Elko, No. 3 Texas A&M Silence Critics with Historic Comeback Win vs. South Carolina

Texas A&M's perfect season nearly went down in flames Saturday against South Carolina.

The Aggies overcame a 27-point halftime deficit and won 31-30 on the strength of a four-yard touchdown run by running back EJ Smith. According to ESPN Insights, SEC teams had been a combined 0-286 since 2004 when trailing conference foes by 27 or more points. That record is now 1-286.

It was the most Jekyll and Hyde performance by any team this season as A&M went from looking totally hapless in the first half to becoming a buzz saw, particularly on defense, in the second.

In the first two quarters, Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed went 6-of-19 for 141 yards and two interceptions, while the defense allowed 312 yards to the Gamecocks.

Reed finished with 439 yards, three touchdowns and the two turnovers. South Carolina, by contrast, only totaled 76 yards offensively the rest of the way.

A&M fans experienced quite the roller-coaster ride because almost everybody was writing off Mike Elko's squad at halftime.

The first two quarters were a complete disaster, which played into the wider stereotypes about the Aggies. Predating the Elko era, they've made a habit of building momentum early in a season, only to fade badly down the stretch.

At halftime, plenty were wondering whether this was a reality check about Texas A&M's qualifications as a championship contender:

The timing couldn't have been any better as ESPN's David Wilson reported before the game that Elko is finalizing a six-year contract extension. According to USA Today, the coach was earning $7 million in total pay per year, and his amended deal will average more than $11 million annually.

Officially announcing Elko's extension days removed from an embarrassing upset to an unranked opponent would've been pretty on-brand for Texas A&M all things considered.

Instead, the way the Aggies fought back in the second half reinforced how much hiring Elko has changed the culture within the locker room.

With a 10-0 record, A&M pretty much has one foot in the College Football Playoff.

They play Samford next week and then have in-state rival Texas on Nov. 28. A loss to the Longhorns would be a disappointing coda to the regular season but probably wouldn't drop the Aggies out of the top 12 in the CFP rankings.