After a win over Arkansas in Week 4, Texas A&M football returns to Kyle Field to take on the South Carolina. Can the Aggies extend their win streak to four?
Texas A&M once again found themselves in the winners circle against Arkansas on Saturday. It took overtime to seal it, but the Aggies are 1-0 in SEC play heading into a cross divisional showdown with South Carolina. The Aggies haven’t lost to the Gamecocks since joining the SEC and are hoping to extend that streak Saturday night.
The Aggies have struggled to find an identity on both sides of the ball and have limped their way to a 3-1 record so far on the season. However, they are starting to show signs of a team who may just be figuring it out just in time to meet the struggling offense of South Carolina.
The last two weeks, the Gamecock offense has in effect disappeared. After trumping Missouri 31-13, they have struggled to hit 30 points in two games combined. The team narrowly escaped Louisiana Tech 17-16 on a late field goal.
Losing Deebo Samuel has so far proven fatal for this South Carolina team. The wide receiver broke his leg during the 23-13 loss to Kentucky. After a successful surgery to repair the break, Samuel is out for the season. The Gamecocks have the talent, but seem to lack the ability to put it all together without Deebo Samuel.
Here is how you can watch this cross divisional SEC match up.
Date: Saturday September 30th
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: College Station, TX
Venue: Kyle Field
TV: SEC Network
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
For Texas A&M, they will have to execute in all phases. True freshman Kellen Mond has grown exponentially from the UCLA game and is starting to put it all together. He will need to make plays with his legs as well as his arm and be aware of what is going on around him. Many times it would seem as if Mond missed an open receiver simply because he never looked that way.
If the defense can keep the pressure on Jake Bentley and keep the Gamecock offense on its heels, the Aggies have a pretty solid chance to win. They will need help from everyone though, this cannot be a one man show.
For the Gamecocks, they will need to throw off Kellen Mond’s game. It’s really that simple. The Aggies are still struggling to find an identity on offense and if Mond can’t keep it together, the team falls apart at the seems. They will also need to get past the loss of Deebo Samuel and fast. He was the go-to wide out and without him, the Gamecocks are struggling big time. The next man needs to step up and it needs to happen before Saturday.
Prediction
This will end up being a battle of which quarterback has his day. While Kellen Mond is still learning the ropes and Jake Bentley is reeling after the loss of his go-to target, neither has everything figured out. Kellen Mond will be victorious in this match up however, due to the plethora of weapons at his disposal and the poise he has begun to show.
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The Aggie defense, lead by Landis Durham and Tyrel Dodson, will pressure Bentley early and often throwing him off his game. As a result, the South Carolina offense will continue to struggle and the Aggies improve to 2-0 in the SEC.
Final Score: Texas A&M 28 South Carolina 10