The Texas A&M Aggies and the UTSA Roadrunners will face off to open up their 2025 College Football season in a Week 1 matchup. Kicking off at 7:00 p.m. ET, this is an intriguing first matchup for both teams as they look to catapult themselves into another tier of college football conversations. The mild Week 0 slate got the action started last week, but college football will be back in its full action with a jam-packed Week 1 schedule and the Aggies and Roadrunners facing off as a part of it.
Looking at the odds, Texas A&M enters as 24.5-point favorites and holds -2800 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. UTSA holds +1300 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 56.5.
This article will look at a brief preview for both teams and a pick for the Week 1 matchup.
UTSA vs. Texas A&M Preview
UTSA Preview
Jeff Traylor is entering his sixth season at the helm of UTSA after waiting patiently for his first head coaching opportunity. The Roadrunners took a slight step back last year, finishing 7-6 after winning 32 games from 2021-23. UTSA got off to a 3-5 start to the season last year, but found its stride to close the season and still finish above .500. They return 64% of last year’s production, which includes 82% of the offense.
Owen McCown returns at quarterback after throwing for 3,424 yards and 25 touchdowns last year. Eight offensive starters return alongside him, as well as a pair of offensive line starters from 2023 who missed all of last season with injuries. Five players are back with at least 28 receptions last year, and standout running back Robert Henry returns. There are more questions on the defense, with only six of the 19 players who tallied 200+ snaps last year remaining on the roster this year. This does include star edge rusher Vic Shaw and CB Own Pewee, who will look to serve as the foundation of the defense. UTSA attacked the transfer portal, headlined by Baylor DT Kaian Roberts-Day, TCU LB Shad Banks Jr., and Maryland S Brandon Jacob. There are high expectations for the Roadrunners, with them opening as favorites in 10 games this season. This is not the case in the opener against Texas A&M, which will be their toughest matchup of the season.
Texas A&M Preview
Mike Elko is entering his second season as head coach of the Aggies after leading the program to an 8-5 record last year. This marked Texas A&M’s best record since 2021 after posting a 7-6 record in 2023 and a 5-7 record in 2022. They open up the season ranked 19th in the AP Poll, with 72% of the production from last year returning to the roster. This ranks seventh in the country and second in the SEC with 192 total starts returning to the roster.
Plenty of eyes will be on quarterback Marcel Reed, who impressed while filling in for Conner Weigman while injured last year. Reed took the job outright last year and threw for 1,864 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions while adding 543 rushing yards and seven touchdowns with his legs. He has some work to do with polishing his passing skills, but Reed ranked fourth among 17 SEC QBs with 150 dropbacks in terms of success rate, with the third-lowest sack rate. Running backs Amarai Daniels and Le’Veon Moss return after combining for 1,426 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last year, with sophomore Rueben Owens also set to play a role. The top six of last year’s offensive line return and hold an average size of 6-foot-6 and 333 pounds. Texas A&M did lose its top five receivers from last year, but brought in NC State transfer KC Concepcion, who will play a significant role.
The defense was extremely variable last year, with them looking dominant in some weeks and completely vulnerable in others. They held five opponents to 17 points or fewer, but also allowed 35+ points three times. Starting safeties Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe return, along with cornerback Dezz Ricks, who each played as freshmen and sophomores last year. Senior corner Will Lee III is back, and they brought in Nickel CB Jordan Saw from Washington. The Aggies also added several players to battle it out in the trenches, and if the pass rush can improve, the defense will take a significant step forward.
UTSA vs. Texas A&M Pick
Texas A&M should dominate this game in the trenches, and the biggest storyline to keep an eye on will be the developmental progress of Marcel Reed. How much he improved as a passer will dictate how much noise Texas A&M can make this season in the larger college football conversation. Don’t expect the full answer to this to be known out of the opener, but UTSA deserves a bit more respect than simply a tune-up game to get the season started.
The Roadrunners are 5-0 against the spread in their last five road games. They have some momentum to build off from the strong ending to last season and plenty of key pieces still in place. Texas A&M still has the talent advantage on both sides of the ball, but Owen McCown is a fairly high-level passer and carries himself with confidence. The biggest concern would be for Texas A&M pushing the scoring to a level that UTSA cannot match. The Aggies’ offense against the Roadrunners’ defense is the biggest mismatch in the matchup.
But ultimately, I expect UTSA to put up enough of a fight to remain within striking range for this game. The 24.5-point spread is notable and is a margin that the Aggies were only able to cover in three of their eight wins last year. These came against McNeese State, New Mexico State, and Missouri. Expect some progress from the UTSA defense and for them to provide some resistance against the Aggies to give themselves a chance. The Roadrunners went 0-6 on the road last season and shouldn’t be looked at as a full live underdog, but the 24.5-point spread feels more significant than the gap between these teams. Count on UTSA keeping it within a three-touchdown margin to create a respectable start to their season.
