sports
South Carolina dumps Texas A&M 17-9 as Aggies falter
LaNorris Sellers threw for 251 yards and a touchdown as South Carolina beat Texas A&M 17-9. The Aggies fell to 4-5 and are running out of time for bowl eligibility.
South Carolina beat Texas A&M 17-9 on Saturday, holding the Aggies to nine points and zero touchdowns, ESPN reported.
Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw for 251 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-31 passing. Texas A&M running back Rueben Owens II ran for 137 yards, but the Aggies could not finish drives.
South Carolina led 6-3 at halftime and pulled away with two second-half scores. Texas A&M managed just two field goals.
What the coverage missed
Texas A&M ran for 137 yards and threw for 78. The Aggies gained 215 total yards and scored nine points. That is not an offense. That is a team that cannot throw the ball, and South Carolina knew it. The Gamecocks loaded the box and dared A&M to pass. The Aggies could not make them pay.
Owens ran for 137 yards on 19 carries. That is 7.2 yards per carry. He was the only productive player on the A&M offense. The Aggies have a running back and no passing game. That is a coaching problem, not a talent problem.
South Carolina is 6-3 and bowl eligible. The Gamecocks have won three straight. Sellers is playing his best football of the season. This is a team that could win eight or nine games, and nobody is talking about them.
What I think
Texas A&M is the most disappointing team in the SEC. The Aggies have talent. They have facilities. They have money. They do not have a quarterback or a passing game, and that falls on the coaching staff. Mike Elko is in his second year, and the offense has not improved.
The Aggies need two wins to reach a bowl. They play LSU and Texas to close the season. Both games are losable. If A&M misses a bowl game with this roster, the administration will have to decide whether Elko gets a third year. The buyout is large, but so is the embarrassment of a 4-8 season in College Station.
South Carolina is quietly having a good year. Sellers is a freshman quarterback who is getting better every week. The Gamecocks have a defense and a running game. If they can keep Sellers healthy, they will be a problem in the SEC next year.