GCF South Carolina vs. Texas A&M Game Preview, Prediction & Discussion Thread
HOW TO WATCH SOUTH CAROLINA VS TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL GAME
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 1-3 SEC) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2, 2-2 SEC)
Where: Kyle Field in College Station, Texas
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network Stream: via ESPN app
BETTING ODDS
South Carolina opened a 19-point road underdog to Texas A&M, with the line remaining stable across most sportsbooks Sunday. The Gamecocks failed to cover a lofty 18.5-point spread against Vanderbilt last week. Point spreads, according to VegasInsider.com Noon:
South Carolina
The Gamecocks travel to College Station, Texas on Saturday for their annual meeting with the Texas A&M Aggies out of the Southeastern Conference’s West Diivision. Shane Beamer earned his first SEC win as USC’s head coach in a 21-20 nail-biter against Vanderbilt last Saturday. The Gamecocks featured players who hadn’t seen the field since the Georgia game, highlighted by the return of running back ZaQuandre White and quarterback Zeb Noland.
Noland paved South Carolina’s path to victory in the final two minutes of the game, leading a 75-yard touchdown drive to clinch a victory after being outscored 17-0 in the second, third and majority of the fourth quarter. Texas A&M didn’t met its lofty preseason expectations early in 2021, falling to Arkansas and Mississippi State while adjusting to quarterback Zach Calzada, who stepped in for starter Haynes King after he fell injured early in Week 2. But the Aggies bounced back in their blockbuster 41-38 upset of then-No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9 and strong 35-14 win over Missouri last week.
The Gamecocks have a whole slew of issues as they scratch and claw their way through the season, but the defense has been able to hold its own. That was supposed to be one of the relative strengths. The defensive front is doing its part, even if it’s not quite getting to the quarterback enough – at least when it’s not playing Tennessee. Now it gets a Texas A&M offense that’s found a groove over the last two weeks, but it’s not rocking with the passing game.
Texas A&M
The Aggies came up with their best game of the year through the air against Alabama, but it’s been struggling with its accurate, it hasn’t hit 160 yards in three of its last four games, and the big plays down the field haven’t been there Bama game aside after a decent start.Texas A&M possesses an arsenal of offensive talent behind running back tandem Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane and talented receivers Ainias Smith and Jalen Wydermyer. Head coach Jimbo Fisher has this year’s Aggies rolling, and South Carolina will face them on an upswing. The Gamecocks have never defeated Texas A&M, going 0-7 since their first meeting in 2014. South Carolina was throttled by the Aggies last year in Columbia, falling 48-3 to a balanced offensive attack led by former A&M quarterback Kellen Mond.
The running game rocked Missouri. You and everyone at the McDonald’s drive-through line could run for 200 yards against Mizzou, but A&M is averaging over five yards per carry in three of the last four games the Bama game being the outlier. South Carolina’s run D hasn’t been bad, but give it a shot run the ball 40 times and the 200+ yard day will be there. A&M has the right style to squeeze the life out of this game if it gets up quickly. South Carolina has to keep this low scoring and close, but it’s not built to keep up.
TEXAS A&M PLAYERS TO WATCH
RB Isaiah Spiller: Spiller is the SEC’s third-leading rusher of 2021 with 659 yards on 105 carries and four touchdowns. He’s totaled another 159 yards and a touchdown on 18 receptions this year. A three-year veteran on the Aggies’ offense, Spiller has already put up 2,641 rushing yards in his college career and finished with a season-high 168 yards on 20 touches in last week’s win over Missouri.
QB Zach Calzada: Calzada’s was not the starter at the start of the season, but he’s worked through early struggles to become an impressive newcomer. The sophomore played his best under pressure against Alabama, completing 21 of his 31 passes for 285 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the Aggies’ win over the Crimson Tide. He’s completed 56% of his passes in 2021 for 1,177 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
DB Demani Richardson: is another Aggie veteran finding success midway through this season. The junior defensive back has had his best performances of 2021 in A&M’s last two games, finishing both the Alabama and Missouri games with seven tackles against each. Richardson also came up with a clutch interception at the Aggies’ 1-yard line against Alabama’s Bryce Young on Oct. 9.
GCF Prediction
Noland is going to be under a whole lot of pressure against an A&M defensive front that should live in the backfield. The Gamecocks might get enough defense to keep this from getting out of hand but then again can only do so much, the Aggies will likely grind it out until the big home run on the ground rips this game wide open.
Texas A&M 42, South Carolina 10
HOW TO WATCH SOUTH CAROLINA VS TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL GAME
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 1-3 SEC) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2, 2-2 SEC)
Where: Kyle Field in College Station, Texas
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network Stream: via ESPN app
BETTING ODDS
South Carolina opened a 19-point road underdog to Texas A&M, with the line remaining stable across most sportsbooks Sunday. The Gamecocks failed to cover a lofty 18.5-point spread against Vanderbilt last week. Point spreads, according to VegasInsider.com Noon:
South Carolina
The Gamecocks travel to College Station, Texas on Saturday for their annual meeting with the Texas A&M Aggies out of the Southeastern Conference’s West Diivision. Shane Beamer earned his first SEC win as USC’s head coach in a 21-20 nail-biter against Vanderbilt last Saturday. The Gamecocks featured players who hadn’t seen the field since the Georgia game, highlighted by the return of running back ZaQuandre White and quarterback Zeb Noland.
Noland paved South Carolina’s path to victory in the final two minutes of the game, leading a 75-yard touchdown drive to clinch a victory after being outscored 17-0 in the second, third and majority of the fourth quarter. Texas A&M didn’t met its lofty preseason expectations early in 2021, falling to Arkansas and Mississippi State while adjusting to quarterback Zach Calzada, who stepped in for starter Haynes King after he fell injured early in Week 2. But the Aggies bounced back in their blockbuster 41-38 upset of then-No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9 and strong 35-14 win over Missouri last week.
The Gamecocks have a whole slew of issues as they scratch and claw their way through the season, but the defense has been able to hold its own. That was supposed to be one of the relative strengths. The defensive front is doing its part, even if it’s not quite getting to the quarterback enough – at least when it’s not playing Tennessee. Now it gets a Texas A&M offense that’s found a groove over the last two weeks, but it’s not rocking with the passing game.
Texas A&M
The Aggies came up with their best game of the year through the air against Alabama, but it’s been struggling with its accurate, it hasn’t hit 160 yards in three of its last four games, and the big plays down the field haven’t been there Bama game aside after a decent start.Texas A&M possesses an arsenal of offensive talent behind running back tandem Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane and talented receivers Ainias Smith and Jalen Wydermyer. Head coach Jimbo Fisher has this year’s Aggies rolling, and South Carolina will face them on an upswing. The Gamecocks have never defeated Texas A&M, going 0-7 since their first meeting in 2014. South Carolina was throttled by the Aggies last year in Columbia, falling 48-3 to a balanced offensive attack led by former A&M quarterback Kellen Mond.
The running game rocked Missouri. You and everyone at the McDonald’s drive-through line could run for 200 yards against Mizzou, but A&M is averaging over five yards per carry in three of the last four games the Bama game being the outlier. South Carolina’s run D hasn’t been bad, but give it a shot run the ball 40 times and the 200+ yard day will be there. A&M has the right style to squeeze the life out of this game if it gets up quickly. South Carolina has to keep this low scoring and close, but it’s not built to keep up.
TEXAS A&M PLAYERS TO WATCH
RB Isaiah Spiller: Spiller is the SEC’s third-leading rusher of 2021 with 659 yards on 105 carries and four touchdowns. He’s totaled another 159 yards and a touchdown on 18 receptions this year. A three-year veteran on the Aggies’ offense, Spiller has already put up 2,641 rushing yards in his college career and finished with a season-high 168 yards on 20 touches in last week’s win over Missouri.
QB Zach Calzada: Calzada’s was not the starter at the start of the season, but he’s worked through early struggles to become an impressive newcomer. The sophomore played his best under pressure against Alabama, completing 21 of his 31 passes for 285 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the Aggies’ win over the Crimson Tide. He’s completed 56% of his passes in 2021 for 1,177 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
DB Demani Richardson: is another Aggie veteran finding success midway through this season. The junior defensive back has had his best performances of 2021 in A&M’s last two games, finishing both the Alabama and Missouri games with seven tackles against each. Richardson also came up with a clutch interception at the Aggies’ 1-yard line against Alabama’s Bryce Young on Oct. 9.
GCF Prediction
Noland is going to be under a whole lot of pressure against an A&M defensive front that should live in the backfield. The Gamecocks might get enough defense to keep this from getting out of hand but then again can only do so much, the Aggies will likely grind it out until the big home run on the ground rips this game wide open.
Texas A&M 42, South Carolina 10
