Photo by Kirby Clarke, TexAgs
Texas A&M Football
Post-Game Review: Texas A&M 52, South Carolina 28
August 28, 2014
9,797
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kenny Hill broke Johnny Manziel’s school record with 511 passing yards and led Texas A&M to an emphatic 52-28 Southeastern Conference football victory over ninth-ranked South Carolina on Thursday night.
In the first football game televised by the SEC Network, Hill completed 44 passes on 60 attempts and threw touchdown passes to Ricky Seals-Jones, Edward Pope and Josh Reynolds to stun the crowd of 82,847 at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Though No. 21 A&M was a 10.5-point underdog, the Aggies took control of the game from the outset as Hill completed five of six passes for 56 yards on the opening drive for Tra Carson's one-yard touchdown run.
It was the first of three touchdown runs by Carson.
The Aggies rolled up 680 yards of total offense, which was the most ever allowed by South Carolina.
Rising: The Aggies should make a significant jump in the national polls. A&M was already ranked 21st, but a lopsided victory on the road over ninth-ranked South Carolina may catapult the Aggies into the top 15. Most of the questions facing the Aggies were answered. Hill showed he could shine on a big stage and the A&M defense demonstrated an ability to make enough stops.
Best hit: South Carolina’s Nick Jones appeared to haul in a 25-yard touchdown pass seconds before the half, but appearances can be deceiving. Nano-seconds after the football arrived, A&M freshman safety Armani Watts streaked in from the left side to deliver a powerful blow that knocked the ball loose. Consequently, the Aggies held a 31-14 lead at halftime rather than a 10-point lead.
Best hands: Pope was actually well-covered on a deep slant into the end zone. Yet, the 6-4 receiver still managed to stretch out, reach up and make a tough catch for a 14-yard touchdown catch that staked the Aggies to a 24-14 lead with 7:07 remaining in the second quarter.
Turning point: Carson scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 1:16 remaining in the second quarter. That touchdown allowed the Aggies to take a 17-point halftime lead in a high-scoring game. Although it was a shootout to begin as many expected, that score was a back-breaker. The Aggies’ lead never dropped below 17 points from there.
Standing 'O': There were questions about how Hill would handle the pressure of replacing Manziel … on the road … against a top-10 opponent. Hill answered them in grandiose fashion with an amazing performance that will literally vault him into the Heisman Trophy discussion.
A&M: Tra Carson 1-yard run. Josh Lambo PAT. (11:27). A&M 7-0. Key play: Kenny Hill 22-yard pass to Ricky Seals-Jones to the 1-yard line. A&M 7, SC 0
A&M: Josh Lambo 33-yard field goal (5:02). Key play: Kenny Hill 18-yard pass to Sabian Holmes to the 22-yard line. A&M 10, SC 0
South Carolina: Nick Jones 69-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Thompson. Elliott Fry PAT. (3:44). A&M 10, SC 7
Second quarter
A&M: Ricky Seals-Jones 3-yard pass from Kenny Hill. Josh Lambo PAT (11:56). Key play: Seals-Jones 21-yard pass from Hill. A&M 17, SC 7
South Carolina: Damiere Byrd 46-yard pass from Thompson. Fry PAT. (9:47). A&M 17, SC 14
A&M: Edward Pope 14-yard pass from Hill. Lambo PAT. (7:07). Key play: Ricky Seals-Jones 19-yard pass from Hill. A&M 24, SC 14
A&M: Tra Carson 2-yard run. Lambo PAT (1:16). Key play: Malcome Kennedy 21-yard pass from Hill. A&M 31, SC 14
Third quarter
A&M: Josh Reynolds 5-yard pass from Hill. Lambo PAT (11:08). Key play: Brandon Williams 24-yard run to the 5-yard line. A&M 38, SC 14
South Carolina: Pharoh Cooper 5-yard pass from Thompson. Fry PAT. (7:33). Key play: Pass interference penalty on Devonta Burns to the 5-yard line. A&M 38, SC 21.
A&M: Tra Carson 2-yard run. Lambo PAT (5:06). Key play: Donnie Baggs recovers onside kick at the South Carolina 42. A&M 45, SC 21
South Carolina: Jones 10-yard pass from Thompson. Fry PAT. A&M 45, SC 28
Fourth quarter
A&M: Trey Williams 2 run. Lambo PAT (12:09). Key play: Malcome Kennedy 33-yard pass from Hill. A&M 52, SC 28
In the first football game televised by the SEC Network, Hill completed 44 passes on 60 attempts and threw touchdown passes to Ricky Seals-Jones, Edward Pope and Josh Reynolds to stun the crowd of 82,847 at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Though No. 21 A&M was a 10.5-point underdog, the Aggies took control of the game from the outset as Hill completed five of six passes for 56 yards on the opening drive for Tra Carson's one-yard touchdown run.
It was the first of three touchdown runs by Carson.
The Aggies rolled up 680 yards of total offense, which was the most ever allowed by South Carolina.
Rising: The Aggies should make a significant jump in the national polls. A&M was already ranked 21st, but a lopsided victory on the road over ninth-ranked South Carolina may catapult the Aggies into the top 15. Most of the questions facing the Aggies were answered. Hill showed he could shine on a big stage and the A&M defense demonstrated an ability to make enough stops.
Nano-seconds after the football arrived, A&M freshman safety Armani Watts streaked in from the left side to deliver a powerful blow that knocked the ball loose. Consequently, the Aggies held a 31-14 lead at halftime rather than a 10-point lead.
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Falling: Drew Kaser’s Heisman Trophy campaign took a major hit. So, it was a gag, but it’s even more of a joke now. A&M’s offensive explosion kept the nation’s best punter on the sideline most of the game. He punted just twice for a 48.0-yard average.Best hit: South Carolina’s Nick Jones appeared to haul in a 25-yard touchdown pass seconds before the half, but appearances can be deceiving. Nano-seconds after the football arrived, A&M freshman safety Armani Watts streaked in from the left side to deliver a powerful blow that knocked the ball loose. Consequently, the Aggies held a 31-14 lead at halftime rather than a 10-point lead.
Best hands: Pope was actually well-covered on a deep slant into the end zone. Yet, the 6-4 receiver still managed to stretch out, reach up and make a tough catch for a 14-yard touchdown catch that staked the Aggies to a 24-14 lead with 7:07 remaining in the second quarter.
Turning point: Carson scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 1:16 remaining in the second quarter. That touchdown allowed the Aggies to take a 17-point halftime lead in a high-scoring game. Although it was a shootout to begin as many expected, that score was a back-breaker. The Aggies’ lead never dropped below 17 points from there.
Standing 'O': There were questions about how Hill would handle the pressure of replacing Manziel … on the road … against a top-10 opponent. Hill answered them in grandiose fashion with an amazing performance that will literally vault him into the Heisman Trophy discussion.
Scoring summary
First quarterA&M: Tra Carson 1-yard run. Josh Lambo PAT. (11:27). A&M 7-0. Key play: Kenny Hill 22-yard pass to Ricky Seals-Jones to the 1-yard line. A&M 7, SC 0
A&M: Josh Lambo 33-yard field goal (5:02). Key play: Kenny Hill 18-yard pass to Sabian Holmes to the 22-yard line. A&M 10, SC 0
South Carolina: Nick Jones 69-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Thompson. Elliott Fry PAT. (3:44). A&M 10, SC 7
Second quarter
A&M: Ricky Seals-Jones 3-yard pass from Kenny Hill. Josh Lambo PAT (11:56). Key play: Seals-Jones 21-yard pass from Hill. A&M 17, SC 7
South Carolina: Damiere Byrd 46-yard pass from Thompson. Fry PAT. (9:47). A&M 17, SC 14
A&M: Edward Pope 14-yard pass from Hill. Lambo PAT. (7:07). Key play: Ricky Seals-Jones 19-yard pass from Hill. A&M 24, SC 14
A&M: Tra Carson 2-yard run. Lambo PAT (1:16). Key play: Malcome Kennedy 21-yard pass from Hill. A&M 31, SC 14
Third quarter
A&M: Josh Reynolds 5-yard pass from Hill. Lambo PAT (11:08). Key play: Brandon Williams 24-yard run to the 5-yard line. A&M 38, SC 14
South Carolina: Pharoh Cooper 5-yard pass from Thompson. Fry PAT. (7:33). Key play: Pass interference penalty on Devonta Burns to the 5-yard line. A&M 38, SC 21.
A&M: Tra Carson 2-yard run. Lambo PAT (5:06). Key play: Donnie Baggs recovers onside kick at the South Carolina 42. A&M 45, SC 21
South Carolina: Jones 10-yard pass from Thompson. Fry PAT. A&M 45, SC 28
Fourth quarter
A&M: Trey Williams 2 run. Lambo PAT (12:09). Key play: Malcome Kennedy 33-yard pass from Hill. A&M 52, SC 28
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