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    • Aggies grades for Week 10
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    Aggies grades for Week 10

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

    The No. 11 Texas A&M football team was surprised by the South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 10 and suffered its second loss of the season.

    The Aggies (7-2, 5-1) lost to the Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3) 44-20 in an uncharacteristically poor night for A&M on both sides of the ball.

    3 TAKEAWAYS: Texas A&M Football falls flat against South Carolina

    The Aggies’ offense, led by quarterback Marcel Reed, was limited to 350 yards total offense and just 144 yards on the ground. The redshirt freshman also had his first two turnovers of the season in the loss, an interception and a fumble late when the game was well under control.

    The defense struggled all night as the combination of freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers and senior running back Raheim Sanders helped lead the Gamecocks to 530 yards of offense. The Aggies continued their trend of indiscipline with penalties, picking up seven penalties, which played a big part in their second loss of the season.

    Next up, Texas A&M will be idle before welcoming New Mexico State to Kyle Field in Week 12.

    RELATED: Texas A&M football’s postseason hopes are hurt by a road loss to South Carolina

    3 TAKEAWAYS: Texas A&M football fails at South Carolina

    Here’s how the Aggies performed on Saturday:

    Quarterbacks: C-

    Reed showed real problems for the first time this season on Saturday night. South Carolina had a game plan to stop the dual-threat offense and it worked perfectly as the Aggies struggled all night to find sustained offensive success.

    Reed totaled 206 passing yards and 46 rushing yards, and the Aggies completed third and fourth downs with 5:18 to play. Sellers was able to find big plays in the passing game with two completions of more than 30 yards; Reed’s longest completion of the day was 22 yards.

    Running Backs: C+

    The loss of Le’Veon Moss early in the game was a blow to the Aggies’ offense, which relies so heavily on the running game. Amari Daniels scored 80 runs, but Moss had more than 120, showing A&M’s confidence in the junior. Moss’ physicality in short-yardage situations was sorely missed, and the lack of his ability to convert in high-leverage situations played a large factor in the outcome of the game.

    Daniels stepped up admirably, finishing the game with 83 yards (most of which came from a 56-yard rush) and a touchdown on 13 carries, but the running game looked markedly different in Moss’ absence. As a team, A&M averaged just 3.4 yards per carry.

    Receiver: C+

    A group that largely complemented the running game well struggled to separate itself at times on Saturday. The Aggies threw for 206 yards, including 164 from the wide receiver room, and totaled 103 yards while trailing for most of the second half.

    A&M is a run-heavy team, but even though they trailed for much of the game, their receivers were only caught on 15 passes and lacked a major threat. Noah Thomas, a 6-foot-2 junior, typically fits that role but only had two receptions.

    Offensive line: C

    The Gamecocks have an impressive pass rush led by Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart, and the Aggies knew that coming into the game. Statistically, A&M held up well as they gave up two sacks, both of which came in the fourth quarter.

    However, they struggled at the point of attack, as evidenced by their 3.4 yards per carry and their inability to convert on third and fourth downs. The Aggies interior defenders struggled to overcome short-yardage situations, with the Gamecocks repeatedly collapsing the line to get off the field.

    According to Stats Broadcast, the Aggies finished 1 for 9 on “power rushing” attempts, a statistic defined by rushing attempts that convert into touchdowns or first downs of 2 yards or less. They had a success rate of 31, with 40 considered average.

    Defensive line: D+

    A group loaded with talent recorded zero in the sack column tonight and struggled to contain Sellers as the mobile quarterback was able to break through the rush and shred the Aggies’ defense all night long.

    The freshman quarterback finished the game with 106 rushing yards, and a large portion of that was due to the pass rushers pursuing too much, giving him the opportunity to step up and get into space. Sellers was hit in the pocket several times, but the Aggies couldn’t beat him once.

    The Gamecocks had about 5.8 yards left on third downs, but averaged 9.7 yards per play. Sellers bouncing off free rushers before completing a 5-yard scramble or clutch completion will be a lasting image for this defensive line.

    Linebacker: D

    The Aggies’ linebackers, led by sophomore captain Taurean York, are usually a highlight for the unit. However, they haven’t played well and York knows it.

    “Continue to build on the progression of the season. It felt like a man had hit us. We didn’t tackle it with our technology. “It starts with me,” he said after the defeat.

    York is right. The Aggies’ linebackers struggled to spot Sellers and contain him, while Sanders also held his own on the ground, finishing with 144 yards.

    The tandem of York and Scooby Williams was just part of the problem for an A&M defense that ranked in the top 20 in the country in rushing defense.

    Defensive Backs: B-

    The bright spot for the Aggies’ defense on Saturday night is that the cornerbacks played respectably. The combination of Mazeo Bennett Jr. and Jared Brown finished the game with three receptions for 20 yards. While Bennett left the game early due to injury, no other wide receiver was able to step in and play in his absence.

    But there were issues with the other pass catchers on the unit. Tight end Joshua Simon finished the game with 132 yards and two touchdowns, while Sanders added another 92 from the backfield.

    A lot of that blame falls on the safeties and perhaps the linebackers as well. Not much went right for the 44 points, but the play of cornerbacks Will Lee III and BJ Mayes continues to be encouraging; Lee continues to show he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the SEC, and Mayes commits his third turnover in two weeks with a fumble recovery.

    Special teams: B+

    Tyler White has been a real weapon for the Aggies, but tonight was just a hectic night for the rookie. He hit the ball five times, getting stuck inside the 20-yard line twice, while averaging 40 yards per attempt.

    Placekicker Randy Bond once again had a strong performance, going 2-2 with 55 yards on the day.

    Trainer: C-

    Head coach Mike Elko and Co. have been deservedly praised all season, but tonight was a low point. Despite winning the last two months, this team has struggled with penalties and is currently ranked 116th in the country with 62.

    The team’s lack of discipline kept them playing with fire all season, and on Saturday against South Carolina, the Aggies were finally burned out. A&M finished the night with seven penalties accepted, and if Elko’s group wants to get its season back on track and advance to the College Football Playoff, the little details will be crucial.

    Luckily for A&M, they have an off week next week and Elko will have plenty of time to emphasize where his team needs to improve.

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    Madoc Meredith
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