110 points (27.5 PPG)

91 first downs

689 rushing yards (5.3 YPC)

1,001 passing yards (7.5 Yards per attempt)

1,690 total yards (6.4 YPP)

1 sack allowed

Vanderbilt:

17 first downs

185 rushing yards (6.8 YPC)

189 passing yards (6.8 YAA)

374 total yards (6.8 YPP)

1 sack

Alabama:

25 first downs

115 rushing yards (3.7 YPC)

335 passing yards (7.1 YPAA)

450 total yards (5.8 YPP)

0 sacks

Florida:

32 first downs

205 yards rushing (5.4 YPC)

338 yards passing (9.4 YAA)

543 total yards (7.3 YPP)

0 sacks

Mississippi State:

17 first downs

186 yards rushing (5.5 YPC)

139 yards passing (6 YAA)

325 total yards (5.7 YPP)

0 sacks

The biggest surprise of the 2020 season, the offensive line is the primary reason the Aggies are looking at a real shot at a 9-1 season. Most, if not all, of A&M's future opponents are struggling to stop the run, and the Aggies have improved in every game so far to the point where they're one of the nation's best at the moment.

The starting five of Dan Moore, Kenyon Green, Ryan McCollum, Jared Hocker and Carson Green have played uninterrupted, save for Layden Robinson stepping in for Hocker at right guard during the second half of the Alabama game. The experience of the group has paid dividends, as they've been powerful run blockers and light-years better in pass protection than anyone would have expected.

Moore, who has been a solid run blocker during his first two seasons as a starter, has improved significantly. He's pushed around opposing defensive ends all season in the running game. More importantly, he's handled quality pass rushers to date without giving up a whole lot of pressures, much less a sack. It's a remarkable step forward.

Green is the most talented player on the front and may be its best player (he has the team's top ProFootballFocus score at 77.4), even if he's the only non-senior. He has physically dominated opponents all season and has combined with Moore to make a massive blocking duo on the left side. He's also been exception on counters, sealing off the right edge when he pulls. He has made a couple of critical holds and a few mental mistakes, but they're far fewer than they were a year ago.

McCollum has been steady throughout. His line calls have been on the money, he's snapped well and has held his own against massive defensive tackles in the middle. You don't want your center's name called a lot on TV, and you rarely hear McCollum's name. That means he's doing his job.

Hocker is the only lineman who has shown any inconsistency. He started off with a subpar game against Vanderbilt, then was benched for a period against Alabama as he struggled mightily. Since then, he's played as well as anyone on the line, with an especially good game last weekend against Mississippi State. He and Carson Green have blocked well in the zone scheme and over the past two weeks, he's pulled well to serve as a lead blocker when the Aggies have run counter-trey plays.

Green is the leader of the line in words and performance. He's been especially good in the running game, getting a solid push against every opponent regardless of who they are. He's been more than good enough in the passing game and has showed the consistency you'd expect from a three-plus year starter.

Of course, an offensive line is measured by how they perform as a unit, not as individuals. The numbers show how effective they've been. Spiller is averaging 6.7 yards a play, the Aggies are 5th in the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage, 5th in tackles for loss allowed and 3rd in sacks allowed. In fact, no Power 5 team is close in terms of giving up so few sacks. The Aggies have outgained every opponent they've faced on the ground, including Alabama. In each of the past two games, the Aggies have taken control of the line of scrimmage with long drives that were almost entirely runs.

Opponents have thrown just about everything they can at A&M so far in terms of trying to apply pressure. Alabama blitzed their linebackers repeatedly; Florida brought pressure from every direction. Mississippi State stunted and twisted their linemen and tired all kinds of different looks to confuse the line and none of them got to Mond. It's unrealistic to think that the line won't give up some sacks in the near future, but it is also indisputable that they're much, much better in this area than they have been the past two years.

Josh Henson has the good fortune of having an experienced group of linemen, but he's also improved their performance considerably year-over-year. If they continue to dominate up front, especially in the running game, A&M is going to be very difficult for opposing defenses to deal with the remainder of the year.