COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Noah Mikhail led Texas A&M with a career-high 7 tackles in Saturday’s 50-0 win over Missouri State, starting at linebacker with Daymion Sanford still working back from spring surgery.
Mikhail had 16 tackles in 13 games as a freshman last season, with a previous best of 6 against Samford.
Playing at Kyle Field brings the level of everybody’s play up for Mikhail, and Texas A&M had 11 new starters on the field Saturday.
“The biggest thing I learned is leadership,” Mikhail said. “Some of those older guys, they really show leadership. The defense isn’t run by the coaches. It’s run by the leaders on our team and the captains. I think between Dalton Brooks, Marcus Ratcliffe, Daymion, those are big-time leaders on the defense and captains on the team, and they really showed up.”
Brooks was one of three Texas A&M game captains Saturday, along with Micah Riley and Marcel Reed.
Noah Mikhail On Texas A&M’s Linebacker Rotation
Mikhail said Texas A&M prepared for the Sanford situation in practice through fall camp.
“It’s, like you said, next man up mentality,” Mikhail explained. “You’ve got to always be ready, and when your number’s called, you’ve got to make the most of it.”
Tulsa transfer Ray Coney finished with 6 tackles, half a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hurry. Jordan Lockhart added 2 tackles, and Tamarion Watkins had 2 tackles and a tackle for loss.
Mikhail said the group’s practice work through the offseason is what produced Saturday’s result.
“I think we felt comfortable out there,” Mikhail said. “There’s always going to be things to fix first game of the season. But overall, I think Ray played really well. J-Lock played really well. And then T-Walk got in there at the end and made some really big plays.”
Texas A&M held Missouri State to 67 yards of total offense and 4 first downs. The Bears converted 1-of-10 on third down and ran 40 plays.
Daymion Sanford’s Road Back For Texas A&M
Sanford was carted off with an air cast on his lower leg in the second quarter of the April 18 Maroon & White Game and later had surgery. He had been named a team captain days earlier.
Last season, Sanford started 10 games after Scooby Williams was injured at Notre Dame and finished fourth on the team with 57 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss.
Elko said Texas A&M could wait on Sanford because of how Coney, Mikhail, Lockhart, and Watkins had played through camp, and that Sanford was about a week away.
Texas A&M hosts Arizona State on Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
