It is hard to have a worse start to a game than Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed. The Aggies signal caller hit on some big plays, but they benefitted South Carolina more often than not, as he finished the half going 6-for-19 for 141 yards with a pair of interceptions and a fumble that was returned for a Gamecocks touchdown.
Down 30–3 at the half, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko worked to calm the QB down after his erratic start to the game, and pushed the tempo to try and get him in rhythm for a big second-half comeback.
"I just told him to relax. He is the quarterback, and so the positives and negatives fall on him... We were able to get back into halftime and just settle him down. I think us going tempo in this second half took away some of the thinking out of his brain and got him loose and free and playing.”
Reed’s played a near-perfect second half, finishing 16-for-20 for with 298 yards and three touchdowns after the break to end with 439 passing yards on the day. A&M scored touchdowns on their first four drives after halftime to take a 31–30 lead, and held on for what proved to be the biggest comeback in program history.
According to Elko, who is reportedly finalizing a new contract that will make him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the sport, the team got away from its blue collar identity in the first half, but maintained a positive, upbeat energy at halftime that allowed them to turn the page and come out firing.
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"Honestly, not much,” Elko said, when asked about his halftime message to the full team. “All we talked about was we have an identity of who we are. If we play to the identity, we are a good football team.
“We are a blue-collar, physical team that controls the line of scrimmage. We’re a team that has to play with a lot of energy. We just weren't doing any of those things in first half. And I think the vibes were good, all things considered. The kids believed we were going to come out and win that game in the second half. Whether they really did or not, that was the energy in the locker room.”
With the win, Texas A&M moves to 10–0 for the first time since 1992, and continues to control its destiny for both the SEC championship and College Football Playoff races.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike Elko Had Simple Message for Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed Ahead of Historic Comeback.
