Texas A&M Upsets Notre Dame With Thrilling Win in South Bend

After almost 11 excruciating years, the curse is over for the Texas A&M Aggies.

For the first time since November 2014, the Maroon and White have knocked off a ranked opponent on the road, defeating the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a game of the year contender that saw the Aggies score the go-ahead touchdown with just 13 seconds left on the clock.

Long story short, there was no "luck of the Irish" Saturday night in South Bend. If anything, the opposite proved to be true in the later stages of the game.

Texas A&M Outduels Notre Dame in South Bend

The game between the two teams was back and forth the entire 60 minutes, but in the end, a botched extra point attempt and an icy-veined quarterback proved to make all the difference in the final three minutes of play.

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Jalen Stroman (7). — Sep 13, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Jalen Stroman (7) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

With 2:53 left in the contest, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love took a 12-yard carry into the end zone to put the Fighting Irish ahead by a score of 40-34, and the extra point sailed through the uprights to make it 41-34 Irish and further pressure the Aggies as the game wound down.

Except, that last part is not how it turned out in South Bend.

The snap for the kick was botched, sending the Irish scurrying for the two-point conversion, which was well overthrown and incomplete, leaving the door wide open for the Maroon and White to take the lead and win if they could score and make their point after.

And that's exactly what happened.

After numerous penalties, including a snap infraction and a false start, two of the 13 flags that A&M had thrown against them in the contest, Marcel Reed took a risk on fourth and goal with 13 seconds left on the clock, and found tight end Nate Boerkircher in the front corner of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

Randy Bond came on to kick the extra point, and after missing a 52-yard field goal earlier in the night, he made up for the error, booting the kick through the uprights and giving the Farmers a one-point lead.

One incomplete deep ball and a failed lateral later, and the Aggies had finally knocked off a ranked opponent on the road for the first time in over a decade, defeated the Irish for the first time in nearly 24 years, and proved that they are a team to fear in the SEC and the entire NCAA, for that matter.

Marcel Reed completed 17 of 37 pass attempts for 360 passing yards and two touchdown passes, Le'Veon Moss scored a hat trick of rushing touchdowns, and Mario Craver reeled in seven passes for 207 yards and a touchdown that went for 86 yards in the first quarter, which saw an incredible spin move from the former Mississippi State Bulldog.

Craver's production made him the first A&M receiver since Mike Evans in 2013 to record over 200 receiving yards in a game, and it was his third straight game of going over 100 yards receiving.

The Maroon and White will take a well-deserved break as they go through the bye week next week, before picking up the following weekend as they welcome the No. 24 Auburn Tigers to Kyle Field for their first SEC matchup of the 2025 season.

And if this win is a sign of times to come for the Aggies, the other 15 SEC teams need to be on high alert going forward.