In a stunning display of dominance, the 25th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies dismantled the 9th-ranked Missouri Tigers 41-10, securing their largest victory over a top-10 team in program history. The Aggies’ triumph was fueled in part by the Tigers’ quarterback Brady Cook’s pre-game comments, which seemingly underestimated the intensity of the crowd at Kyle Field.
Cook had claimed that the noise level at Missouri’s practices was even louder than what they would face in College Station, a remark that didn’t go unnoticed by the Aggies’ coach Mike Elko or the 97,049 fans in attendance. Elko smiled wryly, acknowledging that the “12th Man” had indeed heard Cook’s comments and were motivated to prove him wrong.
The Aggies’ defense was relentless, pressuring Cook on 13 of 37 dropbacks despite only blitzing him seven times. Defensive end Nic Scourton, who tallied 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, credited Cook’s comments with igniting a fire within the team. “They kind of lit a fire under us,” Scourton said. “Coming into our place, talking down on Kyle Field… I think guys were really motivated to go out there and be dominant.”
The Aggies were indeed dominant, racing to a 24-0 halftime lead before Le’Veon Moss broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half. Moss, who finished with a career-high 138 yards and three touchdowns, admitted to taking Cook’s comments personally. “Most definitely. They thought they were coming to get a piece of cake,” he said.
As the Aggies built an insurmountable lead, the crowd began chanting “overrated,” a sentiment that seemed to resonate with the Missouri Tigers’ lackluster performance. The Tigers managed a paltry 254 total yards, while the Aggies racked up 512 yards of offense.
In the aftermath of the game, Aggies coach Mike Elko addressed the mysterious blanket incident involving Missouri wide receiver Theo Wease Jr., which he attributed to Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz’s gamesmanship. Elko also mounted a passionate defense of his starting quarterback Conner Weigman, who had faced criticism and speculation about his character following a rough start to the season. “This kid is a winner. He’s a competitor. He does everything that he needs to do for Texas A&M football,” Elko said.
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