COLLEGE STATION — At the conclusion of Week 9, Texas A&M football had just used a second-half comeback to beat the LSU Tigers showing the SEC and the rest of the country that they were a force to be reckoned with.

A&M was 5-0 in the SEC and in the driver’s seat for a playoff berth and a conference championship appearance. Pundits and analysts around the nation began to praise head coach Mike Elko and the job he had done in his first year with the program.

From that point on, things unraveled for the Aggies.

A&M went 1-3 to finish out the last month of the season, with all three of their losses coming at the hands of SEC foes. They finished 8-4 and missed the SEC championship and the playoffs altogether.

“Losing our last three conference games and not being able to close the deal and going to Atlanta. Yeah. I mean, it sucks,” Elko told reporters Saturday following the loss to the Texas Longhorns. “There’s no sugarcoating it. There’s no soft words around it. We had our opportunities, and we didn’t get it done. And so it’s disappointing.”

AGGIES: Texas A&M vs Texas: Aggies’ CFP hopes dashed after rivalry loss

Each loss to South Carolina, Auburn, and Texas was unique in the way A&M failed. Let’s take a look at what ailed A&M in each of those disappointing results.

Gamecocks run over the Aggies

Texas A&M’s fatal flaw: Tackling

Heading into the matchup, some believed the Gamecocks were better than their 2-3 conference record indicated. South Carolina was led by a big-bodied freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers, and a proven running back in Raheim Sanders.

Despite that, if the Aggies were as good as many believed they were, winning a night game at William-Brice Stadium would be a challenge but something they would be able to overcome.

However, South Carolina jumped on Texas A&M early, using the running game to score two first-quarter touchdowns. The Aggies were able to head into halftime tied 20-20, but thanks to 24 unanswered points by the Gamecocks, A&M was stunned for its first SEC loss of the season.

South Carolina rushed for 286 yards on the ground and exasperated A&M’s poor tackling in what would become the defense’s Achilles heal, missing 25 tackles in the game, according to Pro Football Focus.

GRADES: No A’s for the Aggies in ugly road loss

Tigers light Aggies up

Texas A&M’s fatal flaw: Pass defense

Following the South Carolina loss, the Aggies had its final bye week of the season then an inferior New Mexico State team. Despite the sound win over the other Aggies, A&M’s road test against Auburn on the Tigers’ senior night would paint a clearer picture of Texas A&M.

A&M went down 21-0 against Auburn, stunned early by chunk plays in the passing game. They would respond, ended up tying the game, and eventually took the lead late.

It wouldn’t be enough, though, as the Aggies and Tigers went back and forth for a four-overtime thriller. A&M was unable to make one final stop (on a pass play, fittingly enough) while running back Amari Daniels dropped a pass in the endzone to seal its second SEC loss.

The Tigers finished with 301 passing yards while running back Jarquez Hunter added four receptions and three scores on the ground.

GRADES: Who received the highest marks in heartbreaking loss?

Longhorns were just too much

Texas A&M’s fatal flaw: Line play

Despite the downward spiral that was the Aggies’ late-season collapse, all of their goals were still within range ahead of a massive rivalry-renewing matchup against the Longhorns.

All eyes were upon Kyle Field for the highly anticipated matchup. Then the game became a perfect storm of frustration for A&M as much of what has hurt them this season became abundantly clear against its in-state foe.

A&M’s offense was held scoreless, turning the ball over three times. An offensive line that paved the way for at least 134 yards on the ground in every game this season managed just 98 total, and most of that came from the quarterback. A&M had its worst offensive output since Week 1 against Notre Dame, when then-starting quarterback Conner Weigman passed for a measly 100 yards, the Aggies mustering just 13 points in the process.

As bad as the offense was, the defense had very little answers as well. Texas tallied 458 total yards, highlighted by 240 rushing yards, with running back Quintrevion Wisner racking up 186 of them himself. Even backup quarterback Arch Manning ran in for a touchdown.

While A&M was trying to mount a comeback at 17-7, Texas was able to drain almost three minutes of the game clock and picked up a key first down by running the ball with Wisner four straight plays. The next Texas drive: six straight run plays, 20 yards, and 2:30 more gone from the clock.

A&M’s defensive line, thought to be a strength of the team, sacked a hobbling Quinn Ewers just once on 28 dropbacks.

There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the future of Texas A&M football. The Aggies, in a sense, outperformed what many had thought they would in Year 1 of the Mike Elko era. There is plenty to work on still, much of it highlighted in the final month of the year.

But the Aggies head into 2025 understanding what they have and, perhaps even more so, what they don’t.

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We must conserve water

Re: “Greed, not need, is behind reservoir plan — Companies proposing lakes also build them; there are better water alternatives available,” by Justin Lannen, Sunday Opinion.

Thanks and thanks again to Lannen for a timely and necessary piece of writing about the water needs of North Texas. The inescapable observation of the author is that while “El Paso and San Diego are proving that sustainable water management is not only possible but effective, Texas clings to an outdated and exploitative model.”

So why can’t Dallas and North Texas conserve? Do we really need huge green lawns? Gardens which are reminiscent of New England?

Lannen clearly states “conservation is not just an alternative; it’s a responsibility.” How much property will have to be lost? How many families will have to lose their businesses? How much natural heritage? How much is enough?

Ellen Taylor Seldin, Dallas

Questions about Guyger case

Re: “Guyger should get a lawyer and sue Dallas — City should have provided for her defense in civil case she lost,” by Geoff J. Henley, Sunday Opinion.

The result of the lawsuit against Amber Guyger has left a really bad taste for me. Where is the justice in suing someone who has no income to hire counsel? Was it not enough that Guyger is paying for her mistake — and it was a mistake, there was no premeditation — with years of incarceration?

I have no problem with that, but to ruin the rest of her life with a judgment she will never be able to pay is just too much.

One more question. Where was the American Civil Liberties Union during this? Don’t they pride themselves in taking on any case no matter how unpopular it is? Perhaps they should step up and file an appeal.

Richard L. Williams, Dallas/Oak Cliff

Column reminds of favorite quote

Re: “Give thanks for old friends today — Those who ran with me in the past walk with me now,” by Talmage Boston, Thursday Opinion.

Boston’s column was very enjoyable, especially the quotes about friendships. My favorite quote about friends is from the movie Stand by Me. The narrator, while reflecting on his group of childhood friends, says, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?”

That pretty much held true for me. Maybe it does for a lot of people.

Fred R. Neary, Far North Dallas

A&M-Texas memories

Re: “A&M-Texas rivalry back where it belongs — Football, not politics, used to make Thanksgiving tense,” by Ryan Sanders, Nov. 24 Opinion.

As an Aggie wife with an Aggie husband, both of us enjoyed the column by Sanders. My husband and our granddaughter both graduated from Texas A&M in 1956 and 2006 respectively. They are both proud Aggies. But aren’t they all?

Our son-in-law and grandson are Longhorns. Years ago when they came to our home to watch the game (or should I say “the debacle”), both of them were relegated to the garage to watch the game on a very small TV set on top of a refrigerator.

Our grandson, who lives in Houston, just yesterday reminisced about the injustice they received. Being a very vocal Longhorn father, at least he did not curse before his son during the game.

To this day, unsportsmanlike conduct still exists. But Paw Paw still loves you, Hunter! But, after Saturday, not so much!

To all readers, my husband still says, Gig ‘Em!

Paula Dardaganian, Richardson

A disservice to students

The decision to emphasize the Bible in Texas school textbooks raises an important question: Are we preparing our children to succeed in a global economy? In an interconnected world, success stems from cultural competency — the ability to understand, respect and collaborate with diverse cultures and perspectives. As Texas emerges as an economic powerhouse, we must ask if our state is ready to be a global destination for recruiting and retaining talent.

While nations worldwide educate their students on multiple religions and traditions, Texas risks narrowing its focus to Christianity. This narrow approach does a disservice to our students, particularly in a state as diverse as ours. To compete on the world stage, our education system must reflect and celebrate this diversity.

My Hindu children attended an Episcopal school where a Jewish teacher taught a semester-long course on Islam. They explored its traditions, cultural practices and global influence. This experience not only enriched their worldview but also prepared them to connect and collaborate with people from all backgrounds — an essential skill in today’s economy.

Cultural inclusivity is the key to preparing our children for success.

Chanda Parbhoo, Dallas

Religion in public schools

I have lived in Texas since 1973 and found Texas values very productive. The current problem that I see is building programs that will benefit the people of Texas and be manageable. The U.S. Constitution talks about freedom of religion and freedom from religion. Texas is famous for its religion and its propagation. Little communities that struggle to have a school still have one or two churches.

Why, then, do our state leaders feel we need a religious curriculum to be taught in our schools? This is not only a violation of the separation of church and state, but they are sticking their nose into church business. We should cough up the money to make sure that we provide the very best education to Texas students and let the church see to the child’s religious education.

Texas churches, if you were doing a better job this would not be happening. Contact your legislator and make it clear what your church position is and tell your members what the church’s position is.

Goebel H. Vaughn, Plano

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The Texas A&M Aggies might have lost their battle on the field to the Texas Longhorns this past Saturday, but they have continued to win on the recruiting trail.

According to On3 recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong, the Aggies are trending to land a commitment five-star Corner Canyon (West Jordan, UT) wide receiver Jerome Myles just days ahead of Early Signing Day on Wednesday.

247 Sports recruiting analysts Greg Biggins and Blair Angulo also logged predictions for the Aggies to land Myles on Sunday, increasing the momentum for Texas A&M.

Myles was previously committed to USC before de-committing this past weekend, picking the Trojans over the Aggies in September.

Myles made his decision to de-commit after taking an unofficial visit to College Station this past weekend for the Aggies matchup with Texas.

Per 247Sports’ rankings, Myles is the No. 30 overall player in the country and fifth-best receiver while being the uncontested top player in his home state of Utah for the 2025 class. Meanwhile, On3 has Myles ranked as the No. 24 player in the country, the No. 4 receiver and No. 1 player in Utah.

In 2022 and 2023, Myles has posted 53 catches for 1,185 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding four carries for 34 yards and another score.

His quarterback at Corner Canyon this past season was 2026 four-star recruit Helaman Casuga, who committed to Texas A&M earlier this fall.

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