Reed's 3 TD passes in 1st quarter propel No. 3 Texas A&M past Samford as Aggies improve to 11-0

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- — Marcel Reed threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter before sitting down early in the second as No. 3 Texas A&M built a huge early lead and rolled to a 48-0 win over FCS school Samford on Saturday. Texas A&M is 11-0 for the first time since going 12-0 under coach R.C. Slocum in 1992 and looks to cap a perfect regular season when the Aggies visit rival No. 17 Texas on Friday. Reed moved the offense with ease against the Bulldogs, leading the Aggies to touchdowns on four of his five possessions. The performance came after he struggled in the first half last week against South Carolina, putting the Aggies in a 27-point hole before bouncing back to lead the biggest comeback in school history in the 31-30 victory. “I was proud of the professionalism (and) for us to focus and handle it the way we did,” coach Mike Elko said. Reed threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Bethel-Roman on the first drive to put the Aggies on top 7-0. They made it 14-0 when KC Concepcion grabbed a 6-yard pass from Reed with about four minutes left in the first quarter. Bethel-Roman’s second touchdown came on his second catch, a 58-yard reception that extended the lead to 21-0 near the end of the first. A 1-yard TD run by Amari Daniels early in the second made it 28-0. He's a senior who was playing what could be his last home game at Kyle Field. “It felt good and I’m just ready for the next opportunity so I can make a play,” he said. Reed was replaced by Miles O’Neill on Texas A&M’s next possession with just over 10 minutes left in the first half. Reed was 10 of 15 for 120 yards and his three touchdown passes give him 25 this season, which leads the Southeastern Conference. Daniels had nine carries for a career-high 106 yards in a game where Rueben Owens II dressed but did not play. “It was really important for our staff the get him in the end zone,” Elko said. “He continues to battle. He continues to work.” Reed was far from the only starter who had a short day. Most of Texas A&M’s starters were replaced in the second quarter after the Aggies built their commanding lead. Elko said he really wanted some guys that haven't seen the field much to get some playing time Saturday. “More than anything it was about getting people in,” he said. “It was about getting some guys an opportunity. There were guys that got quality reps and I thought that was really, really important.” Quincy Crittendon threw for 46 yards for Samford (1-11), which wraps up a tough season that led to coach Chris Hatcher being fired on Nov. 9. It was Samford's second game under offensive coordinator Scot Sloan, who took over as interim head coach before last week’s 30-16 loss to Austin Peay. The Aggies outgained Samford 360-25 in the first half, where the Bulldogs had minus-2 passing yards. Texas A&M piled up 14 first downs before halftime while Samford had none. The Bulldogs didn’t get a first down until gaining 27 yards on a short pass combined with a lateral with just over eight minutes left in the third quarter. They had a shot to score on that drive, but Jake Garner’s 41-yard field goal attempt was blocked. Garner missed from 38 with about a minute to go to give A&M its first shutout since 2022. O’Neill led the Aggies for two drives in the second quarter, the first of which ended with an interception, before he was lifted for third stringer Brady Hart. Hart led a drive that ended with a 25-yard field goal that left the Aggies up 31-0 at halftime. O’Neill returned to the game in the third quarter and Texas A&M capped an 11-play, 59-yard drive with a 1-yard run by Tiger Riden Jr. to push the lead to 38-0. Texas A&M tacked on a field goal early in the fourth before a 2-yard TD run by Preston Landis left A&M up 48-0 with about six minutes to go. The Takeaway The Aggies will keep their spot in the AP Top 25 poll and the College Football Playoff rankings where they are also third after handling business against a lesser opponent. Big crowds The attendance on Saturday was 104,877. It made the average attendance at Kyle Field this season 106,159, which is the highest average in school history. “It can’t ever go unspoken how much the 12th man means to us,” Elko said. Up Next Samford: Will search for a new coach to try and turn things around next season. Texas A&M: Visits the Longhorns on Friday night where the Aggies need a win to reach the SEC title game for the first time. ------ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football