COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Maroon & White defense put on one of their best performances since 2001 as the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies dominated the New Mexico Lobos, 34-0, at Kyle Field on Saturday afternoon.
The win marked A&M’s 11th consecutive victory, tied for second longest active win streak in the FBS and most consecutive wins for the Aggies since the 1992 season (12).
The Aggie defense stymied New Mexico, limiting the Lobos to 122 yards of total offense, the fewest A&M has surrendered since 2001. UNM’s 33 passing yards is the lowest Ol’ Sarge’s charges allowed since 2017. New Mexico’s offense trekked into A&M territory on just two occasions, including their last drive of the game, with the Lobos only able to get as close as the 37 yard line midway through the third quarter.
Texas A&M’s defense logged 11.0 tackles-for-loss, including 4.0 sacks. Edgerrin Cooper snatched his first career interception and Aaron Hansford made a career-high 2.0 tackles-for-loss, along with a sack and a pass breakup. DeMarvin Leal and Micheal Clemson each tallied a career-best 1.5 sacks. Tyree Johnson registered his first sack of the season.
New Mexico began the opening drive with a three-and-out, and the Aggies answered immediately, putting together a three-play, 43-yard drive that was capped off by a Zach Calzada 26-yard touchdown pass to Devon Achane.
On the following drive, Demond Demas hauled in his first career reception on a 70-yard bomb from Calzada and ran into the end zone untouched. Demas’ score is the first of his career and the longest TD reception since Oct. 28, 2017 when Camron Buckley hauled in a 70-yard pass and took it for six. Demas led all wideouts with 100 receiving yards off two catches, including a 70-yard TD reception.
The A&M offense continued its scoring effort, putting together a 13-play, 60 yard drive that was capped off by an Isaiah Spiller 5-yard touchdown run. Seth Small extended the Aggies’ lead to 24-0 and closed out the scoring for the half after booting a 35-yarder through the uprights.
Moose Muhammad III caught a SportsCenter-worthy one-handed catch for his first career touchdown late in the third quarter. Muhammad finished with three receptions for 24 yards.
Calzada scattered the ball to seven different Aggies, finishing the day 19-of-33 passing for 275 yards and three scores in his first career start. Blake Bost saw action for the first time at quarterback this season late in the fourth.
Spiller rushed for the 12th 100-yard game of his career with 117 yards on 15 carries. Achane added 112 all-purpose yards.
Small accounted for 10 points in the game, upping his career total to 299 to gain sole possession of fifth highest scorer in A&M history.
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Texas A&M Football Post Game Notes
No. 7 Texas A&M 34, New Mexico 0
Kyle Field (Bryan-College Station, Texas)
September 18, 2021
Team Notes
- The Aggies have allowed 17 points through the team’s first three games of the season, marking the second-fewest points allowed to start the year since the 1997 season when A&M gave up 16 points through three games.
- Texas A&M has held its opponent scoreless through the air so far this season and is one of 11 teams in the nation that has not allowed a passing touchdown this year.
- The game marked Texas A&M’s first shutout since a 67-0 blanking of Prairie View A&M on Sept. 10, 2016. It was A&M’s first shutout against an FBS opponent since a 25-0 victory at Vanderbilt on Nov. 21, 2015. The Maroon & White registered their first FBS shutout at Kyle Field since blanking Wyoming, 31-0, on Sept. 11, 2004.
- The A&M defense limited the Lobos to 122 yards of total offense, marking the fewest yards allowed by the Aggies since Dec. 28, 2001, when TCU had 118 yards of offense. New Mexico’s 33 passing yards were the fewest allowed by the Aggies since limiting the Lobos to 24 yards on Nov. 11, 2017.
- Texas A&M’s defense registered 11 tackles for loss, including 4.0 sacks on the day.
- The A&M defense allowed New Mexico into Aggie territory on just two occasions, including UNM’s final drive. The Lobos’ deepest penetration was the A&M 37 yard line midway through the third quarter.
- The Aggie passing game spread the ball around to seven different receivers, with three players recording TDs.
- The victory over the Lobos marked the first 3-0 start in the Jimbo Fisher era and the team’s first 3-0 start since 2016.
- The Aggies have won 11 straight games, marking their longest win streak since stringing together 12 consecutive victories in 1992. The streak is currently tied for the second longest in the country.
- Today’s captains against New Mexico were WR Ainias Smith, RB Isaiah Spiller, DL DeMarvin Leal, OL Kenyon Green.
Individual Notes
- In his first career start, sophomore QB Zach Calzada completed 19-of-33 passes for 275 yards, three TDs.
- Freshman WR Demond Demas recorded the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing the New Mexico game with 100 yards on two receptions. Demas and Calzada connected early in the first quarter on a 70-yard strike downfield that Demas brought to the end zone for the first touchdown of his career.
- The 70-yard pass from Calzada to Demas was A&M’s longest offensive play in 2021.
- Sophomore RB Devon Achane got A&M on the board when he took a 26-yard reception to the end zone for his second career score through the air.
- Freshman WR Moose Muhammad III used a one-handed grab in the back of the end zone to secure a 7-yard pass from Calzada for the first score of his career. He finished the game with 24 yards on three receptions.
- Junior RB Isaiah Spiller recorded the 12th 100-yard game of his career, tallying 117 yards on 15 carries, including a 5-yard touchdown run, the 20th TD tote of his career.
- Sophomore LB Antonio Doyle Jr. helped lead the Aggie defense with a career-high five tackles in the victory.
- Graduate DL Micheal Clemons matched his career high with 1.5 sacks and three QB hurries in the game.
- Freshman LB Edgerrin Cooper made the first interception of his career midway through the fourth quarter after senior DB Leon O’Neal Jr. broke up a pass that landed in the hands of Cooper for the turnover.
- Sophomore P Nik Constantinou boomed four punts for 182 yards (45.5 ypp), landing inside the 20 yard line on all four punts, including pinning the Lobos inside the 10 yard line on three occasions.
- Senior PLK Seth Small moved into fifth on A&M’s all-time career scoring list as he upped his total to 299 points, after going 4-of-4 on PATs with a pair of field goals.
