COLLEGE STATION, Texas — No. 19 Texas A&M piled up 554 yards of offense and leaned on a historic defensive stretch from Cashius Howell to beat Utah State 44-22 on Saturday at Kyle Field, giving the Aggies their first 2-0 start since 2018.

Howell recorded three consecutive sacks in the second quarter, the first FBS player to do so since 2015. The sequence forced a Utah State punt and helped the Aggies build a 30-6 halftime lead.

“I was glad to see him relax today and play the way we know he can,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. “He certainly did that and impacted the game”.

Quarterback Marcel Reed threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another. He connected with Terry Bussey for a 34-yard score in the first quarter, added a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the second, and later found KC Concepcion twice in the end zone.

Concepcion finished with six catches for 73 yards and two scores, becoming the first Aggie with back-to-back multi-touchdown games since 2021. Mario Craver added five receptions for 114 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown from backup quarterback Miles O’Neill in the fourth quarter.

“We have to be able to push the vertical passing game,” Elko said. “It was good to see Marcel hit the one to Terry, and it was good to see Miles go out and launch one”.

Le’Veon Moss paced the run game with 68 yards and a 21-yard touchdown, part of a 235-yard team rushing performance. Bussey totaled 144 all-purpose yards between receiving and kick returns.

Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes was sacked six times but threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Miles Davis caught both of his scoring passes, including a 1-yard grab in the fourth quarter.

Texas A&M’s defense, which gave up more than 200 rushing yards in the opener, held Utah State to 78 yards on 35 carries. Howell credited practice adjustments for the turnaround.

“The emphasis coming into practice this week was to stop the run, re-establish the line of scrimmage,” Howell said. “I feel like we definitely took that next step”.

The Aggies have outscored their first two opponents 94-29. Next up is a road trip to Notre Dame, where A&M will look for its first win in South Bend since 1994.