Texas A&M entered Saturday’s game with Nevada as a 34-point favorite, and while it didn’t quite meet that number, a 44-27 victory on the eve of SEC play works just fine.

The Aggies (3-0) piled up 535 yards of total offense and 30 first downs and, for good measure, recorded five sacks (3.5 for Myles Garrett) and 16 total tackles for loss on the other side of the ball.

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin found a few areas of potential improvement in his post game comments, but all in all, it was a good day at the office for the home team.

5 TAKEAWAYS

1. Kyle Allen continues to solidify his hold on the starting quarterback job: Kyler Murray is a very talented young man, but Allen is making it harder and harder for Sumlin to take him off the field. He accounted for 325 yards and five scores on the day, while Murray was limited to mop-up duty in the fourth quarter.

2. Myles Garrett has an excellent oral surgeon: Apparently, the sophomore defensive end spent the afternoon in the Wolfpack backfield six days after having his wisdom teeth removed. That makes a dominate day all the more remarkable.

3. Christian Kirk is living up to his hype: The freshman receiver from Scottsdale, Ariz., was a decorated high school player, and he’s carrying that over into his college career. He has more than 250 receiving yards and three scores already this season.

4. Aggies go ground and pound: With 233 yards on 40 carries, Texas A&M was able to compliment Allen’s big day through the air, creating a balanced attack. Tra Carson was a big part of that success (more on him later).

5. The soft part of the schedule is over: The next six games are all against SEC opposition, and the Aggies are exactly where they hoped to be heading into those games.

REPORT CARD

Offense: B+ — It’s hard to be critical of these kind of offensive stats, but you have to mark the Aggies down a bit for a couple of turnovers (an interception and a fumble).

Defense: B- — The pass rush was great, and with the tackles for loss, it’s just the sort of formula we suggested would work for A&M. That said, Nevada had far too much room to run for long stretches of this game, and a 31-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 was particularly alarming. The Pack’s Hassan Henderson, all 6-foot-5 of him, also had a big day with five grabs, 69 yards and a score. Nevada came into this game ranked 94th nationally in total offense, so you have to suggest it had a little too much success today.

Special Teams: B — A fourth-quarter fumble on a kickoff knocks them down a letter grade, but otherwise, the Aggies were very good. Drew Kaser averaged 52.5 yards on his four punts, Taylor Bertolet was 3-of-3 on field goals and Kirk continues to look dangerous in the return game.

Coaching: B+ — The Aggies had a good plan on both sides of the ball, and for the most part, executed it well. There were some flat spots, but the outcome of the game was never really in doubt.

Overall: B — Some Texas A&M fans might have been hoping for more of a statement win, but the offense had plenty of success, the defense created negative plays and everyone at Kyle Field went home happy. That’s more than some teams are able to say, right?

GAME PLAN

Defensive coordinator John Chavis continues to put his stamp on the Aggie defense. Nevada quarterback Tyler Stewart was under duress all game long from A&M’s talented front seven. The offense looked good as well, as Carson and Allen had — and took — plenty of chances to make plays.

GAME BALLS

  • DE Myles Garrett: The sophomore defensive end now has 5.5 sacks on the season, and was a disruptive force in this game. And that was after a few days of eating only soft food, too.
  • QB Kyle Allen: Other than his interception, he looked very comfortable. Whether it was running the read option or going through his progressions on passing downs, he showed a poise that has to bode well for the more challenging games to come.
  • RB Tra Carson: If it’s possible to have a quiet day carrying the ball 22 times for 137 yards, the senior running back had one. It’s will be tougher for defenses to slow down the Aggies if the offensive line keeps opening up such large holes for Carson in the running game.

INJURY UPDATE

Linebacker Josh Walker did not dress for Saturday’s game, but defensive lineman Julien Obioha and linebackers Otaro Alaka and A.J. Hilliard all returned for the contest.