The South Carolina football team suffered a 24-17 loss to SEC rival Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, on Saturday. Both teams came into the game riding high from exciting wins in the week prior.
Throughout the entire first quarter, the two teams fought hard, exchanging punts and lacking offensive production. South Carolina managed a turnover when Keisean Nixon recovered a fumble on a muffed punt by the Aggies and returner Christian Kirk, but the turnover-sparked drive resulted in a 47-yard missed field goal attempt by freshman kicker Parker White. Neither team's offense thrived until the second quarter, when the Aggies scored a touchdown and South Carolina responded in kind.
The second half was a different story. The Gamecocks were held to 83 yards and a touchdown, while the Aggies totaled 255 yards with two touchdowns and a field goal. It is no secret that South Carolina’s offense was non-existent in the final quarter, but there are some positives to look back on.
Managing injuries
Quarterback Jake Bentley and the offense proved they can play without wide receiver Deebo Samuel. In the win over Louisiana Tech in Week 3, it took the Gamecocks three quarters to put up points. Against Texas A&M, they didn't score until midway through the second quarter. While only a slight improvement, the offense is moving in the right direction. Bentley finished 17-for-30 for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
Four different receivers had at least three receptions, and three of those players totaled more than 60 yards each, including Shi Smith, Bryan Edwards and tight end Hayden Hurst. OrTre Smith scored his third receiving touchdown of the season, tying for the team lead with Samuel, while Shi Smith scored the first receiving touchdown of his collegiate career.
Offensive line
The Gamecock offense has the potential to record breakout games with or without Samuel, but it all depends on the offensive line.
In the fourth quarter, South Carolina’s offensive line gave up four sacks and barely gave Bentley enough time to release the ball from the pocket. The Gamecocks have allowed the second most sacks in the SEC, and were out gained 151-7 in the fourth quarter, according to GamecocksOnline. With the loss, the Gamecocks fell to 1-2 in conference play, which is fourth best in the SEC East.
“We gotta get more production, bottom line," head coach Will Muschamp said.
Texas A&M is the real deal
With this game being decided by play in the trenches, Texas A&M proved it is a true contender in the SEC. The Aggies' defensive line recorded seven sacks on the night, while the offensive line helped the Aggies finish with 237 rushing yards.
Next week, the Aggies take on Alabama at home in what is project to be a very high scoring game. Both the Tide and the Aggies rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the SEC in points per game, respectively.
As for the Gamecocks, they host Arkansas on Oct. 7. Arkansas ranks third in the conference in points per game, which will again test the offense without Samuel and give the Gamecocks a chance to prove the offensive line has more potential than it showed Saturday night. The Gamecocks could use a big win to gain back the momentum they had after starting the season 2-0.