Notable Pro Football Focus grades after Texas A&M's 27-17 loss

Even in a loss, it's importan to measure how well each player performed during Friday's regular season matchup between No. 3 Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC) and the No. 16 Texas Longhorns (9-3, 6-2 SEC), resulting in Texas defeating the undefeated Aggies 27-17 after outscoring the visitors 24-7 in the second half.

As embarrassing as this loss was after entering DKR as a 2.5-point favorite, head coach Mike Elko and his veteran team understand that making this defeat bigger than it actually is will only cloud the future goals that remain, as the Aggies are a lock to make the College Football Playoff, but will likely drop several spots ahead of Tuesday's rankings reveal.

However, it's important to note that avoiding the quarterfinal bye as a top 4 seed isn't the end of the world, as this bye has been a bad omen for teams looking to win a national championship since the 12-team playoff's inception. Everything is in front of the Aggies over the next three weeks, but I can guarantee that this week's focus will be on fixing the issues that led to Friday's ten-point loss.

Ahead of what can be considered the first of two bye weeks, here are the updated Pro Football Focus grades for Texas A&M on offense and defense.

Offense

1. OL Reuben Fatheree III — 72.3

2. TE Theo Melin Ohrstrom — 71.2

3. OL Trey Zuhn III — 69.7

4. WR Mario Craver — 69.5

5. RB Rueben Owens — 68.2

6. WR KC Concepcion — 64.4

7. OL Mark Nabou Jr. — 63.1

8. OL Chase Bisontis — 62.1

It's safe to say that this was Texas A&M's worst night of the year on offense, starting with quarterback Marcel Reed's (55.1) 180 yards and two interceptions that ultimately ended the game, as the redshirt sophomore and OC Collin Klein did not look like they were on the same page throughout the night.

Reed finished 12/14 on short passes of 10 yards or less, but between 10 and 15 yards, he was 2/6, where his two interceptions occurred. Instead of high percentage throws, Reed opted to attack the middle of the field more than necessary, with the Longhorn secondary prepared for it.

Still, the offensive line, outside of several costly penalties, held up for the most part, with just one sack allowed, but also gave up ten pressures, including three from right tackle Dametreous Crownover. Lastly, one of the reasons running back EJ Smith, who scored Texas A&M's only touchdown in the second half, only received four carries and 15 snaps, was his poor pass blocking (26.0)

Defense

1. CB Tyreek Chappell — 73.9

2. LB Taurean York — 73.6

3. DL Tyler Onyedim — 73.2

4. DL T.J. Searcy — 71.0

5. LB Noah Mikhail — 69.2

6. S Dalton Brooks — 68.6

7. CB Dezz Ricks — 67.5

8. CB Jordan Shaw — 63.7

Texas A&M's defense was impressive in the first half, preventing Texas QB Arch Manning from finding the end zone. In contrast, the secondary, especially cornerback Will Lee III (62.1), who allowed just one reception for 54 yards, but as soon as the second half arrived, nothing went right, especially the run defense.

Texas had not had a 100-yard rusher all season, but for the second consecutive season, Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner ran for 155 yards, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. For Aggie fans, this was déjà vu in the worst way, and it is hopefully a learning moment for an Aggie run defense that has struggled in spurts but was trending in the right direction.

Even worse, senior edge Cashius Howell, who entered the game as the SEC leader in sacks (11.5), had his worst night of the season, earning a poor 38.9 tackling grade and a 59.5 pass rush mark with three pressures. However, Iowa State transfer Tyler Onyedim had quite the performance, producing the only sack and four pressures, leading to a team-high 73.8 pass rush grade.

Lastly, junior linebacker Taurean York, who was as upset as any player on the roster after the loss, led the team with an elite 84 tackling grade and was equally impressive in coverage (70.1).

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Notable PFF grades after Texas A&M's 27-17 loss