Texas A&M achieves largest comeback ever to stay unbeaten

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A Thrilling Comeback for Texas A&M

In an electrifying game, Marcel Reed achieved a career-best 439 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns as No. 3 Texas A&M overcame a staggering 27-point deficit to clinch a 31-30 victory against South Carolina on Saturday. This remarkable comeback marks the largest upset in the school’s history, breaking the previous record established in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl where Johnny Manziel’s team faced a 21-point deficit against Duke. To put this in perspective, teams trailing by 27 points or more had a disheartening 0-286 record in Southeastern Conference play since 2004.

Reed had a rough start with two interceptions in the first half and only managed to score by returning a fumble, leaving the Aggies in a daunting 30-3 situation. Nonetheless, he turned the game around in the second half, playing a key role in Texas A&M’s (10-0, 7-0, ranked No. 3 in the CFP) pursuit of their first College Football Playoff appearance.

The Aggies flipped the script when they took the lead for the first time via a 4-yard run from EJ Smith with roughly 11 minutes left on the clock.

However, just as they were closing in on the win, Texas A&M found themselves in a tight spot. After reaching the 1-yard line, a trick play went awry when Jamarion Morrow fumbled the ball, allowing the Gamecocks to recover with about three minutes remaining.

Dalton Brooks and Cassius Howell then made impressive back-to-back sacks of Lanoris Sellers, pushing South Carolina to a 4th-and-16 situation with around 90 seconds left. Sellers attempted to scramble but fell short of the first down, which would have secured the victory.

Sellers passed for 246 yards, achieving two touchdowns but also faced one interception against South Carolina (3-7, 1-7), marking their fifth consecutive loss.

On Texas A&M’s initial drive of the second half, Isiah Williams caught a 27-yard TD pass from Reed, closing the gap to 30-10. Remarkably, Reed kept the momentum going with a 16-yard run on a crucial fourth-and-12 play.

Continuing his stellar performance, Reed scored again on a 39-yard pass from Ashton Bethel-Lohman, trimming the deficit to 30-17 with about four minutes left in the third quarter. Then, late in the quarter, a 14-yard completion from Reed to Nate Verkircher brought the Aggies even closer, reducing the gap to just a touchdown.

KC Concepcion shone for A&M, racking up seven receptions for 158 yards, while Bethel-Roman chipped in with 139 yards receiving.

South Carolina initially struck first with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Sellers to VanDrevious Jacobs, taking a 10-3 lead. A little later, in an unlikely twist, 322-pound defensive tackle Nick Barrett picked up a fumble from Reed and lumbered 17 yards for a score, extending the Gamecocks’ lead to 17-3.

As the second quarter drew to a close, Brooks made a pivotal interception of Sellers, returning it for 39 yards and giving the Aggies six points. However, a missed field goal left A&M empty-handed, and Reed’s misstep led to yet another scoring opportunity for South Carolina, who promptly capitalized and led 27-3 after Nick Harbaugh made an impressive 80-yard catch.

Reed was intercepted again shortly after, leading to another South Carolina field goal and a 30-3 halftime score for the Gamecocks.

Takeaways

South Carolina: While they had an impressive start, the Gamecocks need to avoid further disappointments if they wish to break their losing streak.

Texas A&M: The Aggies must continue to uphold their standing in the polls and CFP rankings, though they’ll need to elevate their performance if they aim for a national title this season.