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Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10)\u00a0dives to score a touchdown during the first half Oct. 25, 2025\u00a0against the\u00a0LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tyler Kaufman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
BATON ROUGE, La. \u2014 Texas A&M football<\/a> head coach Mike Elko<\/a> used a unique way to tell his team how long it has been since A&M achieved its notable victory on Saturday night,\u00a0when it defeated LSU\u00a049-25<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I told the kids this the other day, I was the starting point guard on my high school basketball team the last time we won here,” Elko said. “So if that’s any indication of how challenging it is to win here, you could put that image in your mind.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n TAKEAWAYS: What we learned about the Aggies’ offense, CFP hopes<\/a><\/p>\n LSU was 20-1 in night games under head coach Brian Kelly, but A&M wasn’t fazed. The Aggies earned their first win in Death Valley since 1994.<\/p>\n The Aggies entered halftime trailing the Tigers 18-14. From there, A&M scored 28 unanswered points, aided by a 21-point third quarter, to capture its first 8-0 start of a season since 1992.<\/p>\n It’s also the second straight season Elko’s team dominated Kelly in the final two quarters. During the 38-23 win at Kyle Field last season, Texas A&M won the second half 31-6.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Texas A&M running back Jamarion Morrow (right) carries the ball for a touchdown against\u00a0LSU defensive end Jimari Butler in the second half Oct. 25, 2025 in Baton Rouge, La.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gerald Herbert\/Associated Press<\/p>\n MORE A&M:\u00a0Aggies bounce Tigers in Baton Rouge for first time since 1994<\/a><\/p>\n A tale of two halves for Aggies<\/p>\n After scoring touchdowns on its first two drives of the game and jumping out to a 14-7 lead, A&M began to unravel in the second quarter.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A near-interception on first down was followed by a bad snap to quarterback Marcel Reed<\/a>.\u00a0On third down, Reed had to scramble out of the pocket and throw the ball in the dirt to avoid a sack. Facing fourth down inside its own 20-yard line, A&M’s punt was blocked, resulting in a safety.<\/p>\n On the next possession, Reed threw an interception in the red zone, missing out on what could have been at least three points.<\/p>\n Defensively, A&M believed they had stopped the drive on a crucial third down in the second quarter, but cornerback Dezz Ricks<\/a> was flagged for a personal foul. As a result, LSU scored its first touchdown of the game.<\/p>\n Reed followed up the defense’s poor drive with his second interception of the first half. Following the turnover, the Tigers kicked a field goal.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Despite the Aggies outgaining the Tigers 258 to 189 in the first two quarters, their own mistakes put the\u00a0behind on the road.<\/p>\n “I said you’re the better team, but you have to play better football,” Elko said. “If you don’t play better football, you’re going to let one slip away tonight. That’s honestly what I told them at halftime.”<\/p>\n LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (18) is helped up by running back Harlem Berry (22) in the second half Oct. 25, 2025\u00a0near Texas A&M lineman Tyler Onyedim in Baton Rouge, La.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gerald Herbert\/Associated Press<\/p>\n MORE: Why Texas A&M’s 2025 football season feels different for Aggies fans<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n ‘Aggressive’ halftime talk\u00a0sparks A&M’s\u00a02nd half flurry<\/p>\n Through the first half, A&M led in yards per rush (6.1 to 4.9), third-down percentage (60% to 0%), yards per play (8.1 to 5.6), and sacks (two to zero).<\/p>\n Still, the Aggies were trailing at halftime in a hostile environment; a place where they have gone 0-6 in the last six games.<\/p>\n While Elko said his message was simple, Reed suggested his coach’s words might’ve been a little more pointed than the head coach led on.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “Can’t really remember every detail,” Reed said with a smirk. “It was aggressive, though, for sure.”<\/p>\n Whatever the message was, it worked.<\/p>\n A&M started the second half with a nine-play offensive drive that resulted in a touchdown. Then, they followed that with a three-and-out on defense. The game was virtually iced when punt returner KC Concepcion<\/a> returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown. The\u00a0Aggies turned a\u00a0four-point deficit into a 10-point lead in 6 minutes and 13 seconds.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “We were really just kicking ourselves in the butt in the first half,” Reed said. “We were kind of giving it up to them. Then we knew in the second half, we were the better team… We came out in the second half and played our game and got the job done.<\/p>\n Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) carries the ball for a touchdown against\u00a0LSU in the second half Oct. 25, 2025 in Baton Rouge, La.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gerald Herbert\/Associated Press<\/p>\n Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com. Follow the American-Statesman on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0X<\/a> for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. 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