Fast start helps the Gamecocks silence Texas A&M with a statement win 30-26 with video, notes, quotes & more
Oct. 23, 2023
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BOX SCORE (PDF) / 2022 SEASON STATS / GAME NOTES / COACH BEAMER QUOTE / SSC PLAYER QUOTES / TEXAS A&M QUOTES
VIDEO COURTESY OF USC MEDIA OUTLET
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eYnMmJ4Q8g&t=23s
South Carolina opened strong with 17 points in the first six minutes and then held on to beat Texas A&M 30-24 on Saturday night. The Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and turned a fumble and interception deep in Aggies territory into 10 more points and a 17-0 hole for Texas A&M (3-4, 1-3) just over five minutes in. It’s the first time the Gamecocks have beaten the Aggies since the SEC made them their Western Division rival in 2014
Xavier Legette glanced to his left, dipped up the Texas A&M sideline, and hit the gas. With a flick of the wrist, the fourth-year receiver flashed a peace sign as he hit the open field. Deuces. Gone. Legette’s 100-yard kick return touchdown on the opening kickoff paced South Carolina to a 59-minute slow burn of heart-rate-raising football as USC (5-2, 2-2 SEC) exorcised a decade of ineptitude against Texas A&M in a wild and wacky 30-24 win over the visiting Aggies (3-4, 1-3).
The first five minutes of Saturday’s slugfest more closely mirrored the whimsical nature of the state fair taking place across the street than a Southeastern Conference football game. Legette opened the scoring with his touchdown return, matching the second-longest score in program history.
Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King followed, starting A&M’s early offensive ineptitude when he slung his fourth pass of the day into the hands of South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush’s outstretched arms. Stalling from the 5-yard line, the Gamecocks settled for a 23-yard Mitch Jeter chip shot. The mayhem compounded one possession later when a snap ricocheted off King’s knee and landed in the hands of Gamecocks defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway.
South Carolina tailback Christian Beal-Smith emphatically announced his return to the lineup following two games away due to injury with a five-yard touchdown scamper to make use of the short field. Yet as it did two weeks ago at Kentucky, South Carolina’s offense slogged through the opening 30 minutes of competition. The Gamecocks churned out just 98 yards of offense 80 passing and 18 rushing en route to the second-worst first-half offensive display of the season.
The Aggies offense took advantage of the lackluster rhythm, marching to a pair of field goals and a highlight-reel touchdown pass from King to tight end Max Wright, entering the half training 17-14. Trading blows both literally in a midfield scuffle between the third and fourth quarter, and figuratively the Gamecocks and Aggies took turns asking each other to win. Texas A&M running back Devon Achane pulled the Aggies within a field goal just before the end of the third quarter. But with King sidelined due to injury and freshman Connor Weigman guiding A&M’s offense, head coach Jimbo Fisher’s squad couldn’t find the final counterpunch.
MarShawn Lloyd ran 18 times for 92 yards and had both of South Carolina’s touchdowns in the second half to keep Texas A&M from climbing back in it. Spencer Rattler was 12-of-25 passing for 168 yards for South Carolina, which has won four games in a row for the first time since winning six in a row to finish the 2013 season
South Carolina running back MarShawn Lloyd supplied that. Moments after exiting the injury tent following a 24-yard scamper and hard hit, Lloyd blasted through the line and plunged into the end zone untouched for the cherry on top of South Carolina’s first-ever win over their cross-divisional opponents. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t perfect. But South Carolina is a win away from bowl eligibility in October.
Devon Achane ran 20 times for 99 yards for the Aggies. Hayes King was 17-of-32 passing for 178 yards, with a touchdown and an interception before leaving with an injury in the fourth quarter. Freshman Conner Weigman filled in and went 8 of 15 through the air for 91 yards but neither of his two final Hail Mary tries made it to the end zone after Texas A&M recovered an onside kick at midfield with nine seconds left. The loss puts even more pressure on Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, whose team started the season ranked No. 6, With a contract through 2031 paying him $9 million a year, his job likely isn’t in jeopardy.
However, losing to South Carolina has been bad for several SEC coaches. Phillip Fulmer for Tennessee in 2008, Will Muschamp in 2014, and Dan Mullen in 2021 all lost their jobs shortly after losing to the Gamecocks.
THE TAKEAWAY
Texas A&M: Plenty of people expected the Aggies to challenge Alabama in the SEC West this season. Instead, it looks like a struggle to get to six wins and a bowl game. A win over UMass is probable. After that, the Aggies need two wins out of four games Ole Miss, Florida, Auburn, and at LSU. South Carolina: Gamecocks fans chanted “Beamer Ball” during a late-game timeout in appreciation of second-year coach Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks only need to beat Missouri or Vanderbilt in the next two weeks to make a second straight bowl. And with the win, South Carolina has beaten every team in the current SEC.
UP NEXT Texas A&M: The Aggies host No. 7 Ole Miss next Saturday. South Carolina: The Gamecocks host Missouri next Saturday.
Oct. 23, 2023
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1ST QUARTER | 2ND QUARTER | 3RD QUARTER | 4TH QUARTER | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M | 3 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| South Carolina | 17 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
| TEXAS A&M | SOUTH CAROLINA | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Offense | ||
| Yards | 398 | 286 |
| Plays | 75 | 60 |
| Avg. Per Play | 5.31 | 4.77 |
| TDs | 2 | 4 |
BOX SCORE (PDF) / 2022 SEASON STATS / GAME NOTES / COACH BEAMER QUOTE / SSC PLAYER QUOTES / TEXAS A&M QUOTES
VIDEO COURTESY OF USC MEDIA OUTLET
Xavier Legette glanced to his left, dipped up the Texas A&M sideline, and hit the gas. With a flick of the wrist, the fourth-year receiver flashed a peace sign as he hit the open field. Deuces. Gone. Legette’s 100-yard kick return touchdown on the opening kickoff paced South Carolina to a 59-minute slow burn of heart-rate-raising football as USC (5-2, 2-2 SEC) exorcised a decade of ineptitude against Texas A&M in a wild and wacky 30-24 win over the visiting Aggies (3-4, 1-3).
The first five minutes of Saturday’s slugfest more closely mirrored the whimsical nature of the state fair taking place across the street than a Southeastern Conference football game. Legette opened the scoring with his touchdown return, matching the second-longest score in program history.
Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King followed, starting A&M’s early offensive ineptitude when he slung his fourth pass of the day into the hands of South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush’s outstretched arms. Stalling from the 5-yard line, the Gamecocks settled for a 23-yard Mitch Jeter chip shot. The mayhem compounded one possession later when a snap ricocheted off King’s knee and landed in the hands of Gamecocks defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway.
South Carolina tailback Christian Beal-Smith emphatically announced his return to the lineup following two games away due to injury with a five-yard touchdown scamper to make use of the short field. Yet as it did two weeks ago at Kentucky, South Carolina’s offense slogged through the opening 30 minutes of competition. The Gamecocks churned out just 98 yards of offense 80 passing and 18 rushing en route to the second-worst first-half offensive display of the season.
The Aggies offense took advantage of the lackluster rhythm, marching to a pair of field goals and a highlight-reel touchdown pass from King to tight end Max Wright, entering the half training 17-14. Trading blows both literally in a midfield scuffle between the third and fourth quarter, and figuratively the Gamecocks and Aggies took turns asking each other to win. Texas A&M running back Devon Achane pulled the Aggies within a field goal just before the end of the third quarter. But with King sidelined due to injury and freshman Connor Weigman guiding A&M’s offense, head coach Jimbo Fisher’s squad couldn’t find the final counterpunch.
MarShawn Lloyd ran 18 times for 92 yards and had both of South Carolina’s touchdowns in the second half to keep Texas A&M from climbing back in it. Spencer Rattler was 12-of-25 passing for 168 yards for South Carolina, which has won four games in a row for the first time since winning six in a row to finish the 2013 season
South Carolina running back MarShawn Lloyd supplied that. Moments after exiting the injury tent following a 24-yard scamper and hard hit, Lloyd blasted through the line and plunged into the end zone untouched for the cherry on top of South Carolina’s first-ever win over their cross-divisional opponents. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t perfect. But South Carolina is a win away from bowl eligibility in October.
Devon Achane ran 20 times for 99 yards for the Aggies. Hayes King was 17-of-32 passing for 178 yards, with a touchdown and an interception before leaving with an injury in the fourth quarter. Freshman Conner Weigman filled in and went 8 of 15 through the air for 91 yards but neither of his two final Hail Mary tries made it to the end zone after Texas A&M recovered an onside kick at midfield with nine seconds left. The loss puts even more pressure on Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, whose team started the season ranked No. 6, With a contract through 2031 paying him $9 million a year, his job likely isn’t in jeopardy.
However, losing to South Carolina has been bad for several SEC coaches. Phillip Fulmer for Tennessee in 2008, Will Muschamp in 2014, and Dan Mullen in 2021 all lost their jobs shortly after losing to the Gamecocks.
THE TAKEAWAY
Texas A&M: Plenty of people expected the Aggies to challenge Alabama in the SEC West this season. Instead, it looks like a struggle to get to six wins and a bowl game. A win over UMass is probable. After that, the Aggies need two wins out of four games Ole Miss, Florida, Auburn, and at LSU. South Carolina: Gamecocks fans chanted “Beamer Ball” during a late-game timeout in appreciation of second-year coach Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks only need to beat Missouri or Vanderbilt in the next two weeks to make a second straight bowl. And with the win, South Carolina has beaten every team in the current SEC.
UP NEXT Texas A&M: The Aggies host No. 7 Ole Miss next Saturday. South Carolina: The Gamecocks host Missouri next Saturday.
