Marcel Reed threw three touchdown passes in the third quarter as No. 3 Texas A&M overcame a 27-point halftime deficit to beat South Carolina 31-30 on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference game in College Station, Texas.
Reed completed 22 of 39 passes for 439 yards and the three TDs the Aggies (10-0, 7-0) completed the improbable comeback over the stunned Gamecocks (3-7, 1-7).
Since 2004, Southeastern Conference schools were 0-286 when trailing by 27 or more points. The comeback is the largest in Texas A&M history.
After the disaster of a first half, in which Reed had three costly turnovers, Reed threw scoring passes to Izaiah Williams (27 yards), Ashton Bethel-Roman (39 yards) and Nate Boerkircher (14 yards).
In the fourth quarter, Reed drove the Aggies 99 yards in 10 plays, with EJ Smith rushing 4 yards for a score to give the Aggies their first lead at 31-30 and what proved to be the game-winner.
Everything that could go wrong did for the Aggies in the first half. The Gamecocks outgained them 312-132, including 108 to minus-9 on the ground. South Carolina also won the turnover battle 3-1, with all of the Texas A&M turnovers being crucial.
The teams traded field goals early before the Gamecocks took control.
Jayden Sellers, who threw for 246 yards, drove the Gamecocks 75 yards in six plays for the first touchdown. On third-and-7 from the 50, Sellers found Vandrevius Jacobs along the left sideline for a touchdown and a 10-3 South Carolina lead.
After a missed Texas A&M field goal, South Carolina punted after a three-and-out.
Reed dropped back on second down from his own 27 and had Dylan Stewart in his face. He fumbled as he tried to dump the ball off, and Nick Barrett scooped it and rumbled 17 yards for a touchdown and a 17-3 lead at the end of one quarter.
A William Joyce 41-yard field goal made it 20-3 South Carolina when the Texas A&M offense started clicking.
Reed completed a 24-yard pass to Rueben Owens to the South Carolina 14. On the next play, however, Reed underthrew a pass in the end zone, and Vicari Swain made his first interception to squash the threat.
Sellers made the Aggies pay in just one play. He found Nyck Harbor open in the right flat. Harbor shook two defenders and outsprinted everyone to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown and a 27-3 South Carolina lead.
Two plays later, Swain intercepted Reed again on an overthrown ball and returned it to the Texas A&M 23.
The turnover led to a 35-yard Joyce field goal and a 30-3 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
