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What does 3-0 start mean to these Texas A&M Aggies after win at Auburn?

AUBURN, Ala. -- Texas A&M completed the necessary tasks in the first two weeks to quell the pressure around the program.

The No. 17 Aggies knocked off a ranked UCLA team in the opener and followed with a shutout of an outmatched Prairie View A&M.

But then came the real test -- the start of Southeastern Conference play and Saturday's matchup against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, like A&M's Kevin Sumlin, entered the year with relative uncertainty about the future.

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But after A&M's 29-16 road win, the Aggies are the ones who saw some of that pressure subside.

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After the win, Sumlin said he's oblivious to that kind of chatter outside his locker room.

"I don't think anybody here is thinking about what people are talking about outside this program or talking about in the summer," Sumlin said. "We came over here to win a game and get started in the SEC."

The Aggies did just that in front of 87,175 fans. After trailing early, A&M's offense did just enough and the defense kept the SEC West rival Tigers quiet for most of the second half.

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Since A&M entered the SEC in 2012, the road team has won whenever A&M (3-0) and Auburn (1-2) have met. Despite that, A&M entered Saturday's game as a slight underdog against a Tiger squad coming off a strong win against Arkansas State.

And even though A&M led 16-10 at halftime and made progress moving down the field on a humid evening, tension persisted as the fourth quarter started.

A&M, led by Trevor Knight's 247 passing yards and 42 yards on the ground, found its way inside Auburn's 20-yard line on four occasions and settled for field goals on each trip. Sophomore Daniel LaCamera converted five field goal attempts but waited a long time following a second-quarter touchdown to kick a point-after attempt.

Finally, with 6:52 left in the fourth quarter, LaCamera trotted out for an almost guaranteed point. And A&M didn't need a long drive to give him that chance.

Freshman running back Trayveon Williams weaved his way down the field for an 89-yard touchdown run.

A&M's chance to breathe -- on Saturday, at least -- had finally arrived.

"We need more of those. That's the play that kind of sealed the game for us and put it out of reach," Knight said.

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This part of the season is familiar to A&M and has been well-documented by everyone who referenced the pressure the Aggies faced prior to the start of the season. A&M won its first five games last season before faltering down the stretch.

"Fortunately, we won on the road in the SEC," Sumlin said. "But we recognize there's a whole lot of football to be played."

Junior defensive end Myles Garrett, who recorded two sacks, said this year feels different from previous seasons. Still, some things are familiar for the Aggies.

"It feels pretty good to be 3-0 again," Garrett said.

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Texas A&M running back Keith Ford, left, running back Trayveon Williams, center, and...
Texas A&M running back Keith Ford, left, running back Trayveon Williams, center, and quarterback Trevor Knight, right, celebrate after Williams scored in the second half during an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)(AP)

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