No. 21 South Carolina beat Texas A&M 17-9 on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Aggies outgained the Gamecocks and won the clock, but every one of their points came on a field goal, and that decided it.
How It Happened
Neither team scored in the first quarter. David Olano opened the scoring for Texas A&M with a 40-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
South Carolina answered with the game's first touchdown at 11:54 of the second. LaNorris Sellers hit Mazeo Bennett Jr. from 1 yard out, and Malik Orsan added the extra point.
Olano closed the half with a 46-yard field goal as time expired. That left the Gamecocks holding a narrow lead at the break.
Olano struck again at 13:14 of the third with a 44-yard kick, and Texas A&M carried a lead into the fourth quarter. The rest of the third went scoreless.
Orsan put South Carolina back in front with a 43-yard field goal at 8:14 of the fourth. Sellers then sealed it with 1:19 left, breaking his long touchdown run before Orsan converted the kick.
The box score shows how much Texas A&M left on the field. The Aggies piled up 457 total yards and 26 first downs, held the ball for more than 34 minutes and did not turn it over once.
The problem was finishing. Texas A&M went 0-for-2 on fourth down and settled for three-pointers, while South Carolina did more with less. The Gamecocks averaged about 8 yards per pass to the Aggies' 6, and Sellers had a hand in both of their touchdowns.
Key Performers
South Carolina Gamecocks
LaNorris Sellers: 1 YD TD pass to Mazeo Bennett Jr.; 41 YD TD run
Malik Orsan: 43 YD FG; extra points after both touchdowns
Team passing: 20/31, 251 YDS, 8.1 yards per pass
Team rushing: 27 ATT, 109 YDS, 4.0 per carry
Sellers produced one touchdown through the air and one on the ground. The late run is the play that ended the game.
Texas A&M Aggies
David Olano: FG of 40, 46 and 44 YDS
Team passing: 25/43, 251 YDS, 5.8 yards per pass
Team rushing: 43 ATT, 206 YDS, 4.8 per carry
Third down: 9-19
Fourth down: 0-2
Olano accounted for all of Texas A&M's scoring. The Aggies ran the ball well, finishing well ahead of South Carolina on the ground, but the run game never produced a touchdown.
What It Means
South Carolina moves to 6-3 and 4-2 at home. As a ranked team hosting an unranked opponent, the Gamecocks did what they needed to, even on a day they were outgained and lost the turnover battle with 1 fumble lost.
Texas A&M falls to 4-5, and the home-road split now defines its season. The Aggies are 4-1 at home and 0-4 on the road.
This loss fits the road pattern. Texas A&M controlled possession and avoided mistakes but could not turn its yardage into touchdowns away from home, and the Aggies' penalties, 8 for 75 yards, did not help.