Inside Texas A&M’s Game-Winning Touchdown Against Notre Dame

Texas A&M's Marcel Reed, Nate Boerkircher, Albert Regis, and Mike Elko shared their perspective on the legendary fourth-and-goal play.

Texas A&M Aggies tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) celebrates after their win against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Where were you on Saturday night when Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed lobbed a desperate, hopeful ball toward Nate Boerkircher, only for it to turn into one of the most unforgettable plays in Aggie football history?

Bottles flew at Northgate. College students’ yells carried across neighborhoods. Social media lit up with maroon and white. College Station erupted.

The Aggies’ stunning 41-40 upset over then-No. 8 Notre Dame ended with Boerkircher’s game-winning catch on fourth-and-goal. For those watching on TV, it was a spectacle. For the few on the field, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here’s what they said:

Marcel Reed on the Game-Winning Play

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Reed, the catalyst of a play Aggie fans will never forget, broke down what went into the call.

“That being the last play, it's win or go home at that point,” Reed said. “I kind of just threw the ball up to Nate. It was a one-on-one matchup. They had taken away our two double posts that we wanted to get open and so I had faith in him. I threw the ball up to him and he caught it for a touchdown.”

The Unexpected Hero

Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher, left, catches a pass in the end zone to tie the game with Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen, right, defending in the second half of a NCAA football game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in South Bend. The extra point scored after this touchdown put Texas A&M ahead 41-40 to win the game. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Boerkircher, the unexpected hero of the night, offered a detailed breakdown of the play from his perspective.

“We had two guys on the outside running posts and then I’m running the wheel,” Boerkircher explained. “Hopefully the defender bites on the wheel, but he didn’t really bite on it. Marcel just threw it up. I was just thankful he was able to give me a good ball and give me a chance to go win the game, and it worked.”

The Saturday night lights were almost too bright for the Aggies, literally and figuratively, as the game-winning catch that ended a decade-long curse of failing to beat a top-10 team on the road nearly ended in disaster.

“When the ball was in the air, I couldn’t even see it because of the lights,” he admitted. “I was blinded by those lights and I saw it, right before it got to my hands. Luckily, it was a great ball. It just appeared there.”

Albert Regis View From the Sidelines 

Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Albert Regis (17) reacts after making a tackle against the Auburn Tigers in the third quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. | John Reed-Imagn Images

Not everyone involved in the heroic play was on the field. Some watched from the sidelines, including defensive tackle Albert Regis, who recorded seven tackles and a sack in Saturday’s win.

“I just stood on the sideline and had faith in them [the offense],” Regis said. “I didn’t doubt for a second that they were going to mess up. I’ve seen this offense in action since the beginning of August, so I know what they can do. I never had an ounce of doubt in my body.”

The Play That Wasn’t Meant for Nate Boerkircher

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Mario Craver (1) runs the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Jordan Botelho (12) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Originally, the play was designed to get one of A&M’s star wide receivers, Mario Craver or KC Concepcion, open.

“It really wasn’t meant for Nate,” Reed admitted. “It was for KC, but Nate ended up in a one-on-one matchup against a linebacker. So, I just threw the ball up to him.”

A Crucial Timeout

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko during the first quarter against the Utah State Aggies at Kyle Field. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

The play nearly unraveled before it even began. 

The Aggies lined up on fourth-and-goal with the play clock winding down, when Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman called a timeout, unhappy with what he saw. The timeout, however, gave A&M’s offense a crucial moment to regroup, something Elko and his staff took full advantage of.

“We had a similar play called before the timeout,” Elko explained. “We changed the formation presentation of it and ran a very similar play to what we were going to call before the timeout. We wanted to have something where Nate was running on the side because we thought it was going to be really hard to get it to Mario or KC. The defense had been bracketing them the two previous plays and we felt like that would give us an option on the sideline if we needed it and we did and Marcel gave him a ball that he could go up and catch and he made a heck of a play.”

Thank you, Nate Boerkircher, for giving Aggie fans a Saturday night they’ll never forget.