Conner Weigman shines as No. 25 Texas A&M dominates No. 9 Missouri 41-10

No. 25 Texas A&M completely steamrolled No. 9 Missouri 41-10 on Saturday in College Station.

Nothing went right for the Tigers. Almost everything went well for the Aggies. Texas A&M built a 24-0 halftime lead and made it clear early in the second half that Missouri wasn't coming back when Le'Veon Moss ran the first play of the third quarter for a 75-yard touchdown.

Missouri then lost four yards on a third-and-short on its next possession and the game was all but over considering how well A&M played.

A&M QB Conner Weigman made just his second start of the season after suffering a shoulder injury in the Aggies' season-opening loss to Notre Dame. Weigman dismantled a Missouri defense that couldn't put pressure on him and also made good use of his legs when he had room to run. Weigman finished the game completing 18 of 22 passes for 276 yards. Texas A&M was so far ahead in the fourth quarter that Weigman was able to sit out much of the final frame.

Missouri had every reason to be upset about a pass interference penalty that was inexplicably called on a fourth-down pass attempt on the Tigers' first drive. Missouri would have been in top-scoring territory if the flag had been properly left on the field.

But that doesn't explain how poorly the Tigers played the rest of the first half. And even when they showed excellence, there was something that brought them down. Mizzou had a 75-yard TD pass to Luther Burden III after Texas A&M took a 10-0 lead, but it was negated by a precise call on a lineman downfield.

Later in the half, QB Brady Cook made a great attempt at a first down, but it was called back due to an illegal formation and Mizzou punted after failing to convert on the ensuing third down.

Moss finished the game with over 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Conner Weigman shines in return

It's no exaggeration to say that A&M's ceiling depends on how well Weigman can play the rest of the season. Marcel Reed has played well in his absence over the last three games, but Texas A&M was viewed as a secondary contender in the SEC prior to the season because of Weigman's potential.

After being named the Aggies' starter to begin 2023, Weigman suffered a season-ending foot injury in the fourth game of the season against Auburn. During that time, he showed how he could be the Aggies' answer to QB. Before he was injured, Weigman completed 82 of 119 passes for 979 yards and eight touchdowns with just two interceptions.

Weigman started Week 2 this season after injuring his shoulder against the Irish, but the injury aggravated against McNeese. Reed was the team's starter in the final two games, leading the Aggies to victories over Florida and Arkansas.

If Weigman can be as good as he was Saturday, Texas A&M still has a lot to play for in the SEC and can be much more than just a killjoy. The Aggies only have two ranked teams left on their schedule in No. 13 LSU and No. 2 Texas.

A major setback for Missouri

The Tigers are also still in the running for the SEC and the College Football Playoff, but it's much harder to envision either possibility than it was before Saturday. The Tigers were dominated by the Aggies on both offense and defense and the passing game still wasn't quite working.

Missouri was 10-2 a season ago, thanks to Cook's prowess as a passer. This year, Missouri's passing game has been up and down at best. Without a reliable downfield passing game, the Tigers were forced to rely on a running game, which was effective until Saturday.

After playing at UMass in Week 7, Missouri hosts Auburn in Week 8 before heading to Alabama in Week 9. We'll know a lot more about the Tigers in late October, but it's certainly questionable whether this can be a playoff-caliber team.