Marcel Reed was asked about Texas again this week, and he did not soften his stance. The Texas A&M quarterback, speaking to SportsCenter after the Aggies' 50-0 season-opening shutout of Missouri State, was pressed on his 0-2 record against the Longhorns. He dismissed the losses as self-inflicted, refusing to credit the opponent.
"We lost the game ourselves," Reed said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated's Zach Dimmitt. "Whenever we lose, it's not because any team necessarily beat us. It's because we didn't do the things we were supposed to do."
The comments carry weight given the history. Texas A&M has not beaten Texas since 2011, a streak that outlasts the rivalry's pause when the Aggies moved to the SEC. The Longhorns joined the conference in 2024, and their first two meetings as league rivals have gone their way.
Reed's own numbers in those games explain some of his frustration. In the 17-7 loss in 2024, he completed 16 of 23 passes for 146 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Last season's 27-17 defeat was worse: 20 of 32 for 180 yards, no scores, and two interceptions. He has not thrown a touchdown against Texas in his career.
The Aggies' opener at Kyle Field on Saturday offered a reset. Reed threw 21 of 30 for 233 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, adding seven carries for 20 yards. Texas A&M poured in 31 points in the second half after a slower start, and while Reed acknowledged the performance did not meet the team's standard, the result was a comfortable shutout.
The next meeting with Texas does not arrive until November, but the question has already found Reed. He was asked directly about the losing streak and did not hedge. He placed the blame entirely on his own team's execution.
Coach Mike Elko, now in charge of the Aggies' campaign with Reed at the forefront, has preached insulation from outside opinion. He addressed the noise directly when asked about the pressure surrounding the program.
"I'll be the guy who comes in and doesn't care about the opinions of people who don't know as much as I do because I'm going to do what I think is right every single day and put everything I have into what I think can make us successful," Elko said, in a report from Aggies Wire's Cameron Ohnysty.
The Aggies entered the season ranked eighth. Their schedule does not offer much room for reflection, with Arizona State up next in Week 2. Reed's performance against the Sun Devils will be the next data point, but his stance on Texas is already set. He does not believe the Longhorns beat him. He believes he beat himself, twice, and the November rematch will be the chance to prove the difference.
According to Yahoo Sports.