South Carolina couldn't make enough of a burst of second half momentum against No. 22 Texas A&M on Saturday, resulting in a loss to the Aggies.
The Gamecocks dropped the ball six times, a major factor in their 26-23 defeat. The loss raised questions about South Carolina's offense after dropping their third SEC game of the season.
From the start, the Gamecocks came out deflated on offense with two turnovers. However, the defense managed to keep it a low scoring game.
But once the Aggies were able to find their rhythm and capitalize on the offensive mistakes, the game was in their hands. Texas A&M broke loose with three field goals and a touchdown to carry a 16-0 edge over South Carolina into halftime.
The inconsistency on offense broke briefly for the Gamecocks, leading to a touchdown and two point conversion by wide receiver Bryan Edwards.
Soon after, Chavis Dawkins made his first career touchdown, followed by another two point conversion that tied up the game, 16-16.
The momentum seemed to be in the Gamecocks favor headed into the fourth quarter, but A&M managed to secure another field goal and touchdown, reclaiming a 10-point lead.
The Gamecocks would score one more time, but a short onside kick by Joseph Charlton secured the Aggie victory.
Head coach Will Muschamp acknowledged that an abundance of offensive errors countered spurts of success.
"We knew going into the game we needed to take some shots down the field," he said. "We felt like we could win in coverage down the field, which we did. We didn't take advantage of the opportunities."
Quarterback Jake Bentley got the start after missing the previous game due to a knee injury. The team's offensive struggles led some in the stands to call for fifth-year senior Michael Scarnnechia, who led the Gamecocks in a comeback win over Missouri last week, to replace Bentley. The junior acknowledged the criticism from the stands after the game but said he's still confident in his role as long as the team is behind him.
"I would say the support from my teammates had the biggest impact ... Having the support from my teammates and seeing them rally for me and everything was great for me to see," Bentley said.
Muschamp emphasized that the loss wasn't on any particular player and that the team needs to improve as a whole.
"I think we wore down a little bit," Muschamp said. "We've got to stay on the field more offensively, be able to convert. Third down wise, we're not where we need to be. We've got to rise up. It's a team game."
The Gamecocks now head into their bye week. They'll face Tennessee, who secured an upset over Auburn on Saturday, at home on Oct. 27.