Click HERE to view Texas A&M’s postgame press conference.
Game #10: No. 3 Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 30
Records: Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0), South Carolina (3-7, 1-7)
Box Score
At some point in the future, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, linebacker Taurean York and other Aggies football players may be successful motivational speakers.
They certainly were on Saturday.
Facing a 27-point halftime deficit to South Carolina (3-7, 1-7), Reed began talking. So did York. So did several others.
The conversation eased A&M’s consternation and launched the No. 3 Aggies (10-0, 7-0) to a historical 31-30 Southeastern Conference football victory, which will be talked about for years to come.
In a historic second-half rally, Reed passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns, scrambled to convert a critical fourth down and led a 99-yard drive for EJ Smith’s eventual game-winning touchdown run.
It was the greatest comeback in A&M history. It was also the first time an SEC team overcame a 27-point deficit since at least 2004. The previous 286 teams in that situation lost.
It all started with the halftime discussions.
“We made sure we set the energy the right way. I think that was important just to make sure everybody knew where we needed to be and what space we needed to be in.
- Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko
“You heard Taurean York,” A&M coach Mike Elko said. “You heard (guard) Ar’maj Reed-Adams. You heard Marcel Reed. You heard (receiver, KC) Concepcion.
“You heard our leaders talking as we were going up the tunnel, as we were going into the locker room.
“We made sure we set the energy the right way. I think that was important just to make sure everybody knew where we needed to be and what space we needed to be in.”
Throughout this incredible season, the Aggies have routinely dominated second halves. They did it vs. Mississippi State, Florida, LSU and Missouri.
They’d done so with strategic halftime adjustments. Sometimes they were offensive adjustments. Sometimes they were defensive adjustments.
This time, it was an attitude adjustment.
“We didn’t draw up anything on the whiteboard,” York said. “Other positions probably did, but for us as linebackers, we were like … ‘These guys are playing harder than us. They’re executing far better than we are.’”
Will Huffman, TexAgs
Taurean York finished with a team-high eight tackles, including 1.5 TFLs.
He was right.
Reed threw two interceptions in the first half. He also lost a fumble, which was returned for a touchdown. Two field goals were missed. Long touchdown passes of 50 and 80 yards were surrendered. Five passes were dropped, including one that would’ve been a touchdown.
That all added up to a 30-3 South Carolina lead at the break.
For whatever reason, the Aggies just weren’t ready for the 11 a.m. kickoff.
“Clearly, we weren’t in the mental space we needed to be in to start that game,” Elko said. “That’s on me. I’m the head football coach. We weren’t doing the things on either side of the ball that we need to do to be successful. That’s on me. I’m the head coach.
“This game always finds a way to humble you if you don’t do it the way it’s supposed to be done. Clearly, we didn’t do it the way it was supposed to be done to start that game.”
Reed’s Heisman Trophy campaign appeared to have crashed and burned in the first half. In the second half, he saved it from the fire.
The rescue started in a most improbable way.
Will Huffman, TexAgs
Marcel Reed completed 16 of his 20 second-half passing attempts for 298 yards and three touchdowns.
A holding penalty and two incompletions on the first series of the second half left A&M facing fourth-and-12 at the South Carolina 48-yard line.
Elko had no thoughts of punting.
“We’re playing to win,” he said. “We’re not playing for any other reason. At that point, there was still a chance for us to win, so we were going to play to win.
“Punting is not helping us at that point.”
Reed dropped back to pass, felt pressure and then weaved through the South Carolina defense on a 16-yard scramble for the first down.
“I didn’t know where I was on the field,” Reed said. “I just knew I had to get somewhere. I was honestly surprised we went for it on fourth-and-12.”
Many more surprises followed.
Two plays after his scramble, Reed connected with freshman Izaiah Williams for a 27-yard touchdown.
A&M’s next series resulted in a 39-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Bethel-Roman.
The next series consisted of two plays. A 76-yard catch-and-run by Bethel-Roman and a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Nate Boerkircher. That pulled A&M within 30-24 with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
“For them to go out in the second half and do what they did … That’s championship-level football. Obviously, the first half we didn’t do anything right, but at the end of the day, we came out and we did what we had to do to win a football game.”
- Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko
A&M’s defense was also surging. The Aggies allowed South Carolina 312 yards in the first half. The Gamecocks were limited to 76 in the second half.
South Carolina was forced to punt on the final play of the third quarter, but the kick rolled dead at the A&M 1-yard line.
Ninety-nine yards stood between the Aggies and the lead.
No worries. Reed, who finished with a career-high 439 passing yards, completed four throws for 71 yards on a 10-play, 99-yard drive.
He almost closed with the march with a Heisman-moment, 25-yard touchdown run. The score was nullified by a bogus holding call on Chase Bisontis.
Undaunted, on the next play, Reed hit Concepcion for 31 yards to the South Carolina 4-yard line. Smith took it in from there for the eventual game-winning points.
Yet, some tense moments remained.
South Carolina had two chances with the football. Both drives were squashed by a pair of sacks of South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
Sellers escaped the rush on the Gamecock’s final play but was dragged down by Cashius Howell to complete A&M’s historic comeback victory.
“For them to go out in the second half and do what they did … That’s championship-level football,” Elko said. “Obviously, the first half we didn’t do anything right, but at the end of the day, we came out and we did what we had to do to win a football game.”
Elko said what they really did was just be themselves.
“We’re a blue-collar team,” Elko said. “We’re a physical team. We’re a team that has to control the line of scrimmage. We’re a team that has to play with a lot of energy. We just weren’t doing any of those things in the first half.
“All things considered, the vibes were good. The kids believed we were going to come out and win the game in the second half.”
Aggies everywhere forever will be talking about how they did.
