COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M scored touchdowns on all four of its drives in the first half, including three on the ground by running back Jamarion Morrow, and the Aggies shut out The Citadel 41-0 on Saturday.
Morrow entered the game with a lone rushing touchdown but collected three scores totaling six yards in the first two quarters. A&M (4-3), in a brief reprieve from league play, rebounded from a 27-6 setback at No. 13 Missouri, while The Citadel (2-5) has dropped four of its last five games.
"Coming off the field today we were able to get done what we wanted to get done," A&M coach Mike Elko said. "Now it's back into SEC play, and obviously a big challenge next week (at Alabama)."
With the Aggies leading comfortably 28-0 at halftime on Saturday, Elko turned to backup quarterbacks Brady Hart and Helaman Casuga over the final two quarters. The Aggies added two field goals, a punt and a touchdown pass from Hart to Aaron Gregory in the second half, as Casuga only played the Aggies' final, abbreviated drive.
A&M starting quarterback Marcel Reed finished 8-of-13 passing for 130 yards with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Gregory during the first two quarters, and the Aggies primarily kept to the ground against their overwhelmed opponent.
"Marcel did a nice job throwing the football," Elko said. "Some of the incompletions could have been catches – I'm trying to find the polite way to say that. And it was good to see Brady get out there. He still operates a little bit quicker than I'd like him to – I'd like to see him a little bit more relaxed and a little bit more comfortable in the pocket. But it was good to see him get a lot of reps."
Hart finished 8-of-12 passing for 107 yards with a touchdown pass to Gregory. The Bulldogs finished with 183 total yards, including 140 on the ground. It's the second shutout for A&M this season (50-0 over Missouri State in the opener), and the Aggies have at least two shutouts in the same season for the first time since 1993.
A&M's KJ Edwards led all rushers with 116 yards, while Gregory collected two touchdown receptions and had a game-high 94 yards receiving.
"We need to continue to build, literally that's the biggest thing," Gregory said. "We need to continue to play hard, continue to build, and continue to be on one path."
The takeaway
The Citadel provided the perfect tonic for Texas A&M that has lost three of its first four Southeastern Conference games. The Aggies play their next two league games on the road, and Saturday's glorified scrimmage helped A&M's struggling offense get back on track against a subpar opponent.
Kicker U
In a rugged overall season for the Aggies, Illinois transfer David Olano has been a bright spot. The strong-legged kicker has made 11 of 11 field goals, with a couple of chip shots on Saturday from 23 and 20 yards.
Missing Receiver
Elko rested a handful of players for the nonconference contest, but receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman missed the game for what was dubbed personal reasons.
"I'm going to leave that one alone right now," Elko said when asked if Bethel-Roman was expected to rejoin the Aggies in time for Alabama. "He's going through some things, and we're going to support him and just keep praying for him right now, honestly."
Up next
The Citadel: Hosts Tennessee Tech on Saturday.
Texas A&M: At No. 6 Alabama on Saturday.
