Texas defense suffocates Aggies, forcing turnovers and dominating inside. A&M struggles offensively in a lopsided 80-35 loss.
Sunday afternoon in Austin felt less like a rivalry game and more like a defensive survival drill for Texas A&M.
The Aggies ran headfirst into a relentless Texas buzzsaw and never found oxygen, falling 80-35 as the Longhorns flipped a close first half into a full-blown rout.
What started as a manageable deficit quickly turned into a lesson on how pressure defense can hijack a game ... and a scoreboard.
Texas turned the third quarter into a nightmare as the Aggies managed a single field goal in the entire frame, and that didn’t come until the final seconds.
In between? Turnovers, rushed shots, and wave after wave of burnt-orange jerseys closing every passing lane. The Longhorns outscored A&M 23-3 in the quarter, effectively ending the contest before the fourth quarter ever mattered.
For A&M, Janae Kent was the lone steady presence, scoring 16 points while trying to keep the proverbial offensive boat afloat.
The problem was that the boat had too many holes.
The Aggies shot just 17 percent for the game and coughed the ball up 25 times, many of them forced by full-court pressure that never relented.
Texas dominated the paint to a staggering degree, outscoring A&M 48-10 inside. Every missed layup or stripped drive seemed to fuel another Longhorn run the other way.
Even when Texas struggled from the outside - hitting just one 3-pointer all afternoon - it hardly mattered. The damage was done up close.
The Aggies actually hung around early, too.
The first half was sloppy on both sides, and Texas led only 34-24 at the break. But once the game sped up, A&M couldn’t keep pace. Ball security vanished, spacing collapsed, and the margin ballooned in a hurry.
There are no moral victories here, but there are lessons. Against elite defensive teams, hesitation is fatal. Texas sensed it, pressed harder, and never let go.
The Aggies now turn the page quickly with a daunting challenge ahead, hosting NO. 6 LSU. Sunday was painful - but the SEC rarely offers time to dwell.