Texas A&M got the 2015 season off to the kind of start it was looking for Saturday night in Houston, taking care of No. 15 Arizona State with a solid defensive performance, great special teams and some big plays on offense.

The Aggies can probably expect to move into the Top 25 this week and have to feel good about their chances of making some noise in the SEC race after taking down the Sun Devils.

Here’s a closer look back at how A&M pulled off the big season-opening victory.

5 Takeaways

  • Myles Garrett is amazing: The sophomore defensive end could be the most dominant defensive player in the SEC since Jadeveon Clowney. Garrett broke Clowney’s SEC freshman record with 11.5 sacks last year and is well on his way to surpassing that this season after sacking ASU’s Mike Bercovici three times.
  • Christian Kirk lived up to the hype: After enrolling early and having a good spring, there was lot of talk about Kirk making an immediate impact even with a strong stable of receivers coming back. The freshman surpassed expectations with 106 receiving yards and a touchdown catch to go along with a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown.
  • There’s another quarterback controversy: The Aggies were more than halfway through the season last year before Kyle Allen had a solid grasp on the starting quarterback’s job, leading to last year’s opening day starter Kenny Hill’s transfer. Saturday, Kevin Sumlin rotated Allen and freshman Kyler Murray. Neither was perfect, in fact each one had moments when they shined and others when they struggled. Who should start is bound to be a hot topic in the coming weeks.
  • The SEC West is crowded once again: With the Aggies win, they joined Alabama and Auburn as division teams with convincing opening-day victories against Power 5 opponents. Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State also rolled against Group of 5 teams.
  • John Chavis had an immediate impact: All the talk about a more aggressive defense might have been preseason coach speak, but it wasn’t. The Aggies were flying to the ball under their new defensive coordinator and making a concerted effort to punch it loose. New safety Justin Evans was all over the field and the defensive line dominated the Sun Devils up front.

Report Card

Offense: B — Three turnovers could have hurt more than they did and it took a while to develop a rhythm in the first quarter, but the Aggies eventually got it going. Christian Kirk finally gives A&M the deep threat its been looking for.

Defense: A- — The Aggies kept ASU quarterback Mike Bercovici off balance all game and forced four fumbles, recovering two. It was the first time A&M held a Power 5 conference team under 20 points since the 2012 Cotton Bowl.

Special teams: A — Kirk’s punt return was a huge momentum builder, giving the Aggies a 14-0 lead and firing up the largely pro-A&M crowd in Houston. The Texas A&M coverage teams were also outstanding.

Coaching: B — Switching Brandon Williams to defense looks like it will pay off and offensive play calling worked while the defensive emphasis on aggression also gave the Sun Devils trouble. It remains to be seen whether the way Sumlin handles the quarterbacks works or has an adverse effect.

Overall: B+ — It’s hard not to be pleased with this one if you are an Aggies fan. They came up with a big victory against a ranked opponent, but were still left few things to work on. There has to be more confidence at this point in College Station that A&M can improve on last year’s 8-5 record.

Game Plan

The Aggies had a couple of major weaknesses in 2014, forcing turnovers and throwing deep and they addressed both in this game. Texas A&M forced four fumbles, recovering two and nearly getting a third. If they can start picking off some passes it would be a huge improvement. Christian Kirk and Josh Reynolds were both able to make catches down field. Kirk showed an ability to get open on deeper routes while Reynolds was reminiscent of Mike Evans with his ability to go up and get the ball above the defenders.

Game Balls

  • WR Christian Kirk: Two touchdowns and nearly 200 all purpose yards in his college debut and as an Arizona native doing it against the Sun Devils? Not too shabby.
  • DE Myles Garrett: Garrett had eight tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble. Frequent double and triple teams barely slowed him down and created free lanes for his teammates on the defense line. The sophomore is just too fast off the ball to be stopped.
  • RB Tra Carson: He was a work horse, carrying 29 times for 96 yards and a touchdown. He also had one catch, a 9-yard touchdown reception.

INJURY UPDATE

  • DT Julien Obioha didn’t play because of an undisclosed injury, but was on the sidelines.
  • LB Otara Alaka didn’t paly because of an undisclosed injury.
  • LB Josh Walker left the game late in the first half with an undisclosed injury.
  • P Drew Kaser, a preseason All-America candidate, left the game in obvious pain after a roughing the punter penalty.