Tag: TaxAct Texas Bowl

Texas A&M starting QB Jaylen Henderson injures right arm on first play of Texas Bowl

Texas A&M quarterback Jaylen Henderson injured his right arm on the first play of the Texas Bowl versus Oklahoma State on Wednesday in Houston.

With only 48 scholarship players in uniform on Wednesday in Houston, Texas A&M lost its starting quarterback to injury after only one play of the Texas Bowl.

On the first snap from scrimmage Wednesday night at NRG Stadium, Jaylen Henderson injured his right arm and left the game against No. 20 Oklahoma State wearing an air-cast. The sophomore signal-caller suffered the injury while completing an 11-yard pass to junior wide receiver Jahdae Walker.


True freshman Marcel Reed took over for Henderson at QB and the Aggies punted after three plays. On Reed’s second drive, he led Texas A&M on an 11-play, 56-yard drive that lasted over four minutes and resulted in a 37-yard field goal from junior kicker Randy Bond to tie the game at 3-3 with 4:34 remaining in the first quarter.

At 8:51 p.m. CT, ESPN sideline reporter Taylor McGregor stated on the game broadcast that Henderson was out and would not return to the Texas Bowl.

Walker suffered a left shoulder injury attempting to make a touchdown catch in the first period but he later returned to the game. Walker is 1-of-3 wideouts on scholarship that are active on Wednesday along with junior Moose Muhammad III and freshman Micah Tease.

Reed was a 4-star recruit coming out of Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville. He was named Mr. Football in Tennessee following his senior year of high school.

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Report: Texas A&M football team will be shorthanded for Texas Bowl versus No. 20 Oklahoma State

According to a report from GigEm247 reporter Carter Karels, “Texas A&M is expected to have no more than 55 scholarship players available to play.”

In the official last game of the Jimbo Fisher era in College Station, Texas A&M will be shorthanded for the 2023 finale tonight in Texas.

The Aggies will be playing No. 20 Oklahoma State in the TaxAct Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston beginning at 8 p.m. CT. According to a report from GigEm247 reporter Carter Karels, “Texas A&M is expected to have no more than 55 scholarship players available to play.”

The depth chart is thin for the Aggies due to a multitude of reasons, beginning with the NCAA Transfer Portal and injuries. Sixteen Texas A&M players have entered the portal since it opened at the beginning of December and nine of those former Aggies have already found a new home.

Six Texas A&M players are out with season-ending injuries, including graduate student Ainias Smith. The talented wide receiver has a broken finger and declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on Dec. 8.

Karels also noted that without Smith, the Aggies will have a total of three scholarship receivers in uniform against the Cowboys. Interim head coach Elijah Robinson certainly has a challenge in front of him before departing for Syracuse.

Oklahoma State will be attempting to avenge a 24-21 loss to Texas A&M in the 2019 Texas Bowl. Given the fluctuation of the Aggies’ available players, even Cowboys coach Mike Gundy has “no idea” what to expect tonight.

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How to watch: Texas A&M vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State football game

Texas A&M will close out the TaxAct Texas Bowl festivities with a Wednesday night showdown against the No 20 Oklahoma State Cowboys

Texas A&M (7-5, 4-4 SEC) will play No. 20 Oklahoma State (9-4, 7-2 SEC) at NRG Stadium on Wednesday night in Houston, Texas at 8:00 p.m. CT.

The Aggies will play in a bowl game for the first time since 2020 and they will have their work cut out for them. On top of starting their third-string Quarterback, Jaylon Henderson, the starting lineup will resemble something similar to the second half of a spring scrimmage game. Due to transfers, the NFL draft, and injuries the Aggies are truly piecing together a squad to take one Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.

Now there is nothing new about an interim coach taking over for a bowl game however not only is this a lame-duck coaching staff, but coach Elijah Robinson has also spent half his time recruiting future Aggie targets for his new employee: Syracuse University.

This is still a good opportunity for new head coach Mike Elko to assess the current roster and determine where he might need to focus more of his attention in the transfer portal. It will also be the final chapter of the Jimbo era at Texas A&M and we can all finally move on.

Texas A&M’s 2023 regular-season home schedule had contests against ULM, Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi State, and ACU.

The Aggies’ Road schedule featured games at Miami, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and LSU.

2023 Texas A&M Aggies football schedule: Downloadable smartphone wallpaper

Below is gameday, television, and radio information for Wednesday’s Texas A&M – OSU game at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Report: Texas A&M WR Noah Thomas will miss the TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State

It has been confirmed by multiple sources that Texas A&M WR Noah Thomas will miss the TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State.

Texas A&M will be without yet another starter on offense ahead of Wednesday’s TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday night, as the Aggies will face the 20th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

According to 247Sports’ Jeff Tarpley, sophomore wide receiver Noah Thomas will miss the matchup for undisclosed reasons, closing the book on his 2023 season after appearing in nine games while recording 29 receptions for 353 yards and five touchdowns, including his opening season three touchdown performance in the win vs. New Mexico.

While some will attempt to take a deep dive into Thomas’s reasons for missing the game, remember that, through NIL sponsor Texas Aggies United, Thomas announced his return for the 2024 season earlier this month. While Thomas’s absence will certainly hinder the Aggies’ passing production against the Cowboys, it will now be up to Moose Muhammad III, Jahdae Walker, and freshman Micah Tease to steer the ship, at least on Wednesday night.

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Texas A&M’s depth chart ahead of the TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State

Here is Texas A&M’s depth chart ahead of Wednesday’s TaxAct Texas Bowl matchup vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State in NRG Stadium.

Texas A&M and No. 20 Oklahoma State are set to face off for the final time in 2023 during Wednesday night’s TaxAct Texas Bowl, which will occur in the Houston Texans’ NRG Stadium among what should be a packed crowd.

Amid all the changes taking place in College Station after the Nov. 12 firing of Jimbo Fisher and the subsequent hiring of new head coach Mike Elko just two weeks later, Elko and his staff have already dealt with more than a dozen departures through the transfer portal, but have also gained 14 signees from the 2024 recruiting cycle, and seven additions from the portal.

While current interim head coach Elijah Robinson has ignited some mild controversy regarding his recruiting tactics while already working in his 2024 role as Syracuses’ new defensive coordinator, we can only trust a man at his word, and Robinson has continually promised that the Aggies are his sole focus heading into the bowl game.

For Oklahoma State, superstar running back Ollie Gordon III is expected to play, meaning that A&M’s now depleted defensive line will have its biggest challenge yet, as defensive tackles McKinnley Jackson (2024 NFL Draft), Walter Nolen (transfer portal) and Isaiah Raikes (transfer portal) have left the program.

Looking at Texas A&M’s depth chart ahead of the game, the roster may be depleted, but the Aggies should have enough to get the job done, including 55 scholarship players who are posed to dress out. Here is A&M’s complete depth chart ahead of Wednesday’s TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State.

‘Tackling is an art’ Taurean York, Jaylen Henderson, and Max Wright speak ahead of the TaxAct Texas Bowl

Hear what LB Taurean York, QB Jaylen Henderson, and TE Max Wright had to say ahead of the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

Following Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson, incoming sophomore linebacker Taurean York, senior tight end Max Wright, and sophomore quarterback Jaylen Henderson provided the player commentary on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Aggies TaxAct Texas Bowl matchup vs. Oklahoma State on Dec. 27.

While we’ve heard from both Max Wright and Jaylen Henderson throughout the latter half of the 2023 regular season, this was Taurean York’s first official press conference, and for a young man who is still a teenager, the maturity displayed while taking a multitude of questions was nothing short of impressive.

Ranging from his development into one of the nation’s best linebackers during fall camp to his love for the game through his father, York’s relationship with new head coach Mike Elko started all the way back to Elko’s time as the Aggies defensive coordinator (2018-2021), and continue during his two years as Duke’s head coach.

“I love Coach Elko. He recruited me hard at A&M and recruited me hard at Duke.”

While Elko has yet to hire a new defensive coordinator, whoever is lucky enough to work with York in 2024 and beyond will inherit one of the smartest players in the country, made abundantly clear when York was asked about the fundamentals of tackling:

“Tackling is an art. You have to work on it. You have to have your technique.”

However, it was Jaylen Henderson who will make his fourth consecutive start this season with the quote of the afternoon, simply stating that despite the movement in the transfer portal, the Aggies are focused on winning the game in front of them and taking much-needed momentum into the 2024 offseason:

“Our goal is to end on a win. That’s our mindset, no matter who is playing or who is not playing.”

With that, here is everything Taurean York, Jaylen Henderson, and Max Wright had to say ahead of the TaxAct Texas Bowl next Wednesday night.

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‘We’re trying to get the best 22 on the field ‘ Aggies interim HC Elijah Robinson previews the TaxAct Texas Bowl

Hear what Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson had to say ahead of the Aggies TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson, who, despite being hired as Syracuses’ new defensive coordinator for the 2024 season and beyond, still holds rank in the Aggie locker room and will continue his duties until the final whistle blows during A&M’s upcoming TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. Oklahoma State.

While we at Aggies Wire have not shied away from covering the issues regarding Robinson’s recruiting tactics on behalf of Syracuse while still employed with Texas A&M, the veteran assistant at least provided more context on Tuesday afternoon during the final press conference before next week’s matchup.

Speaking with the local media, Robinson, outside of discussing how the team will prepare for the game, continued to profess his admiration for A&M and the importance of developing lasting relationships that will aid in future development.

“People talk to people. People trust people.”

“When relationships are made, people can explain to (players) what a place can do for them… This is a great place to be. It has great coaches. Now it’s all about the fit and relationships.”

Even more telling, despite his new allegiance with the Orange, Robinson stated that if any current A&M player comes to him personally to discuss if they should transfer from the program, he would advise them to stay, especially on defense due to new head coach Mike Elko’s elite defensive mindset.

“If I’m a defensive player here, I’d look at Coach (Mike) Elko and know that Coach Elko is going to put a great defense on the field here.”

At the core of it all, Elijah Robinson is a fantastic human being with a very bright coaching future ahead of him, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward. Here is everything he had to say during Tuesday’s press conference.

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Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has ‘no idea’ what to expect from Aggies in Texas Bowl

Led by Elijah Robinson, the Aggies will have the element of surprise during their matchup against No. 20 Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl.

The element of surprise is rare in sports, but that is certainly the case for Texas A&M‘s upcoming matchup against No. 20 Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl.

The Aggies are currently in a transition period led by interim head coach Elijah Robinson. Texas A&M fired head coach Jimbo Fisher on Nov. 12 and hired Mike Elko from Duke to replace him on Nov. 26.

“We have no idea what they’re gonna do,” Gundy said Thursday. “We don’t have any idea what they’re gonna do. They play three down, they play four down. They play man, they play zone. The coordinator’s not there on either side of the ball.

“So, we don’t have any idea what they’re doing. We’re practicing for spring ball and putting a little gameplan together and gonna go down and play.”

Elko hired Collin Klein from Kansas State as the new offensive coordinator on Dec. 6. He has yet to formally hire a new defensive coordinator. However, one would imagine that Elko would want to bring in one of his own guys to fill his former role rather than retaining D.J. Durkin from Fisher’s staff.

As for the Texas Bowl at 8 p.m. CT on Dec. 27, none of us have any idea what the Aggies will look like, Gundy included.

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Current ticket prices for Texas A&M vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl

The Aggies and No. 20 Oklahoma State will face off at NRG Stadium in Houston on Dec. 27 for a rematch of the 2019 Texas Bowl.

Texas A&M and No. 20 Oklahoma State will face off in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

The matchup is a rematch of the 2019 Texas Bowl, which the Aggies won 24-21, led by quarterback Kellen Mond who was named the game’s MVP. Texas A&M will attempt to repeat history at 8 p.m. CT two days after Christmas.

As of Friday, SeatGeek has individual tickets available for between $111 and $1,301 including fees. There are also two tickets listed for $2,025 but we’ll just wish the seller of those seats good luck.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Texas Bowl tickets at Seat Geek” link=”https://seatgeek.pxf.io/g1eY62″]

Elijah Robinson will serve as interim head coach for the Texas Bowl before departing for the defensive coordinator position at Syracuse. He’ll be without superstar junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on Tuesday.

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ESPN reveals its latest 2023 bowl game projections for Texas A&M

As the Aggies enter the bye week, ESPN unveiled its latest bowl game projections for the Maroon and White.

As Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC) enters their bye week riding a two-game losing streak, it’s only fitting to ponder the bowl game possibilities for this football program. Well, that’s the case for the worldwide leader in sports.

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach compiled their latest projections for college football’s bowl season, and despite the Aggies entering their bye week with back-to-back losses, the Maroon and White were well represented.

Bonagura projects Texas A&M to face the Kansas Jayhawks in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, which kicks off on Wednesday, Dec. 27 from NRG Stadium. Meanwhile, Schlabach likes the Aggies to play two days later against the Louisville Cardinals in the TaxSlayer Bowl. That game kicks off on Friday, Dec. 29, from EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.

As a reminder, for an FBS team to officially become bowl-eligible, it needs at least six wins with a minimum winning percentage of. 500. A total of 82 teams are needed to fill all 41 bowl games this coming season. So, while the Aggies’ 4-3 record is not a sight for sore eyes, the Maroon and White need just two more victories to be bowl-eligible.

Going bowling would mark A&M’s first such game since the 2020 season when Jimbo Fisher led the Aggies to a 9-1 record and a 41-27 win over North Carolina in the Orange Bowl. Running back De’Von Achane was named MVP after rushing for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Truthfully, a mere bowl game appearance in 2023 would not satisfy the fanbase back in Aggieland, who witnessed Texas A&M drop two consecutive games that they arguably should have won. Still, it should serve as a reminder of the befitting expectations placed on this football team, which has no talent shortage on both sides of the ball.

Following their bye in Week 8, Texas A&M will return home to host South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 28. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT from inside Kyle Field, and the game will air on ESPN.

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