COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee entered the post-game press conference at the same time his coach, Dennis Franchione, was exiting the auditorium. McGee patted Franchione on the back and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

But Franchione’s comments made it clear that he thought McGee had no reason to apologize for the Aggies’ 19-11 loss to the Jayhawks. Franchione said Kansas simply played better defense against his team than any other team has in a long time.

“Everything was difficult and hard,” Franchione said. “They defended us very, very well. They did a great job. They got off blocks, made plays and had things called at the right time.”

Coming into Saturday’s game, Texas A&M ranked fifth in the nation with an average of 260 rushing yards per game. But the Jayhawks held the Aggies to a season-low 74 rushing yards.

The Jayhawks’ domination started with shutting down McGee, who ran for a career-high 167 yards last week. McGee’s final stat line read 10 carries for 11 yards.

“They probably aren’t the most athletic defense, but they are by far probably the best defense we’ve faced,” McGee said. “Just because they play hard, and they do what their coaches say.”

The run-first Aggie offense found no room to operate when it mattered most. With the game scoreless at halftime, the third quarter emerged as an opportunity for the Aggies to make the most of their halftime adjustments.

But Texas A&M stalled in each of its three possessions in the quarter. The Aggies ran only nine offensive plays that accounted for negative-nine yards and just more than four minutes of offense.

“Three straight three-and-outs in the third quarter, we didn’t get anything done,” Franchione said. “That’s not like us; usually we come out and play good in the third quarter, but not against this team.”

And specifically not against Kansas defensive tackle James McClinton. The senior constantly penetrated into the Aggie backfield.

The matchup between Texas A&M guard Kirk Elder, an All-Big 12 Conference performer, and McClinton looked like it would be a battle on paper. But McClinton turned it into a disparity.

“He’s the quickest defensive lineman I’ve ever played in my four years here,” Elder said.

McClinton made the game’s biggest play in the second quarter when he met 268-pound Jorvorskie Lane in the Aggie backfield and planted him on fourth-and-one from the nine-yard line.

Texas A&M defensive coordinator Gary Darnell said that he knew the Kansas defense was good from watching film but that he had no idea it was this good.

“I just want to make it a point to say what a great job they did and how well their team played,” Darnell said. “They played better than I thought they could play, and that’s Coach Mangino and certainly Bill Young, their defensive coordinator.”

But not all the Aggies used their words to compliment the Jayhawks. Defensive lineman Michael Bennett was asked whether he was impressed by Kansas, specifically running back Brandon McAnderson, and offered a surprising response.

“No,” Bennett said. “I promise you when we meet them in the Big 12 Championship, we’re going to win the game.”

—Edited by Chris Beattie