POST-GAME THOUGHTS: Defensive collapse causes Aggies to fall to Trojans 35-31

Bowl games in the modern era of college football are tricky business, and this one was no exception. After departures to the transfer portal and the NFL Draft and with another six starters unavailable due to injuries, it was a temporarily makeshift squad from Texas A&M that faced a similarly depleted USC squad. There were plenty of mistakes, but the Aggies seemed to have done enough to get the win. But what can only be described as a defensive collapse over the final quarter and a half resulted in the Aggies losing 35-31 to USC in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on Friday night at Allegiant Stadium.

The Aggies scored early and took a 7-0 lead, but then two first-half interceptions (including a would-be touchdown pass) stalled the offense and the teams went into halftime tied at 7-7. The Ags then seemingly took control in the third quarter, scoring 17 points to take a 24-hour lead while Marcel Reed looked as fit as he had in months. Even after USC came back and took the lead, Marcel Reed led a TD drive to retake the lead with two minutes left. But the abysmal defensive performance, which allowed USC to score touchdowns on four of its final five drives, continued and provided the final nail in the coffin when the Trojans scored a touchdown with just seconds left to seal the victory.

Regardless of who was available or not in this game, it was a frustrating sight.

The Aggies finish the season 8-5, losing their last four games to power conference opponents, and a once promising season ends with an all-too-familiar ending. There’s reason for optimism going forward, but it’s also safe to say that Mike Elko still has a lot of work to do to turn this program around.