The lights had barely dimmed over Kyle Field before Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko found himself at a loss for words. His team had just pulled off the largest comeback in school history, erasing a 27-point halftime deficit to stun South Carolina 31-30.
The centerpiece of the rally was quarterback Marcel Reed, who delivered a performance that reshaped his season and, according to college football analyst Robert Griffin III, solidified his place in the Heisman Trophy race.
“Marcel Reed just had his Heisman moment,” Griffin, winner of the Heisman in 2011 with the Baylor Bears, said in a social media post. “Texas A&M was down 27 points at halftime, 30-3, to the South Carolina Gamecocks. And Marcel Reed came back out in the second half, threw for 439 yards total, three touchdowns, and had them make the largest comeback in Texas A&M history to come back and win the game.”
Marcel Reed just had his Heisman Moment.
Coming back from down 27 points at Halftime to BEAT THE GAMECOCKS!!! pic.twitter.com/fRcWzucyXB
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 15, 2025
For Reed, the night began in disaster. Two first-half interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown buried the Aggies early. At halftime, Texas A&M trailed 30-3 and had little momentum, with an undefeated season and College Football Playoff hopes slipping away.
Yet Reed responded by orchestrating one of the most complete halves of football of the 2025 season, finishing with 439 passing yards, three touchdowns, and a second-half shutout from his defense that allowed the Aggies to stay unbeaten.
Griffin’s excitement reflected what the Aggies’ faithful witnessed firsthand: a quarterback maturing in real time. The redshirt sophomore sparked the rally with a fourth-and-12 scramble that led to a 27-yard touchdown to wide receiver Izaiah Williams. He followed with strikes to Ashton Bethel-Roman and tight end Nate Boerkircher, threading passes into tight windows while refusing to let the moment consume him.
“I don’t even remember what all was said,” Reed said afterward. “The message got across. We knew we were still in the game.”
Reed’s calm presence carried through a chaotic final sequence. Running back EJ Smith’s go-ahead touchdown gave the Aggies their first lead, but a late fumble near the goal line nearly undid the effort. The defense held firm, with Dalton Brooks and Cashius Howell sacking South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers to preserve the win.
Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) delivered one of the biggest comebacks in SEC history on Saturday. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Elko, typically measured after games, called the result one of the most gratifying of his career. “A lot of that emotion was just pride in who they were, how they conducted themselves,” he said. “There’s not a lot of teams that have a culture and a core that will just keep going.”
The win pushed Texas A&M to 10-0 for the first time since 1992, keeping its SEC title and playoff hopes alive. For Reed, it was more than redemption from last year’s loss to the Gamecocks — it was a signature statement in front of the 12th Man.
“I don’t even know. Could have went up. Could have went down,” Reed said when asked about his Heisman odds. “It doesn’t matter to me. We are focused on winning games right now.”
Texas A&M will host Samford on Saturday at noon ET on the SEC Network+.
