Marcel ReedWilliam Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Following Georgia’s win over then No. 1 Texas last weekend, Texas A&M and LSU entered Week 9 as the only SEC teams that had yet to suffer a loss during conference play.
They just so happened to be playing each other on Saturday.
The Aggies fell behind 10-0 and trailed 17-7 at halftime, and following back-to-back punts to begin the second half, starting quarterback Conner Weigman (6/18, 64 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) was benched in favor of dual-threat freshman Marcel Reed.
Reed found the end zone on his first snap, scrambling eight yards for the score following an interception by the Aggies defense, and that was the beginning of a brilliant second half that should leave no question as to who belongs under center in College Station.
- Weigman: 8 drives, 7 points, 156 total yards by the offense
- Reed: 6 drives, 31 points, 195 total yards by the offense
Reed attempted just two passes during his time on the field, completing both of them for 70 yards, but the real damage came with his legs as he rushed for 62 yards on nine carries while finding the end zone three times.
The Aggies are now the SEC’s last remaining undefeated team, and the road ahead is manageable:
- Week 10: @ South Carolina
- Week 11: BYE
- Week 12: vs. New Mexico State
- Week 13: @ Auburn
- Week 14: vs. Texas
If they can take care of business in their next three games, the regular-season finale against the Longhorns could be for a spot in the SEC championship game.
The Aggies have been somewhat lost in the shuffle of a crowded SEC landscape, but with Reed back under center and a seven-game winning streak since their opening loss to Notre Dame, they are on track to crash the playoff party.
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