The No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies fell short Saturday night at Kyle Field, losing 17-7 to the No. 3 Texas Longhorns. The offense never got going and Texas earned a spot in the SEC Championship in the conference’s first year.

Coach Mike Elko had a rollercoaster first season. After starting 5-0 in the SEC, they embarrassingly lost their final three conference games. Another 8-4 season and the bowl game in December seems like a failure, especially given A&M’s draw this year. There are no excuses and there is plenty of blame to pass from the players to the staff. Before the offseason there is a lot of blame to be assigned, be it mental mistakes, bad decisions or simply physical defeats.

Despite the disappointing end to the season, there is a mix of cautious excitement and a feeling that 8-4 is a continuation of previous trends. It’s a nuanced situation, and in this first year under Elko, it makes sense to look at both perspectives. The team’s reflections after the game revealed a glimmer of hope in the words of linebacker Taurean York that suggested a bright future for the program.

Check out the best social media reactions to X from Aggies fans and media members after Saturday’s game.

Sour taste at the end of what seems to be such a promising season

Heartbreaking loss at Kyle Field

The Aggies have had slow starts in their last few SEC games

Many fans shared this opinion after the game

The timing is important because Texas entered the SEC with one of its best teams in years

It really was that simple

See you in December

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Aggie fans react to Texas A&M closing the regular season with a 17-7 loss to Texas