Mike Elko praises Marcel Reed for preperation, competing vs. LSU

Most backup quarterbacks are not being put in games in the midst of a favorable situation. Marcel Reed was a little different though, as Mike Elko was looking to give Texas A&M a boost against LSU. The dual-threat ability of Reed was a changeup the Tigers were not ready for, ultimately sending the Kyle Field crowd home happy with a massive victory.

Elko could have made the switch and instantly seen the move blowup but according to his head coach, Reed was ready for the moment. He praised the second-year player for being prepared, no matter the situation. Reed did not skip a beat out there, even when Conner Weigman returned from his injury.

“He works his tail off,” Elko said. “He never backed away. We needed him early, he came, he was ready. When we went back to Conner, he stayed ready. We felt like, the way the game was going, we needed him tonight, and he was still ready. He’s a great kid, he’s a great competitor, he won us the football game tonight.”

So what goes into the process of being prepared for the moment? Reed explained his mentality when ESPN’s Holly Rowe asked him what the moment was like when Elko told him to go into the game.

“I got to play, I got to be me,” Reed said. “All of these guys trust me. Conner trust me, Coach trust me. It’s a matter of me coming in and doing my job. I do what I’m coached to do and I’m ready whenever my name is called.”

LSU had absolutely no answer for Reed out there. Five full drives resulted in points in all of them, four being touchdowns. A field goal late in the fourth quarter was the cherry on top, extending the score to 38-23. The sixth possession was a kneel down to run out the clock — a scoreless drive Texas A&M will take every single time.

Reed had nine rush attempts, going for 62 yards and three touchdowns. He completed both of his two pass attempts for an outstanding 70 yards. No matter what offensive coordinator Colin Klein called, it worked.

“They didn’t take me, so I kept being open and running,” Reed said. “Until they made an adjustment, I was going to keep doing it. Every time I did it, I scored. So, just making the read I was supposed to make and making plays.”