Texas A&M vs. South Carolina: Game Grades, Analysis for Aggies vs. Gamecocks
It was closer than the experts predicted, but the Texas A&M Aggies were able to come away with the 24-13 road win over the South Carolina Gamecocks. It was a somewhat sloppy game for both teams, but the Texas A&M defense stepped up when it needed to.
South Carolina started the game off with a 75-yard touchdown run by A.J. Turner, but the Gamecocks offense struggled to get much going after that with quarterback Brandon McIlwain in the game. Perry Orth entered in the second half, and he finished 11-of-18 passing for 138 yards. The Gamecocks finished with 378 total yards but were just 3-of-14 on third down.
Trevor Knight was a dual-threat in this one, passing for 206 yards and rushing for 84 more. His favorite target was Christian Kirk, who hauled in 12 catches for 61 yards. It wasn't the best offensive effort for the Aggies, but they were able to come away with 422 total yards.
The Gamecocks face Georgia at home next week, and it will be interesting to see who they go with at quarterback. Texas A&M will travel back home to take on the undefeated Tennessee Volunteers.
You can find the full box score for this game here, courtesy of NCAA.com
Texas A&M Offense
1 of 6
The Aggies were good, not great, but they did enough to win the game. The running game got going in the second half with Trayveon Williams, and Knight did well scrambling out of the pocket. The Aggies only finished with 206 yards passing, but you have to give a lot of credit to the Gamecocks defensive line.
The grade here is a B-minus because the Aggies ended up with 422 total yards. Although the passing game wasn't always there, this group performed well enough to win an SEC road game, which isn't easy.
Grade: B-
South Carolina Offense
2 of 6
The South Carolina offense got off to a fast start with a 75-yard touchdown run, but after that it was inconsistent with McIlwain in the game. Once Orth entered, though, things looked better.
Orth finished 11-of-18 passing, and the throws down the field gave South Carolina a chance in the fourth quarter. The offensive line just never got going against a fierce Aggies pass rush. Outside of the long run by Turner, the Gamecocks rushed 34 times for just 86 yards.
The grade here is a C-minus because of Orth's success late in the game, but this group must find ways to generate big plays moving forward.
Grade: C-
Texas A&M Defense
3 of 6
After that first drive, this Aggies defense settled in and played well. Daeshon Hall had a great game with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, and the Aggies pass rush was able to affect McIlwain early in this game. This group defended the run well, and South Carolina averaged just 2.5 yards per carry after the opening touchdown run.
The secondary was able to force a turnover, and the only issues came late in the game when South Carolina was in full passing mode. Without defensive star Myles Garrett, the Aggies have to be proud of the effort in this game.
Grade: B
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South Carolina Defense
4 of 6
Although it won't really show in the box score, the Gamecocks played a good game defensively. The defensive line was able to generate some pressure, and Chris Lammons came up with his second interception of the season. Holding Texas A&M to 24 points is a job well done, and the secondary allowed just 206 yards through the air.
Although the Aggies ended up with 422 total yards, the Gamecocks defense deserves a lot of credit for keeping them in this game.
Grade: B-
Texas A&M Coaching
5 of 6
Kevin Sumlin probably didn't do his best job at getting this team ready to play. It seemed like there was a bit of a hangover from the emotional Arkansas win, but you have to credit the coaching staff for finding a way to win.
The Aggies offense didn't get the ball down the field like we are used to seeing, but the 216 rushing yards made up for that. The Aggies probably should have won this game by more, but Sumlin and his staff still receive a decent grade for getting the job done.
Grade: B
South Carolina Coaching
6 of 6
South Carolina wasn't supposed to hang around in this game, the experts said. Texas A&M is going to blow them out, the so-called "experts" on social media said. Will Muschamp deserves a lot of credit for keeping his players focused. The Aggies averaged 43 points per game entering Saturday, but the Gamecocks were able to hold them to a season-low 24 points.
Muschamp and his staff have to figure something out with the offense, though. South Carolina moved the ball much better with Orth in the game, so you have to wonder why he stuck with McIlwain for so long. We will dock a few points there, but overall it was a good game plan against an undefeated Texas A&M team.
Grade: B
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