Three and out: What we learned from Texas A&M

Here are three things we learned about the South Carolina football team, with perspective from the season to this point, in the Gamecocks 24-13 loss to Texas A&M.

The quarterback battle is back - Head coach Will Muschamp had settled on freshman quarterback Brandon McIlwain for a couple of weeks, but after the offense again failed to produce many points against A&M - and after Perry Orth moved the Gamecocks down the field at a much quicker pace than McIlwain - the Gamecocks' quarterback questions are back.

Call it a quarterback controversy or a battle or whatever you want, but the Gamecocks definitely have major questions there about who should lead the team moving forward. And a lingering background question about whether the staff should play freshman Jake Bentley for the first time this season.

What's obvious is if the Gamecocks are going to beat any of the better teams on their schedule, they'll have to get something from the downfield passing game. McIlwain showed he's capable against ECU, but struggled in that area the last two weeks. I would expect both Orth and McIlwain to play this week, but it probably makes the most sense to start Orth based on how he finished the A&M game.

There's a reason Dowdle didn't redshirt - Freshman running back Rico Dowdle may have been limited all summer and may have missed almost every practice through week 4 of the season, but the reason he didn't redshirt was quickly apparent in Saturday's game.

With an explosive first step and a violent running style, Dowdle provided a spark to the Carolina running game, also sparking the question, just how good can this guy be once he has an opportunity to get comfortable in the system with a full array of playmakers around him?

It's dangerous to read too much into Dowdle's first nine colleges carries, but my first impression is that he's got an "it" factor about him. He's going to be exciting to watch for the rest of the season and beyond.

Defense continues to make strides - I'll admit it. Despite the Carolina defense showing a great deal of progress against Kentucky, I thought they would struggle against Texas A&M's athleticism. They did not, holding the the Aggies well below their season average in a number of categories.

I wasn't sure what fair expectations were for this defense in year 1, but so far they look far more comfortable in the new scheme than I ever suspected prior to the season. Muschamp has said that the defensive play should not be confused as good - an example of the high expectations Muschamp has for his defenses - but this unit definitely has proved to be a well-coached, hard-working unit with a knack for creating turnovers.

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