Post Game Review: South Carolina 30, Texas A&M 24
Texas A&M dropped its third straight game, falling to South Carolina on Saturday night in Columbia, 30-24.
Seeking their fourth consecutive win, the Gamecocks controlled the game from the very beginning. Just 14 seconds in, Xavier Legette housed a 100-yard kickoff return to quickly shift momentum in favor of South Carolina, 7-0.
A&M’s offense then took the field with three freshmen starting on the offensive line. After an amazing grab by Evan Stewart on a crucial third down, quarterback Haynes King threw his sixth interception of the year. But A&M’s defense was able to hold the Gamecocks to just a field goal as they staked a 10-0 lead.
On the following drive, the Aggies turned the ball over for the second time due to a miscommunication on a bad snap. The Gamecocks were set up on Texas A&M’s 36-yard line, and four plays later, Christian Beal-Smith ran into the end zone and extended their lead to 17-0.
For the first time in the game, King & Co. began to push their way downfield. A 13-yard grab by Stewart kicked off the drive, and Donovan Green secured another first down three plays later. Though, the Aggies were forced to settle for a 51-yard field goal, a career-long for Randy Bond.
A&M’s defense only allowed 15 yards the next drive to force their first punt. However, a stagnant A&M offense continued to falter as three incomplete passes consumed A&M’s five-play drive.
On the defensive side, A&M’s youth rose to the occasion. Lacking two starters in the backfield in Edgerrin Cooper and Antonio Johnson, Bryce Anderson stripped the ball from South Carolina’s Juju McDowell on a tackle to force the Gamecocks’ first turnover of the game.
After what was an eventful first quarter for South Carolina, the Aggies’ attempt to string a set of offensive yards together resulted in another Randy Bond field goal to cut the deficit to 17-6.
D.J. Durkin switched up the defensive fronts against an experienced Gamecock offensive line. A collection of short rushes and incomplete passes allowed the Aggie offense to take the field.
Backed up on their own three-yard line, the Aggies began to let Devon Achane shine. King launched to Stewart for an 18-yard catch before Achane secured a collection of short gains. Finding a hole, the running back sprinted for 30-yards and started to take advantage of South Carolina’s lacking run defense.
Achane then made an impressive 12-yard grab to put the Aggies in position for a first down. The 94-yard drive put the Aggies right back in the ball game as Max Wright reached over the goal line for six points. Stewart then completed a two-point conversation to make it a 17-14 ball game.
With two minutes left in the first half, Spencer Rattler took a couple shots down the field in an attempt to capitalize with minimal time left, but the Aggies and Gamecocks headed into their locker rooms with no change in score.
Back on the field, passes up the middle to Stewart and Moose Muhammad started off what looked to be a promising drive. Wright caught his second pass of the day before King threw three consecutive incomplete passes and the Aggies were forced to punt.
South Carolina pieced together a solid drive put in motion by a 20-yard MarShawn Lloyd run. A&M’s defense began to bring the pressure on Rattler. Andre White Jr. caused the first loss of yards with a sack, and Chris Russell Jr. stepped up with a tackle for loss to hault any offensive momentum. Texas A&M’s next possesion consisted of four plays and sent out Nik Constantinou to punt.
South Carolina increased its lead the following drive sparked by a 20-yard pass to Austin Stogner and multiple short gains by Lloyd. From 18-yards out, the running back stepped into the end zone and Jimbo Fisher and his offense needed a response.
On a crucial third down, the Aggies had their fifth false start of the game and pushed back their third-and-nine attempt to third-and-14, and a pass to Achane was short of a new set of downs.
However, Texas A&M’s defense helped out when called upon. A Fadil Diggs sack let the ball loose, and it was scooped up by Anderson 24-yards away from the end zone. On third-and-one, Achane ran for 15 of those and made it a one-score game. South Carolina had no response and went three-and-out.
On the Aggies’ first drive of the fourth quarter, King went down with an apparent shoulder injury and true freshman Conner Weigman made his highly-anticipated career debut. Weigman went two-for-two, but the competions were short of the first down, forcing the Aggies punt yet again.
South Carolina went three-and-out and Weigman took the field once again. Not being able to get in a rhythm, Texas A&M sent out Constantinou to pin the Gamecocks on their own 20-yard line.
Although, it didn’t matter. South Carolina began to spruce up their offense with a 24-yard run followed by a 21-yard pass to blast right past A&M’s defense. Needing a stop, the Gamecocks built on the drive with a handful of rushes and capped it off with an easy run into the endzone.
Backed up on their own 12-yard line, the Aggies lacked any answer and South Carolina forced a turnover on downs. The Gamecocks finished with a valueless drive, and Weigman drove the Aggies down 83-yards to kick a field goal, 30-24.
The Aggies recovered the onside kick, and Weigman took one shot down the field that was batted down and the final pass was knocked out of freshman’s hands. And for the first time in the series’ eight-year history, South Carolina gained possession of the Bonham Trophy.
RUMBLED: Texas A&M’s defense continues to prove itself game after game. Holding the Gamecocks to just 118 rushing yards, the Aggies’ front caused five tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries. A&M also continued its trend of forcing a fumble in every game this season.
STUMBLED: A&M’s first two possessions of the game. Two turnovers. After a 100-yard kickoff return, the Gamecocks capitalized on a Haynes King interception with a field goal to jump out to a 10-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
The next offensive drive, miscommunication between Matthew Wykoff and King led to an early snap that was picked by South Carolina, allowing the Gamecocks to waltz right back into the endzone. Additionally, A&M’s O-line didn’t do King nor Weigman any favors, allowing nine quarterback hurries.
Not to pile on, but all of A&M’s eight penalites were false starts.
TURNING POINT: A&M’s first two possesions told the story of the game. Althought they fought their way back, South Carolina maintained control from the jump.
UNSUNG HERO: With the secondary thinned out, Bryce Anderson has been asked to step up numerous times this season and has delivered every single time. The true freshman totaled three tackles, forced a fumble and secured one forced by Diggs. Anderson has made a huge impact in the backfield and has carried himself like a champ in the process.
KEY STAT: For the first time under Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies have dropped three consecutive games. The last time one of Fisher’s teams to do so was Florida State in 2011. The team has also yet to score more than 24 points against an FBS opponent.
Scoring Summary
First-quarter
USC: 14:46 - Xavier Legette returns kickoff 100-yards. South Carolina 7, Texas A&M 0
USC: 12:22 - Mitch Jeter 23-yard field goal. South Carolina 10, Texas A&M 0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards. TOP: 0:50. South Carolina 10, Texas A&M 0
USC: 9:51 - Christian Beal-Smith 5-yard touchdown run. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards. TOP: 1:44. South Carolina 17, Texas A&M 0
A&M: 6:28 - Randy Bond 51-yard field goal. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards. TOP: 3:23. South Carolina 17, Texas A&M 3
Second-quarter
A&M: 13:30 - Randy Bond 26-yard field goal. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards. TOP: 2:55. South Carolina 17, Texas A&M 6
A&M: 6:28 - Haynes King 9-yard touchdown pass to Max Wright. Evan Stewart catches a pass for a two-point conversation. Drive: 13 plays, 94 yards. TOP: 8:04. South Carolina 17, Texas A&M 14
Third-quarter
USC: 3:25 - MarShawn Lloyd 18-yard touchdown run. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards. TOP: 2:47. South Carolina 24, Texas A&M 14
A&M: 0:27 - Devon Achane 15-yard touchdown run. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards. TOP: 1:21. South Carolina 24, Texas A&M 21
Fourth-quarter
USC: 3:08 - MarShawn Lloyd 4-yard touchdown run. Blocked PAT. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards. TOP: 5:13. South Carolina 30, Texas A&M 21
A&M: 0:10 - Randy Bond 28-yard field goal. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards. TOP: 0:51. South Carolina 30, Texas A&M 24