No. 10 Texas A&M Looks to Avoid Upset at South Carolina

Oct 31, 20243 min read

No. 10 Texas A&M (7-1, 5-0 in the Southeastern Conference) faces another big conference road test against South Carolina (4-3, 2-3) at 7:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 2 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

The Aggies have won seven games in a row and are 2-0 on the road this season, overcoming hostile environments against Florida and Mississippi State. While South Carolina's record does not impress on paper, the Gamecocks have already played close games against No.16 LSU and No. 14 Alabama.

Here is a deeper look at some players to watch during Texas A&M-South Carolina.

Key Players: South Carolina

Offense

QB LaNorris Sellers

Sellers has taken over South Carolina's starting job as a freshman and holds a 3-3 record. While he has thrown 4 interceptions in 6 games, he has only thrown one over the last 2 games, and his best performances have all come against ranked opponents. Sellers also has the second-most rushing yards for South Carolina.

RB Raheim Sanders

Sanders transferred from Arkansas in the offseason, where he ran for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns during the 2022 season. He has yet to duplicate those numbers, but he does lead the Gamecocks in rushing yards while adding 6 touchdowns this year.

WR Mazeo Bennett Jr.

The passing game doesn't appear to be much of a threat on paper, but Bennett Jr. is the only Gamecocks receiver with over 270 yards on the year and has scored 3 touchdowns.

Defense

DE Kyle Kennard, DE Dylan Stewart

The strength of South Carolina's defense is its defensive line, and these are its leaders. Kennard and Stewart have combined for 13 sacks this season and will challenge Texas A&M's pass protection and ability to create a viable passing game.

DB Nick Emmanwori, DB Jalon Kilgore

Emmanwori leads the Gamecocks with 49 tackles, 4 interceptions and 2 touchdowns on the year, while Kilgore has 3 picks and 23 tackles. It's normally not a good sign when your secondary has to make so many tackles, but these two have become elite players on the back end.

Key Players: Texas A&M

Offense

QB Marcel Reed, QB Conner Weigman

There has been a revolving door at quarterback this season for Texas A&M. At first, it was because of an injury to Weigman, but Reed then came in in relief of a struggling Weigman on Oct. 26 against LSU. Weigman is the more polished passer with some mobility, while Reed is the better runner with good arm strength that needs to work through mistakes and accuracy issues. Head coach Mike Elko was noncommittal on starter earlier this week. Whoever does get the nod will be expected to maintain the offensive production that A&M found late in last week's game.

RB Le'Veon Moss

Moss is in the middle of a breakout season. He is third in the SEC with 757 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and has scored at least 2 touchdowns in the last three games.

WR Noah Thomas

Thomas has become its best weapon as Texas A&M searches for a more consistent passing attack. While he only had one catch against LSU, he still leads the team with 22 catches for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns

Defense

DL Albert Regis, DE Nic Scourton

The Texas A&M defensive line has been great this season. Scourton has displayed an elite pass-rushing ability with 5 sacks, and head coach Mike Elko has pointed out Regis' play along the interior as a crucial factor in the unit's success. Regis has 19 tackles this season.

LB Scooby Williams

Taurean York leads A&M in tackles, but Williams has come on strong in recent games. He has made 11 tackles over the last 2 games and has 3 pass breakups and 1 interception on the season.

DB Will Lee III

Lee III has been the leader of the Aggies' secondary with 30 tackles, 9 passes defended and 1 interception. His leadership has allowed guys like Dalton Brooks, Marcus Ratcliffe, Bryce Anderson, and Dezz Ricks to grow and thrive in their roles.