We break down the key plays and players from South Carolina’s 44-14 loss to Texas A&M.

Three Key Plays

1. Third and Ten

A nice kickoff return and a facemask penalty got South Carolina into Aggie territory on the game’s opening drive. On third and ten, nobody was open, and Zeb Noland had to throw incomplete in the direction of Xavier Legette. Maybe if South Carolina converts, the game plays out differently. Instead, it led to ...

2. Punt return

It was the opposite of Beamer Ball. Ainias Smith fielded the punt at his five, normally a bad idea. He broke a tackle, and ran away from a couple more, weaving his way for a 95-yard touchdown return. South Carolina needs the special teams scores to keep up with Texas A&M, not the other way around.

3. Third down draw

An interception by Jaylan Foster and an 18-yard catch-and-run by Josh Vann had given the Gamecocks a glimmer of hope and the ball inside the Aggie 40. After a bad snap and incomplete pass, it was third and 12. Thinking it was four down territory, the Gamecocks went with a draw, a safe play that was sure to get five or six yards and set up a fourth and manageable. Except it didn’t. Marshawn Lloyd picked up just two yards, and the Gamecocks punted. In retrospect, they should have gone for it on fourth down, but at the time the score was still 7-0 and the offense had shown no indication it could get the ten yards, so the punt made some sense. It didn’t matter, though - the Aggies marched 90 yards on the ensuing drive and the rout was on.

Game Balls

Jaylan Foster

Mr. Interception had another one, his nation-leading fifth of the season. Foster also tied for the game-high with seven tackles.

Kai Kroeger

Kroeger averaged 46.9 yards per kick on his seven punts.

One Burning Question

What can you do?

Not, what can you do to beat a team like Texas A&M, what can you do to keep your players from getting injured? There’s no depth, the line can’t block, the defense has to play most of the game because the offense can’t get a first down. The coaching staff has to come up with something over the bye week just to protect the players from getting injured. At one point in the third quarter, when the Gamecocks had six yards of offense, the TV announcer said the Gamecock offense “isn’t completely inept.” It clearly was. The Gamecocks don’t have the players for the offense they are trying to run right now, so something has to change. The triple option isn’t looking half bad right now.

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