Mike Elko’s Texas A&M Aggies nearly avoided an upset with a 31-30 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday. After falling behind 30-3 at the break, the Aggies stormed back to pull off the biggest comeback in program history and stay perfect at 10-0.
With quarterback Marcel Reed’s phenomenal performance, Texas A&M now leads the all-time series against South Carolina 10-2 since 2014. The Aggies are also just three victories away from securing their first unbeaten regular season in more than three decades.
Marcel Reed Shares Heartfelt Take on Mike Elko After Stunning Win
Texas A&M looked completely out of sync from the opening kickoff on Saturday and went into the break down by 27 points against South Carolina. But the Aggies responded with 28 straight points in the second half to pull off a one-point win.
Reed delivered a career-best performance with 439 passing yards and three touchdowns. After the game, he reflected on the emotional moment involving Elko.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of something like this, but it’s just amazing that we’re playing for each other, but we’re also playing for [Elko] and trying to get this win,” Reed said.
“He always makes jokes about his life being in the hands of 18 to 22 year olds. We understand he has a family and this is his job, and we’re kind of doing this all for him, but we’re doing it for ourselves [as well].”
With the win, Elko has improved to 18-5 across two seasons at Texas A&M, including a perfect 10-0 start this season. Saturday was also significant for Elko off the field, as he signed a contract extension with the school. The six-year deal is reportedly worth $11 million annually, with additional bonuses tied to future playoff appearances.
During his postgame press conference, Elko was asked what he told his squad at halftime to spark the turnaround.
“Honestly, not much,” Elko said. “All we talked about was…we have an identity of who we are. If we play to our identity, we’re a good football team. If we start thinking that’s not who we are, if we start thinking we’re something else, if we start trying to play a different way, that’s not us. That’s not who we are. We just weren’t doing any of those things in the first half.”
“I think the vibes were good…The kids believed we were going to come out and win that game in the second half. Whether they really did or not, that was the energy in the locker room.”
Elko’s message clearly landed, as Texas A&M mounted a remarkable comeback. Under his leadership, the Aggies have appeared in the AP Top 25 for 20 of his first 23 games and currently sit at No. 3 in PFSN’s College Football Offensive Rankings.
