Texas A&M Football: First Look – South Carolina Gamecocks

A First Look at the Next Opponent for Texas A&M Football

The South Carolina game last year was a turning point for Texas A&M football, in a bad way. Coming off of a close loss in Tuscaloosa, there were still dreams in the minds of Aggie fans that they could win out after an encouraging performance against the Tide. The first play of the game was a poor omen, however: the Gamecocks returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Soon after, a fumbled snap literally bounced directly into the hands of a Gamecock lineman, who brought the ball into the red zone, where SC scored a few plays later. The Aggies could not get out from under that deficit, and ended up sliding to 3-4 on the season. It was after that game that the four freshmen were suspended for a locker room incident and the season fully went off the rails.

This South Carolina team looks far different than they did at this point last year. In 2022, they were ascending and underrated; at the moment, they are limping and headed towards a downward spiral. Though Spencer Rattler returned for his super senior year following a 2022 campaign that saw the Gamecocks knock off two top-10 teams in their final two games, the late-season magic and high-flying offense has all but evaporated in Columbia. It doesn’t help things that injuries for the Gamecocks are approaching 2022 A&M levels, especially along the offensive line. Along that offensive front, injuries will accentuate the strength of Texas A&M football as the Aggie defensive line will look to terrorize Rattler all afternoon; injuries in another area, though, will cater to the Aggies’ weakness. Top WR Juice Wells went down early in the game against Georgia and has yet to return; Xavier Legette—special teams ace and top receiving threat in his own right—was injured against Missouri and could miss extended time as well. Rattler is an impressive quarterback, but if he has no time to throw and no one to throw to, then he can only do so much.

The Gamecock defense could be a cure for what ails the Aggies on that side of the ball as well. South Carolina comes in rocking the 89th-ranked defense per SP+; the worst Power 5 defense the Aggies will have faced this year by a long shot (the next worst is Arkansas, at 49th). I’ve been working on a theory that a consistent running attack will do much to aid Texas A&M football with Max Johnson at the controls; hopefully we will see that theory tested this weekend.

The biggest area to watch here will be special teams; you are, after all, coaching against a Beamer in this game. The third phase bit the Aggies early last year with the aforementioned kickoff return—though it should be said that Legette was the man who made the play, and he may be missing this game, as previously mentioned. Even so, with how spotty special teams play has been for the Aggies so far, Texas A&M football should be extra cautious here.

I think this will be a get right game for the Aggies and then some. Rattler has been a different guy on the road, and not in a good way. He has only 1 touchdown pass in road games this year, compared to 4 interceptions. The Aggies still have yet to allow a rushing touchdown since game one this year, and nothing I’ve seen from the Gamecock offensive line would make me think that’s changing this week. Give me the Aggies winning this one 33-10.