It’s been an absolutely heartbreaking, wild ride, but your Texas A&M Aggies found a way to win Saturday night at Kyle Field, defeating LSU 38-23, moving to 5-0 in SEC play and clinching the SOLE spot THE SEC secured FIRST PLACE!

And to be honest, I still can’t believe it happened. I have to be honest, I was in a dire situation at half-time. A&M was down by 10, and it probably should have been by a lot more. The defense lacked tackles and left receivers free downfield, and the offense was very reminiscent of the one against Notre Dame. I was mad at the team, but equally mad at myself for letting it happen again. Because that first half evoked a feeling Aggie fans have felt so many times. It felt like Battered Aggie Syndrome at its most classic.

And then everything changed.

Marcel Reed is showered with a lot of praise, and rightly so. He came off the bench in the third quarter of the biggest game of his career and completed the zone pass with ease, putting the LSU defense on notice (to the tune of three rushing touchdowns). He provided a spark when A&M desperately needed it, and an offense that had been dramatically stagnant on all but one drive all night suddenly came to life and took control of the game.

But let’s also talk about defense.

It was far from a perfect night for the defense, allowing LSU to seemingly push into A&M territory at will for most of the evening. But make no mistake: In this crucial third quarter, the defense was just as impressive as the offense, especially transfer CB BJ Mayes. After missing the first part of the year with a concussion and switching to nickel following Tyreek Chappell’s season-ending injury, Mayes came up big in the biggest moment with two interceptions in the third quarter. These picks set up the short-field offense and represented the absolute turning point in a game that seemed impossible to turn just minutes before.

Did LSU’s mistakes play a big role in this game? Naturally. Losing the turnover battle and missing four (FOUR?!?!) field goals is a fantastic way to lose a game. But A&M still had to capitalize on those mistakes, and in the second half they did so in the happiest way imaginable.

I’ve talked about the familiar nagging feeling that I and many Aggies had at halftime, but now I feel something damn strange. It is beyond hope, it is more like faith. It’s the confidence that Mike Elko, his coaches and his players are beginning to gain over the course of this season. They prove that this team is different – ​​that this program is different. And that puts them in a position a Texas A&M team hasn’t been in in a long time: 5-0 in conference play for the first time since 1998 (the last year they won a conference title, mind you). ). ) and was sole first place in the SEC for the first time in November.

There is still plenty of football to play, including two SEC road games. Nothing is guaranteed. But that’s a worry for another day. If you’re an Aggie right now, it’s hard to do anything but smile.