Texas A&M’s 31–30 Rally Preserves Perfect Season as Reed’s TikTok Apology Draws Backlash

Overview

• Texas A&M erased a 30–3 halftime deficit to beat South Carolina 31–30 with 28 unanswered points, a finish described in coverage as one of the program’s biggest comebacks.
• Quarterback Marcel Reed rebounded from a 6-for-19, two-interception first half to finish 22-for-39 for 439 yards and three touchdowns, fueling the turnaround.
• Johnny Manziel said on the Nightcap podcast that Mike Elko told the locker room Reed was “playing for the other team” in the first half before praising his second-half response, a secondhand account reported by outlets.
• After the game Reed posted a TikTok dance captioned “Sorry bout the first half,” which Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina shared on X, drawing a wave of negative fan reactions.
• Coverage framed Reed’s second-half surge as a boost to his Heisman case in a race that still features Julian Sayin, with Ty Simpson’s team taking a loss over the weekend.