By Grace Raynor, Sam Khan Jr. and Justin Williams
No. 10 Texas A&M entered Saturday’s game all alone in first place atop the SEC and having won nine of its last 10 matchups with South Carolina. But the Gamecocks proved to be the more dominant side in Columbia, defeating the Aggies 44-20 in resounding fashion as the home fans stormed the field.
South Carolina outscored Texas A&M 24-0 in the second half after a 20-20 tie at halftime. It’s the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since defeating top-10 Clemson in 2022.
The Gamecocks brought a top-10 defense into the weekend, but it was the offense that outgained A&M 530 total yards to 350. South Carolina (5-3, 3-3 SEC) did most of its damage on the ground, rushing for 298 yards at 6.7 yards per carry, including 144 yards and two touchdowns from running back Raheim Sanders and a career-high 106 yards and one touchdown from quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who added another 244 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air. The Gamecocks had 12 plays go for 15-plus yards: seven passes and five rushes.
A&M, on the heels of a comeback win over LSU last week, stuck with redshirt freshman Marcel Reed at quarterback after he was brought off the bench in relief of Conner Weigman last week. Reed completed 18 of 28 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown and ran for 46 yards, but committed both of the Aggies’ turnovers — one interception and one fumble.
Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC) is now one of five teams with one loss in SEC play. The Aggies are idle next week and host New Mexico State on Nov. 16. South Carolina visits Vanderbilt next Saturday. — Williams
What this loss means for Texas A&M
This is a significant blow to the Aggies’ College Football Playoff hopes. Texas A&M entered the weekend as the only SEC team without a conference loss, but suffering its second overall loss shrinks the Aggies’ margin for error the rest of the way. They’re now one of five SEC teams with one conference loss and two conference games to go: at Auburn and a Nov. 30 showdown at Kyle Field with No. 6 Texas.
The regular season finale will be their toughest test as Texas is the most talented team the Aggies see. Could that game now be a play-in for the SEC championship? That’s very much in the cards, but either way, the Aggies likely need to win out in the regular season to consider themselves safely in the bracket.
In the bigger picture, it’s a hard lesson for A&M to learn in Year 1 under Mike Elko. The program rebounded from its season-opening loss to Notre Dame with seven consecutive wins and was riding high after beating a then-top-10 LSU team by double digits last week. Although it doesn’t derail the season, getting smacked by the Gamecocks qualifies as a big letdown. — Khan
What went wrong for the Aggies
They got overwhelmed early by South Carolina’s hot start. Williams-Brice Stadium was buzzing at kickoff and the Gamecocks fed off that energy to a quick 14-0 lead.
A&M showed its resilience, coming back to take a three-point lead late in the second quarter and was all square at halftime. But the Aggies made too many mistakes. They turned the ball over twice, which led to seven South Carolina points. They went 4-for-15 on third down. They failed to convert two fourth-and-1 attempts and committed seven penalties. Losing running back Le’Veon Moss to an injury in the first half also didn’t help matters.
Defensively, they struggled to get Sellers on the ground and didn’t sack him once. And the run defense was porous. A&M gave up a season-high 286 yards on the ground, including 144 to Rocket Sanders and 106 to Sellers. — Khan
Gamecocks get their statement win
After losing to LSU by three points and Alabama by two points earlier this year, the Gamecocks got their marquee win Saturday as coach Shane Beamer grinned on the sidelines and hyped up the crowd in the final minutes before the field storm commenced. South Carolina jumped to an early lead and didn’t panic even when the Aggies came back to tie the game heading into halftime. Beamer’s offense scored 24 unanswered points in the second half on a night when South Carolina finished with 530 yards of offense and 7.6 yards per play. Sellers was sensational, finishing 13-of-27 passing for 244 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. The Gamecocks’ defense sacked Reed three times and held the Aggies to four-of-15 on third down and one-of-three on fourth down.
With the win, it’s clear that South Carolina, despite some inconsistencies this season, can compete with anyone when everything clicks for the Gamecocks. South Carolina beat Oklahoma by 26 points earlier this month and should enter the final stretch with plenty of momentum. The Gamecocks, who are 5-3 now, should have a legitimate chance against each of its remaining opponents in Vanderbilt, Missouri, Wofford and Clemson. Mark this down as one of the biggest wins of Beamer’s career, one he soaked up while his dad looked on from the sidelines. — Raynor
(Photo: Jeff Blake / Imagn Images)
