Learned, Loved, Loathed: Texas A&M 20, Auburn 3

The  No. 14 Aggies’ 20-3 victory over No. 13 Auburn on Saturday wasn’t a thing of beauty.

That is unless a dominant defense, a four-game winning streak and a giant step toward a New Year’s Six bowl qualify as beautiful. In that case, Texas A&M’s victory was extremely pulchritudinous.

Seth Small kicked four field goals. Micheal Clemons returned a fumble for a touchdown, and the new version of the Wrecking Crew held Auburn without a touchdown for the first time since 2018.

There was much to admire from that victory. And, of course, there were things to be learned, loved and even loathed.

What I learned

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

After their fourth consecutive win, A&M could find themselves in the top-ten when the new CFP rankings are released on Tuesday night.

The Aggies are closing in on the top-ten: Not only did the Aggies end Auburn’s four-game winning streak at Kyle Field, but several teams ranked ahead of A&M lost. Aside from the No. 13 Tigers losing to A&M, No. 3 Michigan State lost to Purdue, No. 9 Wake Forest lost to North Carolina and No. 12 Baylor lost to TCU.

Zach Calzada is really tough: The Aggies’ quarterback showed his tenacity when he shook off a leg injury to lead a game-winning drive against Alabama. He doubled down against Auburn. Calzada dislocated his left shoulder when hit by Auburn safety Smoke Monday at the end of a 10-yard run. His shoulder had to be popped back into place. Though in obvious pain, Calzada missed just two offensive plays.

They can win SEC games with defense: The Aggies scored at least 35 points in their first three SEC victories. The offense wasn’t as productive against Auburn, but the defense compensated. Auburn was limited to 226 total yards — half its average yardage output. The Tigers were held to their lowest point total since being shut out by Alabama in 2012. The Aggies’ defense even produced the only touchdown of the game. Micheal Clemons picked up a Bo Nix fumble and rambled 24 yards for the score.

What I loved

Run defense: The Aggies limited Auburn to just 73 rushing yards. A&M joins Georgia as the only teams to hold Auburn fewer than 100 rushing yards. The Tigers averaged just 2.5 yards per carry. That put the onus on Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. However, Nix was hampered by …

The pass rush: Auburn’s offensive line had allowed just nine sacks in the first eight games combined. A&M dropped Bo Nix four times and frequently harassed him on other snaps. Tyree Johnson sacked Nix twice. Jayden Peevy got one, so did Demani Richardson on a perfectly-time blitz for a 15-yard loss. The Aggies were also credited with five quarterback pressures.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

2022 five-star DL Walter Nolen committed to Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies just 30 minutes before kickoff on Saturday.

Just watching: A&M received coveted commitments from defensive tackle Walter Nolen‍ and wide receiver Chris Marshall‍ before the game. Asked what a big victory over Auburn in front of a Kyle Field crowd of 109,835 could do for recruiting, coach Jimbo Fisher answered: “Just watch.”

What I loathed

Officiating: Nik Constantinou was knocked down on a punt from deep in A&M’s end of the field. At the very least, there should have been a penalty for running into the punter. Instead, an official just a few yards away kept his flag in his pocket. Later, A&M was twice penalized for false starts inside the Auburn 10-yard line. Jimbo Fisher was highly agitated by the penalties and called out Auburn defensive players for simulating the snap, which should’ve been a penalty on the Tigers.

Missed touchdowns opportunities: Twice, the Aggies had first-and-goal inside the 5-yard line. Both times they settled for field goals attempts, but Seth Small salvaged points both times. He also added another field goal late in the game.

Dropped passes: Calzada completed just 15-of-29 points for 192 yards. However, at least four of his incompletions were well-thrown passes that were dropped. Two of them had the potentials for big plays and possibly touchdowns.