Texas A&M coach Mike Elko explains the decision to substitute Conner Weigman for Marcel Reed

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko met with ESPN's Holly Rowe before the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against the LSU Tigers in College Station. He explained the decision to bench quarterback Conner Weigman in favor of Marcel Reed.

“We needed the running threat back there the way they played against us,” Elko said. “We’re struggling in the passing game and Marcel’s dual-threat ability is exactly what we need right now.”

It quickly became clear that Elko's decision was the right one.

After lining up for Weigman with 8:10 left in the third quarter and Texas A&M trailing 17-7, Reed led the Aggies on three consecutive scoring drives – all of which ended with him reaching the end zone for a rushing touchdown. Reed's effort had suddenly led to 21 unanswered points for the Aggies, who led 28-17 with 14 minutes to play.

In the exit, Weigman was 6 of 18 passes for 64 yards, with no touchdowns and no picks.

Reed led the Aggies to three straight wins while replacing Weigman, who missed three games with a shoulder injury. This season he has completed 43 of 79 passes for 585 yards, six touchdowns and no picks. He also had 43 carries for 226 yards and two scores. Weigman retook the starting job before the Missouri game, a contest the Aggies easily won 41-10.

Join the community:

YYou can follow us for future coverage Subscribe to our newsletter here. Also, Make sure to like us on Facebook @AllAggiesOnSI & follow us on Twitter at @TAMUAggiesSI

MORE NEWS FROM THE TEXAS A&M AGGIES:

Texas A&M Aggies and LSU Tigers on an “eerily similar” path

Texas A&M Aggies open as slight favorites against the LSU Tigers