OFFENSE: B
What went right: A&M dominated the line of scrimmage, which allowed Christine Michael, Cyrus Gray and Jerrod Johnson to average 7.5 yards per carry.
What went wrong: A&M came up empty on two red-zone trips with Michael fumbling and Randy Bullock missing a field goal.
Bottom line: A&M set the tone by scoring on three of its first four possessions for a 21-3 lead en route to a season-high 375 yards on the ground.
DEFENSE: B
What went right: A&M allowed only 2 of 13 third-down conversions and 1 of 3 on fourth down as the Aggies put the clamps on the Bears' playmakers, especially elusive receiver Kendall Wright. A&M kept Baylor in unmanageable down-and-distances, which led to a season-high three interceptions.
What went wrong: The unit was hit with six major penalties.
Bottom line: Baylor was only 1-of-5 scoring in the red zone as A&M had a season-high Wrecking Crew moments.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C-
What went right: A&M covered kickoffs as if someone's job was on the line. Jordan Pugh had a 4-yard punt return and made a fair catch in traffic; both were a welcome relief considering recent woes.
What went wrong: A partially blocked punt led to Baylor's field goal, and Bullock's got to make that 37-yarder.
Bottom line: The partially blocked punt and missed field goal didn't matter in this one, but A&M can't make those kinds of mistakes against Texas and stay close, let alone pull off the upset.
COACHING: B
What went right: A&M had to win this one, and it was never in doubt. A&M's offensive play-calling kept Baylor on its heels. A&M's defense was well prepared for BU's gadget plays. A&M forced quarterback Nick Florence into true freshman mistakes as the Bears could muster only 297 yards.
What went wrong: The crowd loved A&M's aggressiveness, but nine major penalties are unacceptable, even in a 35-point blowout.
Bottom line: This season's low points have been lower than expected, but A&M achieved it's season-long goal of playing in a bowl game, a sign the program is moving forward.
OVERALL: A-
What went right: A season-high crowd of 82,106 showed up on what started out as a wet, overcast day for a team coming off a 65-10 loss. As the Aggies dominated, the sun came out in the first half with a rainbow appearing over Kyle Field.
What went wrong: No Gatorade bath for head coach Mike Sherman?
Bottom line: That great fan support was part of what many are hopeful will be a step toward greatness. The effort earns a trip to Houston for the Texas Bowl or Shreveport, La., for the Independence Bowl, which will be a whole lot more enjoyable than last year's 90-mile trip back from Waco.