Inside Texas A&M’s Locker Room: The Untold Secrets Behind Their Stunning Comeback Victory Over the Gamecocks

What a rollercoaster that game was! Down by 27 points as they headed into the second half, the Texas A&M Aggies refused to throw in the towel. With grit and relentless spirit, they clawed their way back to secure a nail-biting 31-30 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks right there in Bryan-College Station. Sure, sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed had his share of slip-ups early on—two interceptions to start—but the Nashville native turned it on big time, slinging the ball for 439 yards and three touchdowns, igniting a second-half surge that completely flipped the script. This marked an impressive 10th straight win for the Aggies in their 2025 season, highlighting the fierce determination Coach Mike Elko has instilled in this squad. And speaking of Elko, with a current 18-5 record in just his second season and whispers of a possible contract extension swirling, the program’s future looks as promising as ever. The postgame locker room buzz? Pure electricity. Here’s a deep dive into the candid reflections from Elko, star linebacker Taurean York, receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman, and Reed himself, capturing the raw emotions behind a comeback for the ages. LEARN MORE

Texas A&M faced a 27-point deficit entering the second half, but the Aggies came alive to complete a massive comeback victory and secure a 31-30 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in Bryan-College Station, Texas.

It wasn’t the cleanest performance from sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, as he tossed two interceptions in the first half. However, the Nashville, Tennessee, native helped the Aggies surge back into the contest by throwing for 439 yards and three touchdowns to outscore the Gamecocks 28-0 in the second half for the program’s 10th consecutive win of the 2025 campaign.

With the outing against South Carolina, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko moves to 18-5 in his second season at the helm. The speculation about whether Elko would leave for one of the numerous head-coaching openings was shut down on Saturday, as news broke of his potential extension in College Station.

Here is everything Elko, veteran linebacker Taurean York, wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman and Reed said following Texas A&M’s thrilling comeback victory over the Gamecocks at Kyle Field on Saturday afternoon:

Elko’s opening statement after the win

“Wow. I don’t know really where else to start. Credit to our guys, credit to how they stuck to it, credit to how they rallied and came together,” Elko said. “I thought they did a really, really good job of staying positive and keep fighting to the next play. For them to come out the second half and do what they did, that’s championship-level football.”

What did Elko say to the team at halftime?

“Honestly, not much. All we talked about was the identity of who we are, and if we play to it, we are a good football team,” Elko said. “We are a blue-collar, physical team that controls the line of scrimmage. We weren’t doing any of that… The kids believed we were going to come out and win in the second half.”

Elko’s thoughts on the first half

“We talk about this a lot. If you take your foot off the gas, football will humble you. Clearly, we weren’t in the right headspace. That’s on me. I’m the head coach,” Elko said.

Elko’s message to Reed at halftime

“I told him to relax. He is the quarterback, so the positives and negatives fall on him… We settled him down. Us going tempo in this second half took away some of the thinking and got him loose,” Elko said.

Elko’s evaluation of wide receiver Izaiah Williams

“It’s another story of a kid in this program that is ready when his number is called… He is a talented player,” Elko said.

Elko’s message to the 12th Man

“Thank you for staying with us. Sorry for what the first half looked like, but in a lot of ways, they helped us to victory in the second,” Elko said. “There are not a lot of places where that stadium would look like it did in the second half… It was an impressive showing by the 12th Man once again.”

Elko on the fight from his team in the second half

“I’m not at a loss for words a lot, but I was at a loss in the locker room after the game… There are not a lot of teams that have a culture to just keep going,” Elko said.

Elko’s thoughts on Reed’s performance today

“That’s what winners do. They control what they are capable of controlling. You have to have confidence in the person around you. It wasn’t lost on him that he wasn’t playing well. He believes in the team. The only thing you can do is make the next throw,” Elko said.

Elko on what he was thinking as the Aggies fell behind in the first half

“It sounds crazy to say this, but there wasn’t a lot of panic… You heard our leaders talking. We made sure we reset the energy the right way. As bad as everything was going, we don’t panic,” Elko said.

Elko gives status update on running back Rueben Owens II

“Not a massive thing,” Elko said.

Elko’s postgame thoughts and perspective

“I don’t even really know what just happened, to be honest. A whole lot of heart and a whole lot of support from a great group of fans,” Elko said.

York on the defensive performance

“It wasn’t how we drew it up… We found a way to stick together and figure out how to win the game,” York said.

York’s message to the team during the comeback win

“Me and Dalton (Brooks) were the first people up the ramp and talked to everyone walking in the second half. Marcel (Reed) was already huddling up the team and talking to them. We came together as one team,” York said.

York speaks on the team’s mentality in moments like that

“That locker room is special. There is no panic, no fear and no quit. That’s what I love most,” York said.

York on what he told Reed

“Time to crank it up. All eyes are on you, so let’s give them something positive to talk about. I’m sure they are right now,” Elko said.

York’s thoughts on what changed during the game

“We were running the same calls in the first and second half. We just played harder and executed better,” York said.

York comments on the atmosphere at Kyle Field today

“This place is none like any other. In the fourth quarter, I looked at Daymion and Cashius and said, ‘We are not going to let this stadium down,” York said. “These fans deserve a season like this.”

Bethel-Roman on Williams’ touchdown

“I almost cried when he scored. I was so happy for him,” Bethel-Roman said.

Bethel-Roman’s thoughts on the wide receiving corps stepping up in the absence of Mario Craver

“We would’ve loved to have Mario (Craver) out there. He’s a dawg…. But in our receiver room, we have dawgs behind dawgs,” Bethel-Roman said.

Bethel-Roman on the team’s mentality when down by 27 points in the second half

“We were down 30-3. There was no heads down, no feeling sorry for ourselves… That brotherhood, I will remember that for the rest of my life,” Bethel-Roman said.

Bethel-Roman talks about his 76-yard reception

“I wasn’t supposed to run that route, but it didn’t matter because we got the job done,” Bethel-Roman said. “I would call myself a really fast guy… Maybe I was a little tired. The last guy dove, but he missed. The way I stumbled, I messed up my ankle a little bit, but I’ll be fine.”

Reed walks through his massive fourth-down scramble

“I didn’t know where I was on the field, but I knew I had to get somewhere. Glad I got the first down. We went temp, and it kind of wore them down,” Reed said.

Reed discusses the team’s mindset at halftime

“I don’t even remember what all was said. The message got across. We knew we were still in the game,” Reed said.

Reed on the revenge factor against the Gamecocks

“We wanted revenge on this team. They put us out of the question last year, and they could have put us in a bad position this year. We got this win, and it was important for us. This team battled,” Reed said. “In college football nowadays, there is not much culture and brotherhood. Us talking and making adjustments without coaches, it says a lot about what we have here at Texas A&M.”

Reed’s thoughts when the defense got the final stop

“Relief. I came on the field and took the knee. I looked up to God and just thanked Him… The story was already written,” Reed said.

Reed on playing for Elko

“Coach Elko has done something a lot of coaches haven’t done. He has changed the program and culture of the team. There is so much love and brotherhood. We are playing for each other, but we are playing for him, too,” Reed said.

What name should the comeback win be referred to as?

“We can just be corny, and say ‘Chills.’,” Reed said.

Reed’s thoughts on his Heisman case after Week 12

“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,” Reed said.

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