Opposing view: Texas A&M
With two straight possible top ten matchups looming for Texas A&M in the coming weeks against Tennessee and Alabama, many wondered if the Aggies were going to be lured into the ever-dangerous “trap game” on the road against South Carolina this week.
Which is why Aggie receiver Christian Kirk said the players were challenged to create their own energy for this game.
“We knew that it was going to be a challenge, especially going on the road with the week of preparation that we had,” Kirk said.
One play, and a 75 yard TD run from AJ Turner later, and those trap-game concerns turned to reality as Williams-Brice came to life.
“It’s tough, they do a great job here. They crank that 'Sandstorm' up and it’s kinda neat. It’s not for everybody,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said.
To the Aggies’ credit, they quickly settled down, adding a quick touchdown drive of their own to even the game up in the first quarter and quiet the crowd.
“I thought we did well after they got that first touchdown,” Kirk said. “We kept our composure, and that’s a big difference for us this year.”
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This was not the high-scoring affair that we’ve seen from this matchup the last two seasons. The majority of this game was good defense combined with little mistakes that gave it the feeling of a game out of focus.
A&M finally took the lead in their opening drive of the second half on a nice 49 yard run by Trayveon Williams. From there, it seemed like if the Aggies could put another score on the board, they’d dig a struggling Gamecock offense in a hole it’s not currently built to dig out of.
It wouldn’t be until the start of the fourth quarter until the Aggies really stretched the lead to what would be insurmountable.
Despite a change at quarterback for the Gamecocks which saw the offense come to life for a few drives, the team couldn’t capitalize on scoring chances, with Elliot Fry missing two field goals in the third quarter to keep the game out of reach.
The Gamecocks also failed to come up with two Aggie fourth quarter fumbles that came in A&M’s half of the field.
Upsets usually require two things from the underdog: playing a flawless game, and capitalizing on the opponent’s mistakes. The final quarter of the game saw South Carolina fail to do either of those, and that’s why A&M walked out of Williams-Brice with the win.
A muffed punt by Jamarcus King with just over 3 minutes to go and the game still within a possession dashed the Gamecock’s hopes for good.
It was recovered by sophomore linebacker Cullen Gillaspia, who had the Aggie honor of being named the 12th man for the fifth straight game.
Coach Sumlin said Gillaspia embodies what the 12th man tradition is all about.
“It’s a big deal. It’s really a representation of our student body, we don’t take that for granted.”
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The Aggies are now 3-0 in the conference for the first time since joining the SEC, with a huge chance to throw their name into college football playoff discussion with two top ten matchups looming as, mentioned before.
Kevin Sumlin’s challenge now will be keeping the team on track. His Aggies have started 5-0 in each of the last two seasons before falling by the wayside to 8-5 records in 2014 and 2015.
Aggie senior defensive lineman Daeshon Hall says this year’s team is different.
“I feel like we’re a lot older,” Hall chuckled.
With the experience, the Aggies and their fans hope that they can keep playing at a high level for the rest of the season.
All eyes will be on College Station next weekend as the Aggies play host to the never-say-die Tennessee Volunteers.
Awaiting the Aggies after the Volunteers? Nick Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide.
