Aggies open with 42-24 win over UTSA in front of record crowd
No. 19 Texas A&M used big plays from Marcel Reed, Mario Craver and KC Concepcion to beat UTSA 42-24 on Saturday before the largest season-opening crowd in program history at Kyle Field.
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Aggies open with 42-24 win over UTSA in front of record crowd
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — No. 19 Texas A&M used big plays from Marcel Reed, Mario Craver and KC Concepcion to beat UTSA 42-24 on Saturday before the largest season-opening crowd in program history at Kyle Field.
Reed threw four touchdown passes, including two to Craver, and finished with 289 yards through the air. Concepcion scored twice — on an 80-yard punt return and a 31-yard reception — to help the Aggies pull away in front of 107,521 fans.
“We wanted to get more explosive on offense, and we did,” coach Mike Elko said. “We wanted to get more explosive in the return game, and we did. We wanted to see Marcel throw the ball a little bit better, and he did”.
Texas A&M struck first when Concepcion returned a punt for the program’s first special-teams touchdown since 2023. UTSA’s Michael Petro answered with a 36-yard field goal, but the Aggies regained momentum with Reed’s 24-yard scoring strike to Craver early in the second quarter.
Robert Henry Jr. rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns for the Roadrunners, including a 75-yard score on the first play of the second half that cut A&M’s lead to 21-17. The Aggies responded with three straight touchdowns — Reed’s 1-yard pass to Theo Melin Öhrström, another connection with Craver from 22 yards, and EJ Smith’s 3-yard run — to secure control.
Craver, a transfer making his debut, caught eight passes for 122 yards. “It means everything to me, because I came here to win,” Craver said. “Me and KC know the team goes as we go. The offense goes as we go”.
Linebacker Taurean York led the Aggie defense with 10 tackles. After Henry’s long run, UTSA managed only nine total yards across its next six possessions. “Tempers flare when you give up a 75-yard touchdown,” York said. “We got dialed in. That’s not what we stand for”.
Concepcion added 72 receiving yards to finish with 166 all-purpose yards. He became the first Aggie since Christian Kirk in 2017 to record both a punt-return and receiving touchdown in the same game.
The Aggies improved to 3-0 all-time against UTSA and 19-7 in season openers since 2000. Next up is Utah State on Sept. 6 at Kyle Field.
