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Other than making the stats sparkle, what did Texas A&M gain from Saturday’s 67-0 shellacking of Prairie View A&M at Kyle Field? It was a game that certainly served its purpose.
With a new quarterback and new running backs learning a new system, a game like Saturday’s is exactly what the doctor ordered. Plus, learning more and more the defense that DC John Chavis wants to implement in his second season at College Station, it was beneficial for that unit to have a game like Saturday’s as well.
For sure, a good time was had by all on the Aggies’ side as they rolled up the numbers. It was the Aggies’ 23rd straight nonconference home victory and first over Prairie View, or any Southwest Athletic Conference member for that matter.
The 67-0 victory was the largest margin of victory for the Aggies in a shutout since 1993 when they blanked Missouri, 73-0. The 67-point margin of victory was the largest since defeating Lamar, 73-3, in 2014.
Scoring 67 points is a lot of points regardless of the opposition. It ranks 13th all-time on the Aggies’ list.
The 672 total yards of offense were impressive as OC Noel Mazzone’s scheme continues to be employed and improved upon. That number also ranks 13th in the Aggies’ record books for a single game.
Individually, QB Trevor Knight turned in a big performance. The graduate transfer threw for 344 yards. He had four 300-yard passing games while at Oklahoma (2013-15). But adding in his rushing stats, Knight had a career-high 422 total yards, surpassing his old mark of 376 vs. Iowa State while at Oklahoma.
Knight accounted for four touchdowns on Saturday, including three passing and one rushing.
He certainly wasn’t the only one posting gaudy numbers on Saturday. Sophomore receiver Christian Kirk scored twice on 5 pass receptions totaling 106 yards. It’s already the fourth time that Kirk has turned in multiple touchdown game performances in his 15-game career.
Running back Keith Ford, another Oklahoma transfer, scored twice in his first start as an Aggie. Ford rushed for 62 yards on 8 carries and looked very comfortable in his new surroundings. He also had 1 catch that went 40 yards.
Junior WR Speedy Noil returned from suspension and found his way into the end zone. He caught 4 passes for 25 yards. He was one of 13 different pass-catchers to notch at least one reception on Saturday.
Josh Reynolds was another. With his 2 receptions (53 yards), Reynolds moved into 10th place on the Aggies’ all-time list with 109 career catches.
The numbers were equally impressive on the defensive side as well. The Aggies notched their first shutout at Kyle Field since a 31-0 blanking of Wyoming in 2004. They held Prairie View to just 32 rushing yards, the fewest given up by the Aggies’ defense since yielding 31 to Sam Houston State in 2010.
Senior SS Justin Evans tied for the team-high (Shaan Washington) with five tackles. He broke up two passes and blocked a field goal attempt. It was his second consecutive standout performance. Last week, he was the Nagurski and Thorpe Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting two passes and breaking up another on the game’s final play.
The Aggies scored in nearly every way imaginable. Jarrett Johnson recorded a sack in the end zone for a safety, the first for Texas A&M since 2013 vs. Mississippi State. And junior CB Nick Harvey got into the act with a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Yes, it was a game to pad the stats, but that kind of performance helps any team gain loads of confidence. And it came at a great time as the Aggies open SEC play at Auburn this Saturday.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
