No. 3 Texas A&M pulls off biggest comeback in school history to beat South Carolina 31-30

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Marcel Reed threw for a career-high 439 yards and three touchdowns and No. 3 Texas A&M rallied from a 27-point halftime deficit to remain undefeated with a 31-30 victory over South Carolina on Saturday.

“I’m not lost for words very much, but I was lost for words with the team in the locker room after the game,” coach Mike Elko said. “A lot of that emotion was just pride in who they were, how they conducted themselves. There’s not a lot of teams that have a culture and a core that will just keep going.”

The comeback was the biggest in school history, eclipsing a 21-point rally by a Johnny Manziel-led team in a 52-48 win in the 2013 Chick-Fil-A Bowl over Duke. Entering Saturday, teams were 0-286 in Southeastern Conference play since 2004 when trailing by 27 points or more.

Reed bounced back from an awful first half where he was intercepted twice and had a fumble returned for a score to put the Aggies in a 30-3 hole with a dazzling second half to keep Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0, No. 3 CFP) on track for its first trip to the College Football Playoff. They're 10-0 for the first time since 1992.

Last season, Texas A&M had a seven-game winning streak entering the game against South Carolina before a 44-20 defeat sent the team into a downward spiral that knocked them out of contention to reach the playoff.

“We wanted revenge on this team," Reed said. “They put us out of the question last year, and they could have put us in a bad position this year... we got this win, and it was important for us.”

The Aggies took the lead for the first time on a 4-yard run by EJ Smith with about 11 minutes left.

Texas A&M had a first down at the 1 after that, but Jamarion Morrow fumbled on a trick play and the Gamecocks recovered with about three minutes to go.

Dalton Brooks and Cashius Howell sacked LaNorris Sellers on consecutive plays to bring up fourth-and-16 with about 90 seconds to go. Sellers scrambled on fourth down and was stopped short of the first down marker to seal the victory.

“It wasn’t how we drew it up," linebacker Taurean York said. "But we found a way to stick together and figure out how to win the game.”

Sellers threw for 246 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for South Carolina (3-7, 1-7), which lost a fifth straight game.

“To say that I’m hurt for our guys is an understatement,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said. “I know the rest of the country was surprised with what was going on in the first half, we weren’t. And when you’re dominating, you don’t look at the scoreboard, you just keep going and that’s what we talked about. In the second half, I’m just feeling disappointed with the way that we performed.”

Izaiah Williams caught a 27-yard TD pass from Reed to make it 30-10 on A&M’s first drive of the second half. Reed had a 16-yard run on fourth-and-12 to keep the drive alive.

Reed found Ashton Bethel-Roman for a 39-yard TD to get the Aggies within 30-17 with about four minutes left in the third.

Reed’s 14-yard pass to Nate Boerkircher cut the lead to a touchdown late in the third quarter. That score was set up by a short pass that Bethel-Roman turned into a 76-yard reception the play before.

K.C. Concepcion had seven receptions for 158 yards and Bethel-Roman added 139 yards receiving for the Aggies.

The Gamecocks took a 10-3 lead when Sellers connected with Vandrevius Jacobs on a 50-yard touchdown pass.

They pushed the lead to 17-3 when 322-pound defensive tackle Nick Barrett scooped up a fumble by Reed and rumbled 17-yards for a score late in the first quarter.

South Carolina was up by 17 late in the second quarter when Brooks intercepted a pass from Sellers and returned it 39 yards to give the Aggies a first down at the 6. Concepcion couldn’t reel in two straight passes in the end zone before Randy Bond missed his second field goal of the half to leave Texas A&M empty handed.

The Aggies defense got a stop, but Reed was intercepted in the end zone with about a minute left in the first half to give the Gamecocks the ball again. They took advantage of that mistake when Nyck Harbor had an 80-yard catch and run for a score on the first play of the drive to extend the lead to 27-3.

Reed was picked off again two plays later and South Carolina tacked on a field goal to make it 30-3 at halftime.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks had a great first half, but must avoid a letdown like the one they had today if they hope to end their losing streak.

Texas A&M: The Aggies should maintain their spot in the poll and CFP rankings, but they’ll need to play much better if they hope to contend for a national title this season.

South Carolina: Hosts Coastal Carolina next week.

Texas A&M: Hosts Samford next week before its showdown with rival No. 10 Texas on Nov. 28.

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South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor (8) catches a pass as Texas A&M safety Dalton Brooks (25) defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

BERLIN (AP) — German growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 were cut by experts on Wednesday as governments across Europe implement measures aimed at reducing the price impact of the Iran war.

A group of five economic institutes predict German gross domestic product will expand by 0.6% this year — less than half the 1.3% they forecast in September — and by 0.9% in 2027, down from 1.4%. The economic outlook was below the government's own forecast, issued two months ago, of 1% and 1.3% growth, respectively.

The Iran war has created an unwelcome new obstacle to growth across Europe. The annual inflation rate in the 21-nation euro area sped up to 2.5% in March from 1.9% the previous month. It was powered by a 4.9% increase in energy prices as the war and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz sent fuel costs higher.

“This energy price shock is hitting a German economy in which a recovery set in last year after a several-year downturn,” said Timo Wollmershäuser, an expert with the Munich-based Ifo institute, one of those that issued the joint forecast for Europe’s biggest economy.

It “will dampen this recovery in Germany, but should not completely stop it,” he added, pointing to planned government spending on defense and infrastructure as one stabilizing factor. Germany's output grew 0.2% last year after shrinking for the two previous years.

Wollmershäuser argued against “short-term activism,” in particular a government-mandated cut to fuel prices, which he argued would be “costly, benefit many people who don't need relief, distort the signal of scarcity from the price and keep up demand for crude oil.”

Germany's response so far has been relatively cautious. On Wednesday, legislation took effect that allows gas stations to raise prices only once a day, at midday, an attempt to end cost gyrations at the pump. It also gives the national antitrust authority more powers to act against excessive fuel prices.

Some European countries have already gone further, even as the European Union's executive commission urges members to “consider the promotion of demand saving measures” and “refrain from taking measures that may increase fuel consumption.”

Poland has this week implemented temporary measures including maximum fuel prices set daily by authorities, with the threat of fines ranging up to 1 million zlotys ($268,000) for companies that sell above the price cap. It also is temporarily cutting taxes on fuel.

Cuts to taxes on fuel were due to go into effect Wednesday in Austria, reducing prices at the pump. Sweden's government is proposing lower taxes on gasoline and diesel starting May 1. It already took action on another front Wednesday, halving value-added tax on food and drinks in stores or bought to take away from restaurants from 12% to 6%.

Latvia and Lithuania plan to cut duties on diesel. Non-EU Norway on Wednesday implemented temporary cuts in fuel tax that the country's parliament forced in a vote last week.

Still, the EU's energy commissioner warned on Tuesday that oil and gas prices won't return to normal levels soon even if peace comes quickly in the Middle East.

Wollmershäuser said the German forecast was based on an assumption that the Strait of Hormuz will be passable again in the second quarter and energy prices will drop from summer onward, “but without reaching the prewar level.”

The disruption comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's governing coalition mulls far-reaching reforms to overcome Germany's deeper problems — such as high production costs, lagging private investment and increasingly costly health and pension systems — and boost long-term growth.

Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said the message from the latest growth forecast is clear: “The conflict in the Middle East is increasing the pressure on German politicians to tackle structural reforms forcefully.”

The meat counter of a super market is pictured in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Vegetables in a super market are pictured in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

The sun has set behind a gas station in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)