COLLEGE STATION — Rueben Bain Jr. waited until he’d found a seat in front of a microphone inside Texas A&M football’s Kyle Field before telling the world what he really thought.
Reacting to drawing Bain’s Miami Hurricanes in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Aggies tackle Trey Zuhn III had downplayed the threat posed by Bain, the ACC’s defensive player of the year and All-American defensive lineman who entered play Saturday with 7½ tackles for loss and 4½ sacks.
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“I haven’t had time to watch any film yet since it just got announced,” Zuhn said. “But I don’t think he’ll be a threat we need to worry about too much. We have great players. We got a great offensive line. We’ll be able to handle him.”
Texas A&M wide receiver Mario Craver (1) evades a tackle by Miami defensive back Ethan O’Connor (24) during the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman (3) makes a catch during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M defensive tackle Albert Regis (17) celebrates a defensive stop during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss (8) is tackled during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Miami quarterback Carson Beck (11) is sacked by Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York (21) during the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Miami quarterback Carson Beck (11) looks for an open receiver during the round one College Football Playoff game against Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Miami quarterback Carson Beck (11) directs his team during the round one College Football Playoff game against Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) is pressured during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M wide receiver Mario Craver (1) catches a pass during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko disputes a no-call during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M wide receiver Terry Bussey (2) runs the ball during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M wide receiver Mario Craver (1) catches a pass during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Miami offensive lineman James Brockermeyer (52) is tackled by Texas A&M defensive tackle Albert Regis (17) and Texas A&M linebacker Daymion Sanford (27) during the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim (11) celebrates a forced fumble during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim (11) forces a fumble by Miami quarterback Carson Beck (11) during the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M fans celebrate a missed field goal by Miami during the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M linebacker Daymion Sanford (27) celebrates a fumble recovery during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) is tackled by Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas (8) during the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M running back Rueben Owens II (4) runs the ball during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M defensive tackle Albert Regis (17) leaves the field with an injury during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Miami quarterback Carson Beck (11) throws a pass during the round one College Football Playoff game against Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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A sideline host loses his hat in the wind during the round one College Football Playoff game between Texas A&M and Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M fans cheer during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M running back Ej Smith (22) is hit during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) hands the ball off to Texas A&M running back Ej Smith (22) during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) misses a catch during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks for an open receiver during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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A Texas A&M fan reacts to a Miami touchdown during the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Miami players and coaches celebrate a final interception in the end zone during the round one College Football Playoff game against Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M linebacker Scooby Williams (0) leaves the field after the loss to Miami in the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas (8) meets Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) after the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas. Miami defeated Texas A&M 10-3.
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Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko leaves the field after the loss to Miami in the round one College Football Playoff game at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Bain brushed aside questions about Zuhn’s comments in the buildup to the game. But, on the field Saturday, he unleashed fury. He sacked Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed three times as part of a seven-sack, game-wrecking effort from the Miami defensive front on the way to a 10-3 victory that ended the Aggies’ season.
Afterward, Bain finally spoke his mind.
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“I don’t take kindly to disrespect,” Bain said. “I had a little reminder on my phone. The last two weeks, I was ready to play some football. Some guys in the media said some things they shouldn’t have said. But, you know, they did, so God bless them. They were writing checks they can’t cash.”
This is all more consequential than a little trash talk gone wrong for the Aggies. An inability to control the line of scrimmage, in the view of coach Mike Elko, helped drag the 2025 Texas A&M season into the mud.
MORE: How Aggies’ main flaw forced them out of the College Football Playoff
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Miami erased the Texas A&M running game, holding the Aggies to 2.5 yards per carry on 35 attempts. With its line also failing to cope with the Hurricanes’ pass rush, Texas A&M was left with few options on offense.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) is tackled during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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“We lost the game at the line of scrimmage, and I think it got worse in the second half,” Elko said. “I think we just couldn’t keep them off of us. We couldn’t get the run game established. We became one-dimensional. Once we became one-dimensional, they were able to tee off.”
The dismal showing capped a startling display for the Aggies down the stretch. In the first half of the season, only two teams — Notre Dame and Auburn — managed to pressure Reed on more than 30% of his dropbacks. Five of the final six A&M opponents achieved pressure rates of 30% or greater against Reed, including Samford, a 1-11 FCS team.
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That trend helped facilitate a rash of costly turnovers, too. Texas A&M gave the ball away 11 times in its final four games. Miami, by comparison, has committed 12 turnovers all season.
GOLDEN: The future looks bright for Texas A&M, assuming the Aggies learn to finish
After failing to fix the offensive line problem on the fly, Elko and his staff can now look for solutions in the transfer portal. Both tackles — Zuhn and Dametrious Crownover — are out of eligibility. So is right guard Ar’Maj Reed-Adams. Center Mark Nabou Jr. and left guard Chase Bisontis are both draft eligible.
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It’ll be a different group up front for Texas A&M in 2026. Can the next one play to a level that enables the Aggies to build on this season’s progress?
“You can’t play playoff football and not win the line of scrimmage,” Elko said. “Obviously, they were able to get the run game going, and we wound up losing the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and you’re just not going to win when that’s the case.”