Texas A&M's third-down defense is historically good. Who else is best?

Texas A&M is off to its greatest begin in 9 years and within the high 4 of the Related Press ballot for the primary time since 2020.

The Aggies began the season displaying an explosive offense, scoring greater than 40 factors in every of their first three wins, however their protection has been the story within the final three weeks, notably on third downs.

In three SEC video games, Texas A&M has allowed simply two third-down conversions on 33 makes an attempt, a minuscule 6.1 % conversion fee for opponents. It’s by far the perfect fee within the nation within the final three weeks and is a giant purpose the Aggies rank No. 1 this season in third-down protection — a 20.8 % success fee that’s the lowest in a minimum of the previous 10 years.

Defensive third-down success has been a forte for Mike Elko at Texas A&M, relationship to his time because the defensive coordinator for the Aggies. Throughout his tenure as an assistant, from 2018 by 2021, A&M ranked within the high 25 nationally in third-down protection every year and thrice positioned within the high 15.

Philosophically, it’s some extent of emphasis for Elko. In 2021, he spoke at size to Texas highschool coaches on the Angelo Soccer Clinic in San Angelo, Texas, about his strategy, which focuses closely on defining down-to-down success and failure for his protection each day in apply.

The aim on first down, Elko stated, is to carry opponents to three or fewer yards.

“While you go on the market for the primary day of spring ball and the offense runs a play on first-and-10, in the event that they received 4 yards, we misplaced,” Elko stated. “We didn’t win, we didn’t get the job achieved.”

Second down, he thought-about a “half down,” that means the offense desires to get a minimum of half the yardage wanted for a conversion, whereas his protection’s aim is to stop a achieve of half the gap.

On third down, the yardage dictates the assault plan. Elko stated third-and-11 or extra yards “must be a 90-95 % cease fee for us,” third-and-7-to-10 yards must be an 85-90 % win fee, third-and-4-to-6 yards is a “coin flip,” and third-and-3 or much less favors the offense.

In 2025, the Aggies have come near hitting Elko’s desired success charges in every of these areas. In accordance with TruMedia, on third-and-11 or extra, A&M has held groups to 3-of-26 (11.5 %). On third-and-7-to-10 yards, A&M held offenses to 6-of-30 (20 %) and on third-and-3 or much less, the Aggies have allowed conversions on six of 10 makes an attempt.

However A&M’s greatest work has been achieved within the third-and-4-to-6-yard vary. In that center distance, which Elko known as a coin flip, A&M has allowed only one conversion in 12 makes an attempt (8.3 %), which is No. 1 within the FBS in these conditions. The nationwide common conversion fee allowed this season on third-and-4-to-6 yards is 40.8 %.

A key consider A&M’s third-down success is what the Aggies are doing on second down. A&M is close to the center of the pack on first down, permitting 5.7 yards per play (seventieth within the FBS). However on second down, the Aggies enable solely 4.4 yards per play, which is nineteenth nationally. Per TruMedia, A&M is tenth in defensive success fee (63.7 %), which is the proportion of performs a protection permits fewer than half the yards wanted on first and second down and prevents first downs on third and fourth.

The common distance offenses have confronted on third down in opposition to the Aggies this season is 9.3 yards. That’s the longest within the FBS, making it simpler on A&M to get these third-down stops.

Elko credit his run protection, which permits simply 3.3 yards per rush (twenty second nationally in opposition to FBS groups).

“For those who take a look at the third-and-off yardage conditions that we’ve been capable of put individuals in, quite a lot of that could be a testomony to the run protection and the flexibility to simply maintain individuals off schedule,” Elko stated Monday. “If individuals can run the ball for five, 6 yards and keep in that third-and-3, third-and-4 world, I’m certain we’re not speaking in regards to the success that we’re having on third-down protection. A big a part of the success is the gap — the gap performs an enormous function and I feel a big a part of that’s tied into your run protection.”

However who has been the perfect on third-and-short? Third-and-3 or much less is the toughest to cease, which FBS offenses are changing at a 62.6 % fee on common. Three defenses have been exceptionally robust to transform in opposition to on this space, permitting fewer than 40 % conversions on third-and-short: UNLV, UTEP and Nebraska. And two of the highest three groups within the AP ballot (Ohio State and Indiana) are within the high 10 on this metric.

Coaches usually preach the significance of getting off the sphere on third down and the best-case state of affairs for that’s doing it on the primary sequence of downs a protection faces. Three-and-outs are a defensive coordinator’s greatest buddy.

Regardless of their elite third-down success, the Aggies don’t rank within the high 10 nationally in three-and-out share (the proportion of opponents’ offensive drives that fail to yield a primary down or a rating). The Aggies are good in that space, getting three-and-outs on 40.3 % of drives in opposition to FBS opponents, the Sixteenth-best fee nationally. Oregon (54.2 %) has been the perfect at getting three-and-outs in opposition to FBS opponents. Oklahoma (53.3 %) is the one different crew above 50 %.

For offenses, the perfect likelihood at third-down success is to maintain the distances brief or keep away from third down altogether by transferring the chains on first and second. The three groups which have the shortest common distance to go on third downs offensively — Utah, Indiana and Missouri — are a mixed 16-2.

The offenses which might be greatest at avoiding third-down conditions aren’t shocking. Seven of the highest 10 groups in yards per play in opposition to FBS opponents are additionally within the high 10 in avoiding third downs, operating a low share of performs on third.

So who has the perfect of each worlds? Unsurprisingly, a number of top-10 groups are among the many greatest in each third-down offense and third-down protection. Ohio State, Indiana, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Alabama and Miami are all among the many above-average groups in each classes. However so is Utah, USC, UNLV, Nebraska, Virginia, James Madison, Memphis, Oklahoma and Western Kentucky, amongst others.