Here are some quick thoughts on Texas A&M’s 38-17 victory against No. 15 Arizona State in the season opener for both teams.

What it means: A good start for both Texas A&M and the SEC, which picked up a solid non-conference victory against a ranked Pac-12 team. The Aggies have some issues to address, but if Arizona State is as good as everyone thought they were, then Texas A&M has a shot at making some noise in a loaded SEC West. It’s also a game people are going to point to when playoff selection debates begin and everyone wants to compare conferences.

What I liked: Texas A&M newcomers made their presence known from the start. Junior college transfer Justin Evans got the start at safety and was all over the field from the very beginning of the game. Evans was blowing up the short pass plays Arizona State was going to trying to establish a rhythm early and seemed like he was getting in on every tackle. Most of the offensive success the Sun Devils had came running plays away from Evans. Of course, Christian Kirk made a HUGE first impression. He had a 28-yard reception on the Aggies first scoring drive late in the first quarter, then gave A&M a 14-0 lead with a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown. His 66-yard catch-and-run for a score in the fourth quarter put the game away.

What I didn’t like: The Aggies quarterbacks didn’t take care of the ball. Starter Kyle Allen got away with some ill-advised throws and haphazardly carrying the ball with one hand in the first quarter, but it caught up to him with an interception and a fumble, which led to an ASU touchdown. When freshman Kyler Murray got his opportunity to play, he played fast and loose with the ball in much the same way and suffered an interception that could have been much more costly, but more on that in a bit.

Who’s the man: It’s still Myles Garrett. Garrett had a pair of early sacks, which on it’s own is an impressive enough game. But Garrett’s presence alone was enough to make a huge impact on the game. The Sun Devils were throwing triple teams at the sophomore defensive end by the second quarter, but that just created opportunities for teammates such as Daeshon Hall, who lived in the Arizona State backfield. Garrett finished with eight tackles, three sacks and forced fumble.

Key play: Murray’s third-quarter interception could have been a big momentum swing in Arizona State’s favor, but the Texas A&M defense that struggled so mightily to force turnovers in 2014, got a big one. DeMario Richard took a handoff deep in his own territory and carried out near the 10-yard line before Donovan Wilson knocked the ball loose. Noel Ellis recovered at the 4-yard line. Instead of ASU having an opportunity to drive for a tying touchdown, the fumble set up an Aggies field goal, giving them a 17-7 lead with 5:19 left in the third period.

What’s next: The Aggies get their actual home opener in the renovated Kyle Field when Ball State comes to College Station next Saturday. The Cardinals should give A&M an opportunity to address some issues, such as the quarterbacks taking care of the ball. Expect some talk in the upcoming week about a possible quarterback controversy as both Allen and Murray showed some flashes of brilliance, but also made mistakes that could have hurt a lot more if ASU had been able to take advantage.