Staff Predictions: South Carolina vs. Texas A&M
Saturday is a must-win for South Carolina if they hope to keep their season afloat. Moving to 5-2 with multiple in-conference wins would be monumental for a program in desperate need of hope.
Texas A&M won't pull any punches, as they have their agenda to fight for. Head coach Jimbo Fisher has dealt with scrutiny all week, and his players know they have to execute to keep the media off Fisher's back.
Gamecocks Digest envisions this as a close-scoring affair that comes down to the wire. Both teams are evenly matched and at similar standings in their respective division.
Evan Crowell: South Carolina 24, Texas A&M 20
Hypothetically, both teams could turn this into a track race. However, neither team wants to come up to the line of scrimmage quickly and risk putting the ball in the hands of inconsistent quarterbacks.
South Carolina should be able to control the line of scrimmage and the clock, two major components in a game like this. Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield has also been adding wrinkles to the passing game, which could enable Rattler to complete downfield throws.
Andrew Lyon: South Carolina 23, Texas A&M 21
With this game, I think this is a clear case of all of the pressure being on one team, and I think that team is the Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies will be looking to try and salvage a season that has gone entirely off the rails when looking at their preseason expectations, while South Carolina will be playing more freely due to the confidence the Kentucky win has induced in this team.
This matchup will come down to the performance of both starting quarterbacks in Spencer Rattler and whoever gets the nod between Haynes King and Connor Weigman. Rattler will have to contend with a ferocious Aggie secondary, while King or Weigman will have to deal with the pressure that a pivotal SEC road game brings.
I think this game will sometimes be ugly for both teams, but the Gamecocks’ defense forces some crucial turnovers, and kicker Mitch Jeter has a career day, pushing the Gamecocks just over the top at the end of the day.
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