Here is everything we learned after Texas A&M's 31-30 comeback win over South Carolina

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Wow. Just, wow. No. 3 Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0 SEC) pulled off the biggest comeback in program history, and the largest in the SEC since 2004, after defeating South Carolina 31-30 on Saturday afternoon, in which the Aggies trailed 30-3 at halftime, looking lifeless on both sides of the ball.

Just hours before kickoff, it was reported that head coach Mike Elko is in line to sign a six-year extension, keeping him in College Station for the long term, which, even after the first half debacle, looked like a no-brainer based on the reason head coach openings, combined with Elko’s historic success in just his second season at the helm.

Still, after trailing 27-3 before South Carolina tacked on what looked like the final field goal dagger before the half, it was fair to question if Mike Elko could lead his team out of the tunnel not just to compete, but come all the way back to keep their postseason hopes alive. Well, another box was checked.

After throwing for 141 yards and two interceptions in the first half, starting quarterback Marcel Reed had what many should consider his “Heisman moment” after leading the Aggies all the way back with his arm, completing 16-20 for 298 yards and three touchdowns after the half, paired with A&M’s defense shutting out the Gamecocks for the rest of the game.

It’s hard to quantify just how much this win means for the Aggies’ chance at earning a bye in the College Football Playoff, as a blowout loss to an SEC team with a losing record could have pushed Texas A&M out of the CFP conversation.

Focusing on the key moments from the epic comeback, here are five notable takeaways after Texas A&M’s 31-30 win over South Carolina.

Texas A&M WR Izaiah Williams should see the field moving forward

Texas A&M’s 2025 wide receiver room is littered with talent of star transfer wideouts KC Concepcion and Mario Craver. After Ashton Bethel-Roman finished with a career-high 139 yards and a touchdown, his fellow redshirt freshman wideout Izaiah Williams reeled in his first receptions and TD of the season, finishing with 50 yards receiving.

Bethel-Roman was the hot name during the preseason and has made a late-season impact with two touchdowns in his last two games. Williams, who is equally talented as a route runner, showed off his skill set on key downs in the second half and scored the first touchdown that started the Aggies’ epic comeback.

Terry Bussey, who is still developing into a reliable wideout, could see a reduction in his snap count if Williams continues to impress, providing another deep threat for Marcel Reed heading into the final two games of the regular season and beyond.

Texas A&M’s offensive line must improve after its first poor outing

A win is a win, but what contributed to Marcel Reed’s poor first-half performance was primarily due to bad blocking up front, as the starting O-line couldn’t block South Carolina star edge Dylan Stewart, allowing an early scoop & score. At the same time, the run game was nonexistent outside of senior running back EJ Smith’s lead-taking touchdown in the second half.

While the starting offensive line improved after the half, allowing Reed time to go through his progressions, this type of performance late in the season can’t happen going forward, especially less than two weeks before the Aggies face the Texas Longhorns on the road on Black Friday.

However, this group allowed only two sacks and four tackles for loss. The reason I’m personally including this early letdown as a key takeaway is the fact that Texas A&M’s offensive line has played better than almost any unit in the country. If the Aggies are truly National Championship contenders, these up-and-down performances can’t happen.

Junior safety Dalton Brooks has become one of the defense’s top playmakers

After the best game of his college career, junior starting safety Dalton Brooks was nearly equally impactful on Saturday afternoon, notching his third career interception, while contributing three tackles and several crucial pressures late in the game against QB LaNorris Sellers.

While his interception in the second quarter didn’t result in points, thanks to Texas A&M’s offensive ineptitude in the first half, Brooks’ speed and athleticism have provided Mike Elko another pass rush weapon on third down, as the junior was in on nearly every play during South Carolina’s final drive of the game.

As they say, “speed kills,” and Brooks’ background as a do-it-all player includes racking up prolific numbers at running back, which he has shown off in back-to-back games on defense and special teams. Texas A&M’s secondary thrives when the pass rush makes an impact, and right now, Dalton Brooks has played an invaluable role in both roles.

Texas A&M’s roster needs to stay healthy heading into the final two regular-season games

It’s important to note that amid all the chaos in the second half of Saturday’s win, two key members of Texas A&M’s offense, wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman and running back Rueben Owens, sustained injuries in the third and fourth quarters, which will be monitored heading into Week 13.

Right now, sitting at 10-0 and 7-0 in SEC play, Mike Elko and his team understand the gravity of pulling off what is a historic comeback, which likely solidifies the Aggies’ standing in the College Football Playoff. However, with senior running back Le’Veon Moss sidelined, Rueben Owen’s status could leave the RB room depleted before hosting FCS Samford.

After the game, Elko stated that Owens’ injury is “not a massive thing,” but that’s somewhat cryptic at this stage. Bethel-Roman returned to the game after his reported ankle injury, but as we’ve seen in the past, ankle issues for wide receivers are problematic.

While we all await the return of Le’Veon Moss, the hope is that Texas A&M’s roster is close to full health before taking on Samford.

QB Marcel Reed should be trusted after his impressive second-half performance

Marcel Reed’s 2025 season is Heisman-worthy, but after completing just 6/19 for 141 yards and two interceptions, the national media and some in the Aggie fan base squashed those dreams of taking home the prestigious award. Well, as soon as the Aggies took the field in the second half, the Nashville (TN) native once looked like one of the top signal callers in the country.

After converting on 4th and 12 with his legs, Reed found freshman WR Izaiah Williams for a 27-yard touchdown, leading two more touchdown passes to TE Nate Boerkircher and WR Ashton Bethel-Roman, finishing 16-20 for 298 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. Totaling 439 yards passing, Reed’s ability to change on a dime after an abysmal first-half showing proves his ability to lead this team no matter the deficit.

“I don’t even know. Could have went up. Could have went down. It doesn’t matter to me. We are focused on winning games right now.”

For Reed, winning the program’s third Heisman Trophy is still a goal, but earning a spot in the CFP and the SEC Championship game is much more critical moving forward. If we learned anything on Saturday, it is that Marcel Reed can and should be trusted to lead this team no matter the circumstances.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M football’s top takeaways from 31-30 win over South Carolina

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