How Texas A&M’s Safety Dalton Brooks Became the CFP Chair’s Biggest Nightmare

It’s becoming pretty clear that Texas A&M isn’t just winning games—they’re sending a loud and unmistakable message to the college football world. Taking down No. 22 Missouri with a convincing 38-17 scoreline, the Aggies showcased an offensive surge in the second half that left the Tigers scrambling, all while locking down Missouri’s freshman quarterback Matt Zollers to a mere 77 passing yards. The defense, which has been questioned here and there, responded emphatically—limiting yardage and points, proving why the Aggies sit so high in the rankings. After all, SEC road wins aren’t a casual affair, and Texas A&M has now strung together three of them in succession, including dominant performances against LSU and Missouri. The energy from the sidelines was palpable, especially from standout junior linebacker Daymion Sanford, whose chip-on-the-shoulder mentality fueled the team’s intensity throughout. But it was junior safety Dalton Brooks who stole the show, with a game that melded aggressive defense and explosive speed into moments the Aggies—and fans—will replay for years. With a big win under their belt and other top teams hanging on tight in their own contests, this surge might just nudge the Aggies higher up the CFP rankings come Tuesday night.

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Texas A&M (9-0, 6-0 SEC) continues to look like one of the most dominant teams in college football after defeating No. 22 Missouri (6-3, 2-3 SEC) 38-17 behind another dominant second-half performance from the Aggie offense, outscoring the Tigers 24-17. At the same time, the defense limited Missouri freshman quarterback Matt Zollers to 77 yards passing.

Outside of allowing several explosive running plays and two touchdowns, Texas A&M’s defense was dominant from start to finish, which wasn’t suprising after CFP Selection Committee Chair Mack Rhoades stated on Tuesday that the primary reason the Aggies were ranked No. 3 below Indiana and Ohio State was their defense, likely pointing to the 45-42 win over Arkansas just a few weeks ago.

Yes, Texas A&M gave up over 500 yards to the Razorbacks, but winning on the road in the SEC is tough, no matter the opponent. However, after defeating LSU and Missouri by a combined 45 points, while allowing just 17 points and 284 yards on Saturday night.

After the game, junior linebacker Daymion Sanford stated that Rhoades’ comments fueled the Aggies’ performance, providing plenty of motivation that translated during all four quarters.

“It motivated us a lot. … Coming into the game, we had a chip on our shoulder.”

However, no one had a better game than junior safety Dalton Brooks, who, combined with six tackles, recorded a sack fumble from Daymion Sanford that led to the Aggies’ second touchdown in the first half. Still, nothing compared to the Brooks’ 48-yard run off the fake punt that showed off his impressive speed, and led to another scoring drive.

Brooks reflected on the best game of his Aggie career, stating that it “felt like being in high school” after his fake punt run, while matching Sanford’s response after the CFP Chair questioned A&M’s defense.

“We just showed we’re a defense that can come out and play. We’re a defense that can do what we need to do.”

Texas A&M’s third consecutive road win, combined with No. 2 Indiana’s last-second win on the road vs. Penn State, could and should result in the Aggies moving up in the CFP rankings come Tuesday night.

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