GAMECOCKFANATICS OFFICIAL PREVIEW & PREDICTION THREAD:
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (4-6, 3-4) vs Texas A&M Aggies (6-3, 3-2)
When: Saturday November 16, 2019
Kick-off: 7:30 pm ET
Where: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
TV: SEC Network
The Gamecocks head out on the SEC road to College Station, TX to face the West-Division Texas A&M Aggies for their final conference game of 2019. The game will be the Gamecocks’ fourth straight evening contest, with the kick-off scheduled for 6:30 Central Time (7:30 PM for the East Coast), and televised on the SEC Network.
The Coaches
USC Gamecocks
Head Coach: Will Muschamp (age 48), 4th year, 26-23 (54-44 as Head Coach - 8th year)
Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers: Bryan McClendon
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs: Travaris Robinson
Quarterbacks: Dan Werner
Running Backs: Thomas Brown
Offensive Line: Eric Wolford
Tight Ends: Bobby Bentley
Defensive Line: John Scott Jr.
Special Teams/Linebackers: Coleman Hutzler
Special Teams/Nickel Backs/Sam Linebackers: Kyle Krantz
Outside Linebackers: Mike Peterson
Texas A&M Aggies
Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher (age 54), 2nd year, 15-7 (98-30 as Head Coach – 10th year)
Defensive Coordinator/Safeties: Mike Elko
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks: Darrell Dickey
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs: Jay Graham
Wide Receivers: Dameyune Craig
Tight Ends: Joe Jon Finley
Offensive Line: Josh Henson
Cornerbacks: Maurice Linguist
Linebackers: Bradley Dale Peveto
Defensive Ends: Terry Price
Defensive Line: Elijah Robinson
The Series Match-up
The Gamecocks and the Aggies will take the field for their 6th contest against each other. The Aggies have won all previous 5 games. Since the initial game to open the 2014 season – a 52-28 blow-out, the Aggies have won the other 4 games by an average of just 7 points. Last season saw the Gamecocks fall 13-0 in the first half, before coming on strong in the 2nd half and out-scoring the Aggies 23-13 to ultimately fall by 3 points.
Key Match-ups For The Game
South Carolina and Texas A&M do not separate much from each other in the offensive categories, but where they do is perhaps in a key area: the Aggies have been more consistent in the passing offense in critical scoring opportunities, whereas the Gamecocks have stumbled more often once the offense gets closer to the end zone. The major match-up here will be the Gamecock passing attack of QB Ryan Hilinski and WRs Bryan Edwards and Shi Smith, against a solid Aggie pass defense, plus our rushing attack of Rico Dowdle, Kevin Harris, Mon Denson, and Deshaun Fenwick against a more porous A&M run defense.
On paper, it would seem that USC’s defense is by degrees better than TAMU’s: we have more SEC leaders in QB sacks, Tackles for Loss, Pass Defends, and Interceptions than the Aggies do. The Aggies however have had the more consistent defensive efforts and the better pass defense as well. But the Aggie offense is susceptible if the Gamecock defense can bring its top game to College Station.
South Carolina Will Win If
Texas A&M lost one of their top rushers for the season in their game with Clemson, so they are essentially down to two rushers for them in RB Isaiah Spiller and QB Kellen Mond. Spiller’s numbers were boosted considerably from his performance last week in the Aggies’ 45-14 win over UTSA, in which he rushed 20 times for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns. In 5 SEC games thus far, Spiller has averaged 40.8 yards per game.
The Gamecocks defense has contained several top rushing offenses thus far this season: Alabama (25 for 76 yds, 1 td); Missouri (54 for 194, 0 tds); Kentucky (28 for 115 yds, 1 td); Georgia (43 for 173, 1 td). Contain Spiller and Mond on the ground, and force Mond into making mistakes, which he is prone to.
Contain the Aggies’ offense and make it more one-dimensional, and our own RBs perform (much) better this week, and the Gamecocks will be in strong position to win the game.
Texas A&M Will Win If
Mond’s running ability makes me nervous. Also, the Aggies have a longer passing attack than we do: Mond will air out a long pass or two during games. If the Gamecock Secondary are not able to stay with the Aggie receivers, and the defensive line cannot put pressure on Mond, then it could be a long night. Jimbo Fisher’s offense is a solid, balanced offense that stays on the field – they are 2nd in the SEC thus far in average offensive Time of Possession (South Carolina is 13th).
If the Aggies defense can make the Gamecocks' offense one-dimensional, and put pressure on Hilinski with the crowd support and noise we know they will get, and if the Aggie offense is able to stay on the field and wear down the Gamecock defense, the game could turn ugly.
Gamecock Fanatics Prediction
Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 21
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