Texas A&M football continues to show the 2025 team is different, avoiding the cliched Aggies’ collapse with a 31-30 comeback win over South Carolina.
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On Saturday, Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0) became the first team since at least 2004 to win an SEC game when trailing by 27. The last 286 SEC teams that trailed by that many ended up losing.
But Mike Elko’s Aggies are clearly different.
MORE: Score-by-score recap of Aggies’ historic comeback
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed warms up with teammates before playing South Carolina at Kyle Field on Nov. 15, 2025 in College Station.
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After turning the ball over three times in the first half, quarterback Marcel Reed threw three touchdown passes in the second half as A&M scored the game’s final 28 points. Now A&M head into a nonconference game against Samford with a chance to be undefeated heading into the season finale against Texas.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Seller looks to pass against Texas A&M during the first quarter Nov. 15, 2025 at Kyle Field in College Station.
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Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) catches a pass as South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse (15) and Peyton Williams (31) defend during the first half Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
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The National Championship trophy is seen on the field before the Texas A&M Aggies take on the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first quarter at Kyle Field on Nov. 15, 2025 in College Station.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) is tackled by South Carolina defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. (46) during the first half Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
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South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor (8) catches a pass for a touchdown as Texas A&M defensive tackle Albert Regis (17) and Dalton Brooks (25) defend during the first half Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
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South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Seller makes a 6-yard gain against Texas A&M during the first quarter Nov. 15, 2025 at Kyle Field in College Station.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed at the line of scrimmage while playing the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first quarter Nov. 15, 2025 at Kyle Field in College Station.
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South Carolina quarterback Lanorris Sellers (16) throws a pass against Texas A&M during the first half Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
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South Carolina’s Vicari Swain (4) celebrates after intercepting a pass in the end zone against Texas A&M during the first half Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) throws an incomplete pass as he is hit by South Carolina defensive end Dylan Stewart, left, during the first half Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) throws a pass against South Carolina during the first half Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
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South Carolina defensive back Jalon Kilgore (24) celebrates after a missed field goal attempt by Texas A&M during the first half Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station.
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Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s game:
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Injury bug bites Texas A&M
The Aggies were already down Le’Veon Moss as well as defensive starters Scooby Williams and Bryce Anderson coming into the Week 12 matchup against South Carolina. They may be without another key player or two moving forward.
Sophomore running back Ruben Owens stayed down after being tackle early in the fourth quarter and looked to be in great pain. Reserve running back EJ Smith saw the bulk of the snaps in the final 12-plus minutes of game time. Owens had eight carries for 28 yards to that point in the game and leads the team lead in carries (91) and yardage (542) on the season. The former five-star recruit has scored five touchdowns as well.
Mario Craver, one of the conference’s leading wideouts, also missed much of the game after being listed as a questionable most of the week.
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Texas A&M defense awakens
After being drubbed for 30 points by old nemesis LaNorris Sellers, the home defense bowed up in the second half. Nearly a year after shredding the Aggies for more than 300 all-purpose yards and three touchdown, the sophomore quarterback led the Gamecocks to 312 yards and 30 points in the first half.
Texas A&M defensive lineman Cashius Howell celebrates his deflected pass with linebacker Daymion Sanford against South Carolina during the first quarter at Kyle Field on Nov. 15, 2025 in College Station.
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South Carolina mustered 76 yards the rest of the way and was held out of the end zone. Sellers finished 15 of 30 for 246 yards. He ran for just 28 yards, about quarter of his rushing total last seaosn, and was sacked four times.
A&M defensive lineman Dayon Hayes collected a big sack in fourth quarter with the Aggies ahead by one. That was followed up with a successful cornerback blitz from Will Lee III. After allowing A&M to go 3-for-8 in first half on third down, South Carolina missed on four of its first five third-down chances in the second half.
Marcel Reed douses any Heisman hype, then reignites it
The first half could not have done much worse for Reed.
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Sure, the redshirt sophomore still connected on some explosive plays with 141 passing yards but he completed just 6 of 19 pass attempts. He was picked off twice — and threw a couple more turnover-worthy passes. One interception came in his own territory and the other in the end zone with A&M trailing.
But he was money in the second half, going 16-for-20 for 298 yards and three scores. He also ripped off a 16-yard rush.
After being erractic and somewhat panicked in the first two quarters, Reed connected on several deep passes — a 27-yarder up the sideline to Izaiah Williams and another across the middle, over the top of the South Carolina defense, 39 yards to Ashton Bethel-Roman.
Oh, and he converted the the team’s first third down of the day, in the fourth quarter, to continue a game-winning 99-yard scoring drive. Texas A&M will go as far as Reed takes them.
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Where’s the run game?
After holding the Aggies to just 3.4 yards per rush in last year’s upset, South Carolina was stout again on the ground. The Aggies averaged a paltry 2.2 yards per rush, gaining a season-low 64 yards on 29 attempts.
Last year, A&M’s struggles sort of made sense; South Carolina sported a solid rush defense (fourth in the SEC, 112.2 yards allowed per game). This year, the Gamecocks own one of the SEC’s worst run defense, ranking 13th (153.7 yards allowed).
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Shane Beamer’s staff knows something about the Aggies’ run game. Owens and Amari Daniels led A&M in performance that yieled just 2.6 yards per rush in 2023. Like Saturday, though, the Aggies won that game.