Texas A&M (4-5, 1-5 SEC) once again couldn't reach the end zone for the third time in SEC play, falling 17-9 vs. No. 21 South Carolina in Columbia, and similar to the Aggies' Week 8 road loss to Alabama, third-year coach Mike Elko's squad held a late 9-7 lead with several chances to score touchdowns.
Controversial starting quarterback Marcel Reed was not half bad in his ninth start, completing 25-43 for 251 yards, but thanks to transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton's mistakes, led by several drops, the Aggies relied on kicker David Olano, who missed his first kick of the season in the second half.
What's even crazier is that Texas A&M racked up 457 total yards on offense without scoring 10 points for the first time since facing Texas in 1995. Again,
Marcel Reed played better than expected, but in a game where the quarterback must elevate his team, the second-year starter let them down once again.
Texas A&M's defense limited the Gamecocks to two touchdown drives and gave the offense plenty of chances to win, again similar to the Alabama loss. How the team fixes its fourth-quarter scoring issues with the same offensive staff is beyond me, but that's likely the case.
Before hosting Tennessee next Saturday afternoon, here are five key takeaways from Texas A&M's 17-9 loss to No. 21 South Carolina in Week 10.
Texas A&M's defense did its job, and once again, was not rewarded
Texas A&M limited QB LaNorris Sellers to 251 yards and two touchdowns, while shutting down the Gamecocks' rushing attack for 109 yards and four yards per carry. On any given Saturday, that is more than enough to win a game in the SEC.
However, Texas A&M's offense, which produced 457 yards, including 251 passing yards from Marcel Reed, combined with 206 rushing yards, led by Rueben Owens' 137 yards on the ground, couldn't muster a touchdown for the third time in SEC play.
For the first time since 1995, Texas A&M racked up 400-plus yards without scoring at least 10 points, and if that doesn't prompt Mike Elko to make drastic changes to his offensive staff, expect more of the same over the last three games.
Transfer WR Isaiah Horton played a large part in Saturday's loss
Transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton led the Aggies in receiving with 78 yards on five receptions and was supposed to be the program's big-play option and go-to red-zone target, which was the case during the first two games.
However, his play has tapered off no matter what the numbers say, and after dropping what would have been the Aggies' game-changing touchdown in the second half, Horton dropped two more passes that would have kept drives alive in the fourth quarter.
For a bad football team, any chance to take a two-score lead on the road in SEC play must be properly executed, especially when Marcel Reed is throwing catchable balls. Horton's struggles have hurt the Aggies multiple times this season, which is tough to fathom given the excitement the fan base felt after the offseason addition.
Mike Elko's defense of QB Marcel Reed is worrisome before the offseason
Marcel Reed played well enough to lead Texas A&M to its first SEC road win, but that doesn't mean he elevated the offense or made the necessary plays when he needed to. Well, Mike Elko's mindset is much different, as the third-year coach praised his quarterback after the Aggies' fifth loss.
"I thought he played well… I thought that was his best game of the year, and I thought we operated, for the most part, better than we have for most of the year."
I can safely speak for the Aggie fan base that moving on from Marcel Reed after the season isn't just a possibility, but the first move Mike Elko must make at the end of the year. This kind of praise is worrying, especially since Reed has one more year of eligibility and Elko might think replacing Holmon Wiggins at OC could solve his issues.
I don't believe that will be the move, but who knows at this point.
Texas A&M's offensive line has once again taken a step back
One reason Marcel Reed failed to lead the Aggies down the field on several second-half drives was Texas A&M's revolving offensive line failing to protect QB 1 when it mattered most.
Breaking down in pass protection, Pro Football Focus's early grades show that the Aggie O-line gave up six pressures and two sacks, which doesn't seem like much, but Marcel Reed was running for his life on nearly every drop-back attempt after halftime.
OL coach Adam Cushing has faced plenty of challenges with his current starting group, especially with right tackle Lamont Rogers' continued development, while freshman guard Sam Roseborough has also had plenty of growing pains.
Beyond improved run blocking, this unit has disappointed, and facing three of the SEC's top defenses won't help.
Is change coming to the coaching staff?
The chances of Mike Elko losing his job after three seasons aren't in the realm of possibility, but if the Aggies end the year with a 4-8 record and zero victories after defeating The Citadel, everything should be on the table, especially gutting the current coaching staff.
Elko's mistake of elevating Holmon Wiggins as the program's OC without any previous play-calling experience was a bone-headed move, while Marcel Reed's decline, which was evident at the end of the 2025 season, should have been a sign that the worst was yet to come if sticking with the current structure was the choice.
Texas A&M's 2026 season has been an utter disaster with zero hope in sight. After failing to score a touchdown for the third time in SEC play, if Holmon Wiggins retains his position and Marcel Reed returns for one more season, it's hard to see the Aggie fan base continuing to support the current regime and demanding change both vocally and monetarily.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything we learned after Texas A&M's 17-9 loss to South Carolina
