A&M vs Mizzou: No Excuses, Just Handle Business

Alright Aggies, here we go again. The bye week’s over, the hangovers are gone, and now it’s time to prove that 8-0 actually means something. We’ve got Missouri up next, and they had the same bye week we did. Same amount of rest. Same amount of prep time. No excuses.

Missouri is banged up. Their starting quarterback, Beau Pribula, went down with a leg injury and isn’t expected to suit up. That’s a big deal. He was their guy, their spark, the reason they had any sort of passing threat. Losing him changes the entire offense, but don’t think for a second that means this is a walk in the park. Eli Drinkwitz teams don’t quit. They’ll line up, run the ball forty times, and try to ugly this game up.

This is where the Aggies have to be mature. We’ve seen what happens when this team plays down to competition. It’s been a decade of that. No more. If you’re 8-0, if you’re in the playoff picture, if you want Marcel Reed’s name in New York, you don’t mess around in Columbia. You show up, you handle business, and you go home with a win.

The biggest key? The run game. Le’Veon Moss should be back closer to full strength, and he needs to set the tone early. Let the big uglies go to work. Establish the line of scrimmage, make Missouri’s linebackers hesitate, and then hit them over the top with KC Concepcion and Mario Craver. Those two are turning into the most dangerous one-two punch in the conference. When they get loose, it feels like a jailbreak.

Defensively, this is a chance to feast. The Tigers’ backup quarterback is walking into a nightmare. Casius Howell is playing like a man possessed, and he should live in their backfield again. If the D-line gets pressure and the linebackers stay disciplined, Missouri won’t get much going. No slow starts. No busted assignments. Just go punch them in the mouth and keep them there.

We’ve seen what this team can be when it locks in. Marcel Reed is still on a heater. KC and Craver are still uncoverable. The defense is starting to look like an SEC title defense. If they go in focused, this won’t even be close.

No drama. No nonsense. Go take care of business.

A&M 34, Mizzou 17.