With Texas A&M trailing by 10 in the third quarter on Saturday night against LSU and trying to boost his struggling offense, Aggies coach Mike Elko replaced quarterback Conner Weigman with Marcel Reed.
The decision turned out to be successful.
Reed rushed for three touchdowns in the second half, helping No. 14 Texas A&M defeat eighth-ranked LSU 38-23, making them the only undefeated team in Southeastern Conference play.
“It was a litany of issues and we just felt like we needed a spark and we pulled the trigger and went with Marcel and what a spark he gave us,” Elko said.
The Aggies (7-1, 5-0) intercepted three passes from Garrett Nussmeier after halftime, securing their seventh straight win since losing to Notre Dame in the opener.
In his first season as head coach after Jimbo Fisher’s firing, Elko saw his team score touchdowns on four consecutive possessions in the third quarter.
“We all had a chip on our shoulder,” Reed said. “We didn’t think they respected us coming into Kyle Field. So getting that spark in the second half and getting the team going, there was no going back from that at all.”
The Aggies impressed a crowd of 108,852 as they improved to 5-0 in SEC play for the first time while aiming for their first appearance in the conference championship game.
“The price of success and the price of winning games like that is you have a target on your back,” Elko said. “What 5-0 means is we’re really going to have a heck of a time to get to 6-0.”
LSU (6-2, 3-1) was ahead by 10 points with about eight minutes left in the third quarter when BJ Mayes intercepted a pass and returned it to the Tigers’ 8-yard line. Reed came in and scored on a quarterback keeper on the next play, making the score 17-14.
The Tigers had a chance to increase their lead with about five minutes left in the third when they lined up for a 46-yard field goal. However, the ball was snapped before the holder was ready, bouncing off his shoulder and rolling away.
“That’s twice now that’s happened. It’s unacceptable,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “We have to get it fixed. That’s never going to happen again, ever.”
Reed scored again on an 8-yard run to make it 21-17 with about a minute left in the third quarter.
Mayes intercepted Nussmeier again just two plays later, giving the Aggies the ball back. Reed’s third touchdown came on a 4-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
“We need to spend more time each and every week, because right now I would run the quarterback against us,” Kelly said.
Nussmeier scored a 1-yard touchdown with about 10 minutes left, but the 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving LSU down 28-23.
Le’Veon Moss then scored his second touchdown on a 3-yard run on the next drive, increasing the lead to 35-23. Reed set up that touchdown with a 54-yard pass to Noah Thomas, followed by runs of 12 and 6 yards.
Nussmeier was intercepted again on the next drive, ending any chance of a comeback.
Reed, who started three games this season when Weigman was injured, completed 2 of 2 passes for 70 yards and rushed for 62 yards. Weigman went 6 of 18 for only 64 yards before he was taken out in the third quarter.
Nussmeier was 25 for 50 for 405 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had a career-high three interceptions.
LSU took an early lead with Mason Taylor’s 2-yard touchdown catch with about four minutes left in the first quarter. That score came after the Tigers recovered a fumble by Moss on the Texas A&M 21-yard line.
Texas A&M narrowed the lead to 3 points when Moss scored on a 7-yard run late in the first quarter.
Aaron Anderson scored on a 76-yard catch and run, increasing the score to 17-7 with about five minutes left in the first half.
LSU’s Damian Ramos missed field goals from 48 and 49 yards in the second quarter. Elko is proud of the progress the team has made in his first season.
“This is a real program. It’s not fake,” he said. “It’s not a politician running this program, talking fast and BS-ing everybody. This is a real program and for all the recruits out there, this is a real place.”
