Here are five takeaways from Texas A&M’s 58-6 win against SMU.

  • The Aggies offense will destroy you if you give it cushion. For most of the first half, Southern Methodist played its back seven off the line of scrimmage, trying to prevent big plays. A&M still had a few, like Josh Reynolds’ 70-yard touchdown catch on a go route at the end of the second quarter. But for the most part, Kenny Hill and the Aggies were content to dump the ball into open spaces underneath, take advantage of the athleticism of the receivers both after the catch and as blockers, and run the ball into wide gaps at the second level. A&M’s offense is machine-like when executing on underneath routes and runs against weak fronts. (See: Jeremy Tabuyo’s 30-yard touchdown in the first half.)
  • Texas A&M has played sloppy football the last two weeks, especially early. Against SMU, the team committed three penalties on the first three plays, including two personal foul calls. I counted at least two flagrant drops in the first quarter. Kenny Hill and Ricky Seals-Jones appeared to cross signals on third-and-12 in the first quarter, leading to an interception. The team committed more penalties in the first half. Hill nearly threw another pick on a poorly-placed pass. A&M also botched a pooched kickoff in the first half, leading to a turnover. That’s not going to cut it against SEC West teams.
  • Myles Garrett isn’t going to lead the nation in sacks. The freshman got a pretty good pass rush in the first quarter by pile-driving through two blockers, harmlessly sliding past SMU’s starting quarterback. But for most of the first half, the Mustangs kept extra protection against Texas A&M’s freshman pass rusher, and it worked. Garrett didn’t have as much bounce in his step by the time his day ended, and despite the Aggies’ eight sacks, Garrett stayed stuck on 5.5 through four games. He remains the team’s premier pass rusher and a significant talent, but pump the breaks on him cruising to some ridiculous double-digit total this year.
  • The team is getting healthier. LB Shaan Washington (collarbone), CB De’Vante Harris (urinary tract injury), TE Cameron Clear (ankle) and LB Jordan Mastrogiovanni all played, the first two in their season debuts. Washington made two sacks and looked like a welcome addition with Arkansas on deck. C Mike Matthews (ankle) sat out, but it sounds optimistic that he’ll play against the Razorbacks as well. WR Speedy Noil (knee) could be the lone significant injury entering next weekend.
  • K Josh Lambo is reliable inside of 50 yards. Ironic, isn’t it? A former professional soccer player in football-obsessed Texas, becoming a fan favorite. Lambo is extremely accurate this season, making 5 of 5 field goals and all 29 extra point attempts. He drilled a 50-yard try Saturday with a few yards to spare and made a 47-yard field goal against Rice last game. His leg doesn’t seem strong enough to extend his range much beyond 50, but if the Aggies offense stalls anywhere inside the opponent’s 35-yard line, the team probably still gets points.