Texas A&M’s 17-point fourth quarter lifted the Aggies over the Gamecocks as they took down South Carolina 30-6, in A&M’s last home game of the season. The Aggie offense amassed 319 yards on the ground in the winning effort.
The Aggies strung together a 78-yard opening drive, spanning 7:08, that ended with a 35-yard Seth Small field goal. The two teams traded punts before the Gamecocks tied the game up at 3-3 with as Parker White converted a 37-yard field goal.
On the ensuing drive, six consecutive rushes opened up the passing game as Kellen Mond found a wide-open Cordarrian Richardson for his first career receiving touchdown, a 17-yard lob which Richardson reeled in.
The A&M defense got a quick stop, and Kellen Mond set the table on the following drive with a 24-yard run. Seth Small nailed a 30-yard chip shot, and the Aggies held a 13-3 lead at the half.
The Aggies outgained the Gamecocks 101 to 22 and held the ball for 12:07 in the third quarter but were unable to increase their lead as costly penalties and untimely incompletions plagued their drives in the quarter.
The Aggie offense and defense started to build off of each other in the fourth quarter, and Small converted a 40-yard field goal with 12:40 left in the game.
A three-and-out gave the Aggies the ball back at their own 35. Spiller and Richardson alternated carries and marched 64 yards down the field before Kellen Mond leaped into the end zone for a touchdown on a one-yard quarterback keeper. The Aggies held a 23-3 lead with 10:13 remaining.
The A&M defense forced another stop and the Aggies got the ball back at their own 23-yard line. Cordarrian Richardson busted through the Gamecock defense for a 75-yard touchdown to increase the A&M lead to 30-3.
A late Gamecock field goal wasn’t enough for them to get back in the game, and the Aggies finished off South Carolina, 30-6, for their fourth straight win.
RUMBLED: Kellen Mond threw for 221 yards, but it was the Aggie running backs who stole the show against the Gamecocks. Cordarrian Richardson and Isaiah Spiller amassed 131 and 129 rushing yards, respectively. The A&M running back corps has seen increased production in every game against a Power 5 opponent, and that trend continued on Saturday. Spiller was the bell-cow and continually chipped away at the Gamecock defense, racking up 24 carries. Richardson busted through for a 75-yard run with 6:37 remaining in the game.
STUMBLED: In a game where the Aggies had few weaknesses, one that does stand out is the lack of chemistry it appeared Kellen Mond had with his wide receivers. The signal-caller overthrew Quartney Davis, Jhamon Ausbon and Ainias Smith more than a handful of times, which often appeared to be a problem of miscommunication. Though Mond played a decent game overall, there seemed to be times of confusion between him and his receivers. Seth Small also missed a field goal from 43 yards out at an inopportune time with the game still hanging in the balance in the third quarter.
UNSUNG HERO: Though he was relatively quiet in the passing game, Ainias Smith made a big impact in the return game and really flexed his elusiveness by creating running lanes via shifty jukes. Smith returned four punts for 53 yards and nearly busted through on a couple of runs. It’s also worth noting that Charles Oliver was lockdown in coverage and racked up six pass break-ups.
KEY STAT: Total Yards: Texas A&M 540, South Carolina 260.
Though it didn’t necessarily appear on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, this was a one-sided affair in which the Aggies prevented the Gamecocks from getting anything going on offense. Gamecock quarterback Ryan Hilinski completed just 16-of-41 passes for 175 yards coupled with a rushing attack that provided just 45 yards on 17 carries. The Aggies simply overpowered the Gamecocks but didn’t have the explosive touchdown plays to finish them off until the fourth quarter.
First-quarter:
A&M: 6:03 - Seth Small 35-yard FG made. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards. TOP: 7:04.
Texas A&M 3, South Carolina 0.
SC: 0:23 - Parker White 37-yard FG is good. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards. TOP: 1:49.
Texas A&M 3, South Carolina 3.
Second-quarter:
A&M: 11:35 - Cordarrian Richardson 17-yard pass from Kellen Mond. (Extra point good by Seth Small). TOP: 3:48.
Texas A&M 10, South Carolina 3.
A&M: 0:26 - Seth Small 30-yard FG is good. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards. TOP: 3:46.
Texas A&M 13, South Carolina 3.
Fourth-quarter:
A&M: 12:40 - Seth Small 40-yard FG is good. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards. TOP: 7:40.
Texas A&M 16, South Carolina 3.
A&M: 10:13 - Kellen Mond 1-yard run up the seam. (Small XP good). TOP: 2:03. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards.
Texas A&M 23, South Carolina 3.
A&M: 6:37 - Richardson 75-yard touchdown run (Small XP good). TOP: 0:56. Drive: 2 plays, 77 yards.
Texas A&M 30, South Carolina 3.
SC: 3:27 - Parker White 39-yard FG is made. TOP: 0:34. Drive: 4 plays, -9 yards.
Texas A&M 30, South Carolina 6.
