Texas A&M finally goes down
The South Carolina Gamecocks came in hot with a 44-20 upset over Texas A&M, handing the Aggies their first SEC loss of the season.
Texas A&M’s loss to South Carolina definitely put a scratch on what has been a successful season thus far. However, the Aggies’ season isn’t in jeopardy just yet. They’re tied with Georgia on top of the SEC standings at 5-1 and still have three regular-season games remaining after their bye week.
Gamecocks got Game
Starting quarterback and redshirt freshman, LaNorris Sellers came through for the Gamecocks on Saturday. He finished with 244 passing yards, two touchdowns and a career-high 106 rushing yards, with zero turnovers.
Sellers scored the first touchdown on a 23-yard run with two defenders sprinting full speed at him on first-and-5 midway through the first quarter. He stayed up, saw the field, which has been an issue earlier in the season, and found tight end Josh Simon for a 15-yard touchdown to give South Carolina the 14-0 lead.
After a much-needed win over the Aggies, Sellers was named SEC Freshman of the week.
🏈 SEC Freshman Player of the Week: WK 10
🐓 LaNorris Sellers@GamecockFB x #SECFB pic.twitter.com/9SSqfYFH72
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) November 4, 2024
Senior transfer Raheim Sanders also rose to the occasion for the Gamecocks. Sanders ran all over the Aggies, rushing for 144 yards on 20 carries, scoring two touchdowns with an impressive average of 7.2 yards per carry. Sanders also contributed to the receiving game, making five catches for 92 yards, averaging 18.4 yards per reception.
Aggies’ Undefeated Clock Runs Out
The Aggies offense struggled to find their rhythm throughout the first quarter. They gained some momentum in the second quarter, working their way back to a lead before halftime after falling behind 14-0 less than six minutes into the game. However, whatever momentum they had in the first half, didn’t return with them in the second.
The Gamecocks’ defense stopped the Aggies twice on fourth-and-1 and picked off quarterback Marcel Reed’s pass when the freshman threw off his back foot in the fourth quarter. Crucial stops like these limited Texas A&M’s ability to close the score gap late in the game.
Ultimately, South Carolina’s ability to control the game tempo, combined with A&M’s struggles to mount a strong counterattack, sealed the Aggies’ 44-20 loss.
Following their win, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer won the National Coach of the Week award.
South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer wins National Coach of the Week award
Read on GamecockCentral ➡️ https://t.co/aHCsLqjpMq pic.twitter.com/741vld6uIU
— GamecockCentral.com (@GamecockCentral) November 5, 2024
What’s next
Texas A&M: Hosts New Mexico State on Nov. 16.
South Carolina: At Vanderbilt Saturday.