Texas A&M Game Preview Presented by Visit College Station: Citadel

Matchup: Texas A&M vs. The Citadel

Date: October 17, 2026

Location: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas

Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. CT

Texas A&M’s 2026 season has continued to prove a major step back as the Aggies fell 27-6 to Missouri last week, marking the third loss of conference play. With the difficulty of the games left on the schedule, the Aggies will need to make every game count in order to reach bowl eligibility, and will likely need to pull off multiple upsets to get to .500. The good news for Texas A&M fans is that this week’s home contest against The Citadel serves as a bit of a reset. At this stage of the season, the Aggies simply are what they are. The issues plaguing the offense in particular seem unfixable at this stage, but perhaps a big win over the Bulldogs can at least pull some confidence back to make the road forward at least a little respectable.

On the offensive side of the ball, just about every concern the Aggies had heading into the season has been proven correct. Marcel Reed has regressed at the quarterback position, severely limiting the passing game. Reed’s struggles have been coupled with an offensive line that struggles to pass protect at times, leading to even lower levels of confidence for Reed. Injuries in the receiver room have also been a problem, with Mario Craver banged up and Terry Bussey lost for the season after Kentucky.

The offensive line hasn’t fared much better in the rushing attack, and the stable of running backs that Texas A&M brought to this season has failed to make a significant mark as well. Additionally, Marcel Reed hasn’t been able to truly impact games with his legs against top competition, allowing opposing defenses to key on the backs on running downs. Compounding all of these issues is the added difficulty of a first-year playcaller, Holmon Wiggins, trying to find his footing.

The combination of factors has led to an offense that is utterly devoid of confidence and identity. It’s impossible to point to something this offense does well. Explosive plays are non-existent. Three-and-outs have become the expected outcome of a drive. Again, none of this is fixable at this stage of the season, and the Aggies will have to find ways to win in spite of this offensive unit. Unfortunately for Texas A&M, that task only gets more difficult as the Aggies head into the final stretch of the season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Aggies have struggled as well. However, unlike the offense, this unit seems to be improving as the season goes on. Missouri did clear 200 yards rushing on the day against Texas A&M last week, but I think a big part of that success in the second half came courtesy of a gassed defense after multiple three-and-outs by the offense. The secondary fared much better on Saturday, limiting Austin Simmons to just 14 of 28 for 147 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Still, the Aggies have concerns, particularly up front. The pass rush for Texas A&M has come up far short of the expectations for a Mike Elko defense. Through six contests, the Aggies have just five sacks. That number comes in at the bottom of the SEC and falls four short of Arkansas and Ole Miss, tied for 14th with nine sacks each. The Aggies simply have to be better at getting to opposing quarterbacks and are sorely missing the abilities of Cashius Howell in that area.

The front has also struggled against the run, ranking near the bottom of the conference in that area as well. A big piece of the struggle has come courtesy of an interior defensive line that has been inconsistent at best. With that being said, I do think Brandon Davis-Swain flashed at times on Saturday, and I think #11 could help shore up some of these issues if he is able to stay healthy. Of course, getting Daymion Sanford back healthy could be a big help there as well.

The secondary struggled mightily against Kentucky and LSU with eye discipline, but it feels like that unit has taken a step forward in the past two contests against Arkansas and Missouri. Still, with teams like Alabama looming large the rest of the way, we’ll need to see if those improvements hold up against a better passing attack.

If Texas A&M fans are searching for a bright spot among all the negative, Aggies have to be happy with the performance of David Olano this season. After special teams bit Texas A&M last season, Olano has been automatic in 2026. The Illinois transfer is 9-9 for the season, including four kicks of 50 yards or more.

The Aggies shouldn’t have any issues handling The Citadel. However, looking at the rest of the schedule, this could very well be the last contest Texas A&M is favored in for the rest of the season. With that in mind, it simply isn’t enough to notch another win. The Aggies have to play with pride on Saturday to give any hope that they are capable of upsetting one or two opponents down the line and get to a bowl game. Texas A&M needs to jump out early and find some explosiveness on offense against a far inferior opponent. I have Texas A&M winning 45-3 in this one, but I’m less concerned with a result that seems a foregone conclusion and more concerned with the attitude we see from the Aggies on Saturday.