Week 10 Preview: Scouting the Texas A&M Aggies

The South Carolina football team has just five more games left on its regular season schedule. After taking their second bye week of the 2024 campaign, the Gamecocks are looking to have another “November to remember.”

The first step along that journey will be taking on Texas A&M in South Carolina’s last night game of the season at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Aggies will head to Columbia looking to further advance their College Football Playoff agenda with a road win.

Before the game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on ABC, here’s what Texas A&M brings to the table.

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How they got here

Although the Aggies are not the highest-ranked team in the SEC, they currently sit atop the conference’s standings. Texas A&M is the lone team in the SEC with an undefeated record in conference play (5-0). Across all its regular season games, the Aggies are 7-1 overall.

Texas A&M heads into Columbia coming off its most significant statement win of the 2024 campaign – a 38-23 come-from-behind victory over then-No. 8 LSU. The Aggies trailed 17-7 at the halftime break but outscored the Tigers 31-6 in the second half to earn the win.

The victory was Texas A&M’s second against a top-10 opponent – it previously beat then-No. 9 Missouri three weeks before. The Aggies have also logged conference wins over Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi State, in addition to non-conference victories over McNeese State and Bowling Green. Texas A&M’s lone blemish on its resume, from a win-loss standpoint, is a season-opening defeat to Notre Dame at Kyle Field.

Last time out

The Gamecocks’ and Aggies’ all-time series has predominantly been a one-sided affair. In the 10 contests the two teams have played against each other, Texas A&M has come out on top nine times.

One of those victories came in South Carolina’s most recent matchup against the Aggies, which resulted in a 30-17 victory for the latter team. The Gamecocks jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter, only for Texas A&M to explode for 21 second-quarter points, helping it gain a lead it never let go of. Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 33 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown that day.

The two teams’ last matchup in Williams-Brice Stadium was a different story, though. Xavier Legette ran the opening kickoff 100 yards to the end zone to start the game. Four quarters later, South Carolina clinched its first-ever win over the Aggies by a 30-24 score.

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Where they sit in the rankings

Texas A&M is ranked in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls. The Aggies are currently ranked No. 10 in the AP poll after rising four spots from last week and receiving 972 votes. The USA Today Coaches poll also pegged Texas A&M as the No. 11 team in the country with 806 votes.

ESPN’s College Football Power Index (FPI) ranks the Aggies No. 12 with a 16.7 FPI. In ESPN’s SP+ rankings, Texas A&M checks in at No. 11.

The Aggies sit 10th in the Massey Ratings. It ranks 20th in offense and 13th in defense.

ESPN gives Texas A&M a 54.1 percent chance to win this weekend. The Aggies head into the contest as three-point favorites, according to ESPN BET.

Players to watch

Marcel Reed (Freshman, quarterback) – The Aggies’ comeback hero from last weekend is expected to get the start on Saturday. In that game against LSU, Reed attempted only two passes, but both resulted in completions for 70 yards. He also scored three touchdowns on the ground, gaining an additional 62 yards on nine carries. Reed was named Co-SEC Freshman of the Week for his efforts. Heading into the season, he was listed as the No. 328 recruit and No. 19 quarterback prospect in the class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Nic Scourton (Junior, defensive lineman) – Scourton has only been on Texas A&M’s defensive line for one year, but his impact has been immediate. The Bryan, Texas native spent the first two years of his college football career at Purdue, where he totaled 72 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and three forced fumbles. This year alone, he has accumulated 12.5 tackles for loss and five sacks through seven games.

Le’Veon Moss (Junior, running back) – Moss has been a big reason why the Aggies’ ground game is amongst the SEC’s most potent. He currently ranks third in the SEC in both rushing yards (757) and rushing touchdowns (10, tied with two other players) after logging just 484 yards and five scores last season. Across seven contests this year, he has ran for 100 yards or more three times.

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Path to victory

South Carolina’s matchup against Texas A&M beckons the mentioning of a surprising statistic – the Gamecocks have yet to beat a conference opponent in Williams-Brice Stadium this year. Granted, those two losses have come against stiff competition in LSU and Ole Miss. But South Carolina will have a prime opportunity to knock off a top-10 team on Saturday.

One of the team’s mantras – “run the ball and stop the run” – will be pivotal in this game.

The Aggies’ offense ranks in the bottom half of the SEC, but its ground game is among the conference’s best. Texas A&M ranks second in the SEC in rushing yards per game (221.5). The team is also stout against the run, allowing just 104.5 rushing yards per game, which is fourth in the SEC.

The Aggies’ defensive line should provide South Carolina’s running backs with a challenge. But if they are unable to capitalize on opportunities, this could allow the Gamecocks to exploit one of Texas A&M’s weaknesses – its pass defense, which ranks 15th in the SEC (233.5 passing yards allowed per game).

On the defensive side of the football, tackling will be key for South Carolina. The Gamecocks should be prepared for both Reed and Conner Weigman to see the field at some point in the contest, and the Aggies have multiple options out wide and in the backfield. Keeping explosive plays to a minimum will help keep South Carolina’s offense within striking distance throughout the contest.

Strong special teams play could help, too. Legette’s game-opening kickoff return provided a significant momentum boost for not only the Gamecocks, but also for the Williams-Brice Stadium crowd. Jumping out to an early lead with a big play could have a similar positive impact on South Carolina’s upset chances.

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