COLLEGE STATION, TX – The 12th Man came dressed for a funeral in the blackout against LSU in Kyle Field. Instead, they played witness to a resurrection. 

Redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed, who started three games for an injured Conner Weigman earlier in the year, relieved a struggling Weigman in the third quarter and led consecutive scoring drives to give Texas A&M a lead the Aggies never relinquished in a 38-23 victory. 

Reed led Texas A&M to wins over Florida, Bowling Green, and Arkansas before head coach Mike Elko gave Weigman his starting job back heading into the Missouri game. 

“We just felt like we needed a spark, and we pulled the trigger,” Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko said after the game. “So proud of this team, proud of where we are.” 

Weigman looked like a new man in the dominant win over Mizzou, completing 18-of-27 passes for 276 yards. He was 6 of 18 for 64 yards against LSU before he was benched. In his three starts against P4 competition outside of that Mizzou game, Weigman is 33-of-73 (45 percent) for 381 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.

LSU led 17-7 with just over eight minutes left in the third quarter when quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw an interception to B.J. Mayes that he returned inside the Tiger 10 to roll out the maroon carpet for Reed on his first series of the game. On the first play, Reed kept the ball and ran for his first of three touchdown runs. His next touchdown run gave the Aggies its first lead of the game at 21-17. By 14:07 left in the fourth quarter, Reed and running back Le’Veon Moss had extended the lead to 28-17. 

LSU scored 10 points in the first half and held a 17-7 lead after a 76-yard touchdown pass from Nussmeier to Aaron Anderson with 4:55 left in the second quarter. The Tigers didn’t score again until Nussmeier plunged in from one yard out with 9:57 left in the fourth quarter to cut the Aggie lead to 28-23 after a failed two-point conversion. Nussmeier finished the game 25-of-50 for 405 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. LSU only managed 24 yards rushing on 23 attempts. 

Texas A&M scored one touchdown on its first eight drives of the game. Reed led three in his first three possessions before hitting the field for his fourth after LSU trimmed the lead to a one-possession game. 

Reed, who did most of his damage with his legs, threw the pass of his life on the ensuing possession, hitting a streaking Noah Thomas for a 54-yard touchdown to enter LSU territory for the fourth consecutive drive while eliminating any momentum for the Tigers. Two plays later, Moss scored on a three-yard run to return the lead to double digits and to begin the Aggieland celebration. 

“There are things we have to elevate in this program, but our home atmosphere is not one of them,” Elko said. “I appreciate everyone coming out in black tonight. It was an absolutely special environment.”  

Texas A&M left Kyle Field 5-0 in SEC play and the only undefeated team left in the conference. The Aggies are likely a Top 10 team by Monday morning. They’ve won seven straight games since the Notre Dame loss in Week 1. 

The Wrecking Crew forced three turnovers that turned into 17 points. The offense ran the ball 49 times for 242 yards and five touchdowns. With Reed in the game, Texas A&M outscored LSU 31-6 despite only attempting two passes. Elko’s fingerprints are already evident in College Station. He doesn’t think this is a flash-in-the-pan. He feels like this is where Texas A&M belongs. 

“This is a real program,” Elko said. “(I’m) not a politician up here BSing everybody. For any recruits out there, if you want to play really good football, this is a good place to be.”