Texas A&M’s Saturday began with massive expectations—Mike Elko was set to finalize a contract placing him among the five highest-paid coaches in college football. But for much of the first half, the Aggies looked nothing like a team celebrating a milestone moment.
After opening the game with a field goal, nearly everything unraveled for Texas A&M. The Aggies punted three times, missed two field goals, threw a pair of interceptions, and lost a fumble that South Carolina returned for a touchdown. All of it contributed to a stunning 30–3 halftime deficit that left Kyle Field stunned.
From there, though, Elko’s squad flipped the switch.
Texas A&M erupted in the second half, scoring touchdowns on all four of its opening drives after the break. The Aggies methodically erased South Carolina’s 28-point lead, eventually pulling ahead 31–30 thanks to a rushing score by EJ Smith. Despite an awful first half, quarterback Marcel Reed rallied to finish with 439 passing yards and three touchdowns, overcoming the two early picks that buried A&M early.
The collapse marked a historic low point for South Carolina. The Gamecocks became the first SEC team since 2004 to lose after leading by 27 or more points—a streak of 286 straight wins that finally ended, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
The comeback also goes down as the largest in Texas A&M history, surpassing Johnny Manziel’s famous 21-point rally against Duke in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl.
“Texas A&M takes the lead,” the program posted as the Aggies surged ahead.
With the win, Texas A&M remains the final undefeated team in the SEC, improving to 10–0 for the first time since the 1992 season. That team went 12–0 and won the Southwest Conference before losing to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
This Aggies squad now aims higher—toward a potential College Football Playoff berth. Entering the weekend ranked No. 3, A&M is now firmly in control of its path to the SEC Championship Game, which would mark the program’s first appearance since joining the conference in 2012.
According to SEC communications director Chuck Dunlap, the victory ensures that no team can clinch an SEC Championship berth until Thanksgiving weekend, keeping the race wide open as the regular season approaches its finish.
