Victories over LSU and Missouri were high points to the 2024 Texas A&M football season. An opening loss to Notre Dame and the month of November were gross disappointments.
It was both a triumphant and traumatic campaign in A&M’s first season under coach Mike Elko.
There was a quarterback change, which has become the norm in recent years. There was the great emergence of running back Le’Veon Moss. Then there was his costly injury. There was a boost from new talent. There was underachievement from some veterans. There were blowout wins and blown opportunities.
Through it all, the Aggies finished 8-5, which was a one-win improvement from the previous season.
In August, an eight-win season would have been viewed as progress. But in November, it was seen as a collapse.
Here’s a final look back at A&M’s 2024 season and one man’s opinion of some best and worst moments and performances:
Best pass: Normally, the best pass would result in a touchdown. However, the best throw this season did not, though it did lead to a touchdown against LSU. Marcel Reed only completed two passes vs. LSU, but one resulted in a 54-yard gain. LSU had just cut A&M’s lead to 28-23 with 9:57 remaining. On the first play after the kickoff, Reed arced a perfectly placed throw to Noah Thomas, who beat double coverage. That set up a Moss 3-yard touchdown run that all but clinched the victory.
Best drive: The Aggies held a 13-0 lead over Florida midway through the second quarter but were backed up on their own 1-yard line following a punt. No problem. The Aggies drove 99 yards in 15 plays for a 1-yard Reed touchdown run with just 44 seconds remaining in the half. A&M ran on 14 plays of the drive. They were, however, aided by a questionable “targeting” penalty on Florida DB Trikweze Bridges for — I kid you not — leading with his helmet into Noah Thomas’ gluteus maximus.
Best run: Reed’s fourth-quarter juke, which brought Florida defensive back DJ Douglas to his knees, would be a great candidate for this category. Yet, the best run was by Le’Veon Moss to open the second half vs. Missouri. Moss burst over the left side of the line and into the open field. He ran about 17 yards before faking out Missouri safety Marvin Burks. Moss then outran safety Dylan Carnell and linebacker Triston Newsome for a 75-yard touchdown.
Best individual play (offense): See above.
Best individual play (defense): Arkansas held a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, but the game would soon change. After forcing a punt, the Razorbacks began the ensuing possession at their own 9-yard line. They started the series with a conservative running play. But defensive end Shemar Stewart stormed over the left side of the Arkansas line and into the backfield. He blasted quarterback Taylen Green and running back Ja’Quinden Jackson at the handoff mesh point to force a fumble. Scooby Williams recovered at the at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, the Aggies scored a game-tying touchdown.
Best sack: A&M led Arkansas 21-14 with 1:41 remaining. The Razorbacks, hoping to drive for a winning score, had first down at their own 34-yard line. A&M defensive end Nic Scourton ended those hopes. Scourton worked around Arkansas left tackle Fernando Carmona and forced Green out of the pocket. As Green rolled right, Scourton swooped in from behind to hit Green at the 24 and knock loose the football. A&M safety Jaydon Hill recovered at the 28 to clinch the Aggies win.
Worst injury: There are no good ones. The costliest, however, was to Le’Veon Moss. The Aggie running back sustained a season-ending knee injury when hit by DQ Smith at the end of a 20-yard catch-and-run midway through the first quarter at South Carolina. Moss finished the season with 765 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Despite the injury, he still earned All-SEC recognition.
Best response: Florida scored a touchdown on the opening series of the second half to pull within 20-7. The Gators were back in contention and hoped to capitalize on momentum. Instead, Reed rolled left on second-and-8 to find Cyrus Allen open down the sideline behind the Florida secondary. Reed made an accurate pass, and Allen outran the Gators’ pursuit for a 73-yard touchdown.
Best interception: LSU aimed to add to a 10-point lead in the third quarter. On third-and-2 from the LSU 21-yard line, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier opted to pass. However, he was pressured out of the pocket. With Cashius Howell bearing down on him at the 14-yard line, Nussmeier lofted a pass for receiver Aaron Anderson. But nickel back BJ Mayes stepped in front of Anderson to make the interception at the 36-yard line. He returned to football to the LSU 8, and A&M scored on the next play and dominated from there. The entire game changed with Mayes’ interception.
Worst interception: Reed’s first collegiate interception was perhaps the most frustrating. The Aggies trailed South Carolina 30-20 early in the fourth quarter, but the Aggies had first down at the Gamecocks’ 28-yard line. They had a great opportunity to pull within one score. But under pressure, Reed’s throw to the right sideline was intercepted. Reed said he was trying to throw out of bounds but could not get enough momentum on the pass.
Best coaching call: Trailing LSU 17-7 midway through the third quarter, A&M coach Mike Elko opted to bring Reed off the bench to replace starting quarterback Conner Weigman. The Aggies had just taken possession at the LSU 8-yard line following an interception. Reed ran eight yards for the touchdown on his first play of the game. He ran eight yards for a touchdown to cap the next series. Then, he ran four yards for a touchdown on the following possession. A&M went on to score on five consecutive series (four touchdowns and a field goal) with Reed at quarterback to en route a 38-23 victory.
Worst coaching call: We all saw it. Indeed, we saw it frequently. The Aggies trailed Texas 17-7 late in the fourth quarter but faced fourth-and-goal inside the 1-yard line. Earlier in the game, the Aggies failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at the Texas 10-yard line. This time, A&M called a timeout, presumably to decide on the final play. That play? Another inside run. Again, the Aggies came up short. Both plays were stopped by a defensive end crashing from the left side. Earlier in the season, the Aggies tried a similar play against South Carolina on fourth-and-1 on their own 34-yard line. Alas, they failed to convert that one, too.
