Texas A&M football suffered its fourth loss in five games Saturday, falling to USC 35-31 in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.
The Aggies led by three scores in the second half but the Trojans stormed back in a furious fourth quarter. USC wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane’s seven receptions for a game-high 127 yards and three touchdowns were key in the effort.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed bounced back from two first-half interceptions to rack up 293 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also added 46 rushing yards on nine carries, including a 19-yard touchdown run to give the Aggies the lead with less than 2 minutes to play.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava was 22-for-39 for 295 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Aggies scored a touchdown on the opening possession of the game but followed that with two consecutive interceptions and another two punts in their next four drives.
A&M’s defense forced three first-half punts and collected an interception en route to a low-scoring half of action.
Reed finished the first half 11-for-21 with 99 yards, one touchdown pass and two interceptions. Running back EJ Smith had 76 yards from scrimmage, including 40 receiving yards. Rueben Owens added 56 yards on 13 carries.
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USC came into the matchup 6-6 and finish above .500 overall in their first season in the Big Ten. The Trojans were led in the first half by running back Bryan Jackson, who had 43 rushing yards on nine attempts. The Aggies defense tightened on the run games in the second half; Jackson finished with 66 yards on 16 totes.
Find updates from Friday’s game below:
Texas A&M vs USC: Las Vegas Bowl score updates
4Q, 0:08 — Kyle Ford catches TD to give Trojans late lead
Jayden Maiava leads a clutch, but chaotic, drive that featured a batted pass the quarterback caught. His 7-yard strike to Kyle Ford won the game.
4Q, 1:49 — Marcel Reed and offense answer with go-ahead score
It was gut-check time for the Aggies offense after falling behind, and Reed and Co. answered the call with a seven-play, 75-yard go-ahead drive, capped off by a 19-yard Reed touchdown run to take back the lead 31-28.
4Q, 4:30 — Aggies squander lead
After scoring 17 points in the third quarter, Texas A&M collapsed to fall behind with under five minutes left in the game. The Trojans matched the Aggies’ points and then some, taking a 28-24 lead late.
4Q, 14:24 — USC shrinks deficit to 3
A&M came out of the halftime break in full control, but entering the fourth quarter, it’s USC who has taken back momentum with two consecutive touchdowns. The latest comes by way of a `1-yard Bryan Jackson touchdown run to cut the deficit to 24-21.
3Q, 3:42 — Trojans strike back
Just when it looked like it was as bad as it could be for USC, the Trojans quickly drove down the field and punched in a touchdown pass from Maiava to Ja’Kobi Lane, tightening the deficit to 24-14.
3Q, 5:12 — Aggies extends lead to 17
It’s been all Aggies in the third quarter, and the trend continues as pass rusher Cashius Howell tips a pass at the line of scrimmage and catches his own deflection for a game-changing interception. From there, A&M’s offense collects the nine yards necessary to score the touchdown, with Reed finding Jabre Barber to push the lead to 24-7.
3Q, 6:12 — A&M pushes lead to double-digits
The Aggies come out of the halftime break scoring on back-to-back offensive possessions, this time settling for a 27-yard Randy Bond field goal to push their lead to 17-7.
3Q, 11:03 — Aggies cash in on opening drive of second half
Making up for his first-half mistake, Thomas collects his second touchdown of the game, this time scaling over a Trojans defender and defeating a passing interference to reel in the 5-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the endzone. The eight-play, 76-yard possession gives the Aggies the lead again, 14-7.
Halftime: Texas A&M 7, USC 7
2Q, 10:16 — Interception allows Trojans to even score
What should’ve been the Aggies’ second touchdown of the night, pushing their lead to 14-0, turned into a pass that bounced off Noah Thomas’ hands into the grasp of a Trojans defender. From there, USC was able to orchestrate an eight-play 74-yard drive, capped off by a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Lane to even the score 7-7.
1Q, 6:37 — Perfect start for Texas A&M
Following the Aggies’ defense forcing a three-and-out, the A&M offense came out firing themselves with a 16-play drive, finished off by a 7-yard Marcel Reed touchdown pass to Noah Thomas to give them the early 7-0 lead.
Texas A&M vs USC time today
- Date: Dec. 27
- Time: 9:30 p.m.
- Location: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
What channel is Texas A&M vs USC game on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo
- Radio: 1370 AM in Austin; 1150 AM, 93.7 FM in College Station.
Texas A&M vs. USC will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Dave Flemming and Brock Osweiler will call the game from the booth at Allegiant Stadium, with Stormy Buonantony reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ and Fubo, which each offer a free trial to new subscribers.
Texas A&M vs USC history
- Series record: USC leads 3-0.
- Texas A&M’s last win: N/A
- USC’s last win: 47-28 (1971)
Texas A&M vs USC predictions
Tony Catalina: It’s hard to get a beat on how these non-playoff games will go with all the changes and uncertainty. However, Mike Elko has a chance to get his ninth win of the season, and there is still enough talent in the program and coming back that I think A&M is able to find a way. Texas A&M 27, USC 20.
Texas A&M vs USC betting odds
Game lines and odds fromBetMGMas of Thursday:
- Spread: Texas A&M is favored by 4.
- Over/under: 54½
- Moneyline: Texas A&M (-160), USC (+135)
Texas A&M 2024 schedule
USC football 2024 schedule
- Sept. 1: USC 27, LSU 20
- Sept. 7: USC 48, Utah State 0
- Sept. 21: Michigan 27, USC 24
- Sept. 28: USC 38, Wisconsin 21
- Oct. 5: Minnesota 24, USC 17
- Oct. 12: Penn State 33, USC 30 (OT)
- Oct. 19: Maryland 29, USC 28
- Oct. 25: USC 42, Rutgers 20
- Nov. 2: Washington 26, USC 21
- Nov. 16: USC 28, Nebraska 20
- Nov. 23: USC 19, UCLA 13
- Nov. 30: Notre Dame 49, USC 35
- Dec. 27: vs Texas A&M (Las Vegas Bowl)
Texas A&M football news
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