for sure.
Huge penalty issues
The Bears were one of the most-penalized teams in the nation in 2025, ranking 125th out of 136 teams. The Bears averaged 7.6 penalties per game last year for 66.5 yards per contest.
With so much roster turnover, that is something that may not replicate in this season, but they won't be in a very favorable environment to get that turned around. This is another storyline to follow closely headed into this weekend's game.
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